About

Since 2006, The Golf Company has quietly shaped the modern game – not through a single flagship product, but through the accumulated expertise of a family that has spent half a century inside the sport, at every level, on both sides of the fairway. Founded by the Saunders family in Christchurch, the company built its name developing and marketing an innovative international golf course product, before growing into a multi-faceted business spanning consulting, retail, publishing, and course development.

At its core are two generations of golfing minds: Geoff Saunders and his son David, each bringing a distinct set of skills forged in different corners of the industry.

Geoff Saunders: Statesman of the Game

Geoff Saunders has been part of golf's inner circle since the 1970s, when he first played the professional and amateur circuits that introduced him to two men who would become lifelong friends — Sir Bob Charles and Peter Thomson. Those relationships have endured for decades and shaped much of Geoff's later career.

His collaboration with Thomson stands as one of his most significant undertakings: an extensive redevelopment of the Christchurch Golf Club, launched in 1997 and now, nearly three decades later, approaching completion — a project defined as much by patience and stewardship as by design.

Geoff's influence on New Zealand golf extends well beyond the course. He served as Chairman of the NZ Open and sat on the Board of New Zealand Golf throughout the 2000s, helping steer the sport's national direction during a formative period. By profession a lawyer, he has built an extensive track record in golf resort development, and it's this rare combination — legal precision, governance experience, and decades of on-the-ground golf knowledge — that he brings to The Golf Company's strategic core.

Geoff is also a golf historian in his own right. His 2020 book, Sir Bob Charles – The Biography, chronicles the life of New Zealand's most celebrated golfer, and he remains an active voice in golf media, contributing regularly to publications including The Cut.

David Saunders: Building the Modern Business

David Saunders came to the family enterprise through a different route: more than a decade in golf club management in Australia, including senior roles at two of the Gold Coast's premier clubs. That operational grounding led him to launch two golf accessory ventures, Re:Sourced Direct and inCaps, both of which were later folded into The Golf Company.

Today, David runs the company's day-to-day operations and leads its most ambitious physical development yet: the Sir Bob Charles Golf Centre by Heller Golf, a world-class driving range and practice facility taking shape at Clearwater in Christchurch – a fitting tribute, built in partnership with Heller Golf, to the man whose story the family has already committed to print.

A Family Rooted in the Game

The Saunders name carries weight in New Zealand golf circles that predates the company itself. The family once held a significant stake in PGF, the iconic Australasian golf club manufacturer, and operated two retail stores across the South Island. That same instinct for backing quality golf infrastructure has carried through to The Golf Company's investments in golf course real estate at destination resorts including Terrace Downs and Clearwater.

The Business Today

The Golf Company now operates across five interconnected pillars of the golf industry:

• Golf Club Management Consulting – Elevating operations, strategy, and governance for clubs across the region.
• Golf Accessory Supply – Custom accessories for golf clubs and corporate clients.
• Sir Bob Charles: The Biography – Overseeing promotion, distribution, and associated events.
• Heller Golf – Guiding the development of the Sir Bob Charles Golf Centre.
• Mayfly Books – Golf journalism and writing services.

Each arm reflects a different chapter of the Saunders family's history in the game – and together, they position The Golf Company as one of New Zealand's most distinctive golf enterprises.