07-04-2025
Why Escalante Bought One Of Golf's Most Exclusive Clubs For Icon Golf
An ultra-private, Top 100-ranked golf course that sees less play than Augusta National and has been a millionaire's 'personal playground' is about to become more accessible – at least slightly -- as the home club for Icon Golf, a national luxury and travel membership.
Canyata, built two decades ago on a former cornfield in Marshall, Illinois, about 200 miles due south of Chicago, recently became the 25th golf property acquired by Escalante Golf, a boutique owner and operator of luxury properties across the U.S.
The Escalante portfolio includes a diverse mix of public, private and resort, among them Black Diamond Ranch and The Dye Preserve in Florida, Kingsmill Resort in Virginia, the Clubs of Dove Mountain in Arizona, Pursell Farms in Alabama, Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon, The International in Massachusetts, and Kingsley Club in Michigan. While courses at many of those properties have garnered acclaim, Canyata has a truly unique mystique.
The man who created Canyata as an exclusive golf retreat for family and friends, Jerry Forsythe, a magnate in the power and auto racing industries, estimates that the course has hosted only about 5,000 rounds since it opened in 2005. Upon its debut, Canyata was recognized by Golf Digest as the No. 2 new private course in the country. Today it continues to be ranked by the magazine among the Top 100 courses in America, highlighted for its nearly flawless manicuring and massive fairways and greens 'edged by waterscaped ponds, artificial creeks and a dazzling array of bunkers.'
Forsythe, the former owner of the Champ Car World Series who's now in his 80s, was approached about selling the club and, with no family members eager to be in the golf business, saw a fit with the ethos of family-owned Escalante. And Canyata is a perfect fit for Icon Golf, which has a membership of 700+ that's focused on the family dynamic as well as fellowship and camaraderie in its approach to a luxury golf travel club.
Icon Golf Jeff Goodsell said he was initially in disbelief when he was informed of the acquisition and plans by Escalante President David McDonald.
'You're telling me that I got a Top 100 with no members, that we can do whatever we want with it and make it the home club of Icon Golf? Yeah, let's go,' said Goodsell.
'It's a pretty amazing opportunity. We've all just been scratching our heads going, how many opportunities in the entire world are there to buy a club or a course of this stature that has no members, no bylaws, no rules and regulations? It's a world-class golf course and it's a blank slate. So, it's going to be a fun adventure, to say the least.'
While no architectural updates are planned – the design, playability, aesthetics and fun are all there, Goodsell says – the course's agronomic profile will be improved to encourage a firmer and faster playing experience. Along with a new general manager, a new superintendent has been hired, with his maintenance staff increasing from approximately 10 to 30.
What has been a course of mystery in the corn fields of Illinois will be transformed into more of a true destination golf experience, however, with plans for a variety of onsite accommodations, a par-3 course, comfort stations, re-imagined practice facilities, lighted putting greens, a fish camp, trails, and more. There will be a caddy program and the number of members on site will be limited to no more than 40 at a time.
Goodsell acknowledges that 'the middle of nowhere Illinois' at first blush might not seem as attractive in comparison to Escalante's properties in places like Tucson, Portland, San Francisco, Naples or Boston, but says the experience is a uniquely peaceful and calming one that not many other places can offer.
'It's the type of place you go and get out on the golf course, you can't even really see another hole, so you feel like you're the only person on the planet,' Goodsell said. 'You don't know what time it is; you forget what day of the week it is, you don't care about checking your phone or emails, and you just melt into nature.'
Only Icon Golf members and their guests will be permitted to stay and play at Canyata when the club re-opens in May. The golf season is expected to run from May through the end of October.
The Icon Golf membership was created to provide a super 'high touch' and 'very customer service oriented' luxury travel program that brings people together and celebrates the camaraderie of golf. It's continued to expand over the years, particularly in the post-Covid era as golf's popularity has boomed, with members not only having access to some of the other Escalante-owned properties but participating in annual curated events such as tournaments at places like Pebble Beach and other renowned properties. They also include 'Quests,' which are longer trips to top golf destinations worldwide, and 'Experiences,' which are 3-day, 2-night itineraries at Escalante clubs.
'To my knowledge, there was nothing like that that existed in a luxury space,' said Goodsell, who joined Escalante just over a decade ago. 'And I said, 'Let's kick this up a notch and instead of going to find a bunch of guys that are just looking for nothing more than golf boondoggles and getting drunk and playing music, let's go find couples. Let's go find families. Let's go find people that have the means and the influence to go do some of the best things this world has to offer.' We've kind of settled into that niche.'
Many of the trips are now being planned at least two years in advance, with members able to invite family or friends, and Icon Golf coordinating everything except for the booking of flights. Both golfers and non-golfers are welcome to participate, as plenty of activities are planned away from the course for spouses and/or other family members, from cooking classes and scuba lessons to shopping excursions and spa days.
The membership has a $25,000 non-refundable, one-time initiation fee for a family membership, with annual dues of $6,000 and no equity, no assessments, and no food and beverage minimums. When members visit other clubs in the portfolio, there are no restrictions or limitations, and no playing fees beyond a cart fee if they're riding.
Canyata now becomes the home club for the Icon membership, with the highlight being a course that Escalante's McDonald calls 'the textbook definition of a hidden gem.'
Goodsell considers himself a 'pretty studious golf nerd,' having played many of the nation's best courses, but hadn't heard of Canyata until initial, informal conversations began with Forsythe about his vision and hopes for the property. Escalante ultimately acquired about 430 acres that occupied the golf course and its surrounds, with the exception being a massive log cabin on property the Forsythe family wanted to retain. A road into the club was rerouted and a fence was built around the cabin for added privacy.
Canyata was long a family-focused property and Goodsell envisions elements of that remaining. He aspires to have a board in the main clubhouse that lists names and hometowns of members who are on-site to facilitate interaction. He said there are talks about a party barn for family-style dining, the type of location where members gather for meals when the chef comes out and rings the dinner bell.
'It's creating a cool balance of exclusivity with warmth and welcome,' said Goodsell, adding that he can't wait for members to get to experience a club that's been shrouded in mystery for two decades. And it's just one part of the broader Icon membership.
'What we're going to do at Canyata is going to be unbelievable,' Goodsell said. 'But I truly think what has become the heartbeat of our membership is the travel. It fosters an opportunity for really cool, genuine friendships and memories. We kind of look at it with this mantra of, 'Come see the world with us.''
For a fortunate few, that now includes a one-of-a-kind golf course in the corn fields of Illinois.
