Dragons’ Den personality Peter Jones has expanded his business portfolio by acquiring the American Golf chain. Known for his love of golf with a reported handicap of eight, Jones has finalized a deal to purchase the struggling retailer from private equity firm Endless, which operates over 80 branches.
This acquisition adds to Jones’ diverse business ventures, including ownership of Jessops camera chain since 2013 and investments in brands like Levi Roots’ Reggae Reggae Sauce. As the sole remaining original judge on Dragons’ Den since its launch in 2005 on BBC, Jones has maintained a prominent presence in the show.
American Golf, the leading specialist golf retailer in the UK and Ireland with an annual turnover close to £135 million, faced financial challenges as per newly released accounts. Despite incurring a near £5 million loss for the year ending January 2025 following a £5.5 million loss the preceding year due to exceptional costs related to store closures and redundancies, the firm managed to generate a profit of £2.2 million excluding these one-off expenses.
The company attributed its financial struggles partly to a decline in golf participation, noting an 8% decrease in rounds played during the first half of 2024 due to adverse weather conditions across the UK. However, trading saw improvement in the latter half of the year, driven by favorable weather conditions and strong gifting sales leading up to the Christmas season.
American Golf, purchased by Endless in 2018 and currently employing over 1,000 individuals, operates a network of over 80 physical stores and an online presence in the UK and Ireland. Rumors of the acquisition were initially reported by Sky News.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the deal, Jones mentioned, “Golf has always been a personal passion of mine, so acquiring American Golf feels especially meaningful.” Nigel Oddy, the CEO of American Golf, also welcomed the partnership with Jones’ Investment Group, highlighting the opportunity to advance the company’s growth strategy and solidify its position as a comprehensive golfing destination.
Oddy expressed gratitude to Endless for their support and investment over the past eight years. The collaboration between American Golf and Peter Jones signifies a promising new chapter for the brand and its commitment to serving the golfing community.