Front Row Seat: Derrick Ziglar Jr., Founder of The Entrepreneur Golf Club
Photo: Derrick Ziglar Jr.
Welcome to the return of Front Row Seat, where Charlotte's tastemakers and changemakers are highlighted. Today, we're chatting with Derrick Ziglar Jr., someone helping redefine the local golf community. As the founder of The Entrepreneur Golf Club, Derrick has created a space where some of Charlotte's leading entrepreneurs, executives, and investors can come together, build meaningful relationships, and connect through their shared love of the game.
Learn how Entrepreneur Golf Club was first developed, what sets it apart from a traditional golf membership, and what Derrick has planned for the future of the private membership club, including expansion into other major cities.
Can you tell us about Entrepreneur Golf Club and how it came to be? How did you first get into golf, and what inspired you to create a private membership club centered around entrepreneurs, executives, and investors?
Entrepreneur Golf Club really came from the intersection of my personal relationship with golf and the way I naturally move through business and entrepreneurship.
I first got into golf as a way to decompress. As an entrepreneur, I work a lot. I am obsessive about what I am building, and I genuinely love what I do, but I also realized I needed something that allowed me to step away from the pace of business and be present.
Golf became that outlet for me. It was the first thing that gave me that feeling since I played football. When I was on the course, I could relax, compete, think, and disconnect from everything else for a few hours. It gave me space to breathe while still challenging me mentally and physically.
As I spent more time around the game, I started to see how powerful golf was as a relationship builder. The course creates a natural environment for conversation. You are not sitting across from someone forcing a business pitch. You are walking, playing, competing, laughing, and spending real time together. That setting allows relationships to develop in a way that feels authentic.
Because I sit in a lot of different rooms with entrepreneurs, executives, investors, and business leaders, I saw an opportunity to bring those worlds together in a more intentional way. I wanted to create a community where golf became the natural relationship builder, and then we could layer in business development, networking, curated experiences, and lifestyle around it.
That is how Entrepreneur Golf Club was born. EGC is a private membership community for entrepreneurs, executives, and investors who see golf as more than a sport. It is a platform for connection, access, growth, and opportunity. The goal is to create a premium community where members can enjoy the game, build meaningful relationships, and be around people who are serious about where they are going.
Charlotte is home to several well-known country clubs and golf communities. How does Entrepreneur Golf Club differ from a traditional golf membership, and what makes the experience unique for your members?
Charlotte has a strong golf culture, and there are some incredible traditional country clubs in the area. Entrepreneur Golf Club is not trying to replace that. We are building something different.
A traditional golf membership is usually centered around access to a specific course or facility. EGC is centered around community, relationships, and curated experiences. We are not just offering a place to play; we are creating a platform where ambitious professionals can connect through golf, business, and lifestyle.
What makes EGC unique is the intentionality behind the experience. Our events are designed to create real relationship momentum, not surface-level networking. We bring members together through Nine & Network mixers, member-only clinics, private dinners, leadership roundtables, tournaments, retreats, and curated social experiences. Every touchpoint is designed to help members build trust, strengthen their network, and unlock opportunities on and off the course.
The club is private and curated, but it is not built around outdated barriers. It is built for the right people: entrepreneurs, executives, investors, and high-performing professionals who value quality relationships, premium experiences, and authentic connection.
Golf has long been known as a sport where relationships and business opportunities are built. As someone who works with ambitious entrepreneurs every day, how do you encourage members to strike the right balance between meaningful networking and simply enjoying the game?
I think the balance starts with the culture we create. Entrepreneur Golf Club is not meant to be a transactional networking group where everyone shows up trying to pitch each other. That is actually what we are trying to get away from. The goal is to create an environment where members can enjoy the game, be present, and build relationships naturally.
Golf is powerful because it gives people time. You are with someone for a few hours, and during that time, you get to see how they communicate, how they compete, how they handle frustration, and how they treat people. Those things matter in business. A round of golf can tell you a lot about a person without the conversation ever feeling forced.
What I encourage members to do is lead with relationship first. Enjoy the round. Ask real questions. Be curious about who someone is, not just what they do. The business opportunities will come when there is trust, alignment, and genuine connection.
That is the twist we are putting on networking. We are not removing business from the conversation. We are creating a better environment for business relationships to form. When people are relaxed, engaged, and doing something they enjoy, the conversations are usually more honest, the connections are stronger, and the opportunities that come from those relationships are more meaningful.
For readers who may be interested in joining Entrepreneur Golf Club, what can they expect from the membership experience? Beyond access to golf, what resources, partnerships, and events are available to members throughout the year?
First and foremost, members can expect a community of genuine people. EGC is made up of entrepreneurs, investors, executives, and professionals who truly want to be connected to good people with strong character, high values, and a shared desire to grow.
At the core, we are building a relationship-centered community. We get together, we have fun, we laugh, we talk about life, we talk about business, and we help each other navigate the different challenges and opportunities that come with building, leading, and growing. Golf is the connector, but the relationships are the foundation.
Beyond that, members can expect curated experiences throughout the year. That includes golf events, Nine & Network mixers, member-only clinics, business and leadership development sessions, private dinners, roundtables, tournaments, lifestyle activations, and community gatherings that bring people together in a meaningful way.
We are also focused on building resources and partnerships that support our members both personally and professionally. That includes access to business relationships, tools, organizations, and strategic partners who can help members start, grow, and maintain their businesses. We also look for partnerships with entrepreneurs, business owners, and brands that can bring real value to the community.
On the lifestyle side, we want members to have access to experiences, benefits, discounts, and opportunities they may not traditionally have access to on their own. That could include partnerships with golf facilities, instructors, hospitality groups, wellness brands, apparel companies, premium lifestyle brands, and other businesses that align with the EGC experience.
So when someone joins EGC, they are not just joining a golf group. They are joining a community built around relationships, access, character, business growth, lifestyle, and shared experiences. The goal is for members to leave every event feeling like they met someone meaningful, learned something valuable, or experienced something they want to be part of again.
Looking ahead, what's next for Entrepreneur Golf Club? Are there any exciting initiatives, expansions, or upcoming projects you can share with the Front Row Charlotte audience?
Charlotte is our flagship chapter, and we have been very intentional about building the right foundation here first. That means focusing on the infrastructure, the culture, the member experience, and the partnerships that allow EGC to grow the right way. We want Charlotte to be the model for what this community can look like in other markets.
With that said, our vision has always been national. We are building Entrepreneur Golf Club to have chapters in various cities across the country, with the goal of growing the game of golf while also strengthening local entrepreneur and small-business ecosystems.
The opportunity is much bigger than hosting golf events. We want to create a national network that connects entrepreneurs, executives, investors, and business owners across different cities through curated events, networking opportunities, golf experiences, and business development programming. That gives our members the ability to learn from people in different markets, gain exposure to different perspectives, expand their resources, and build relationships they may not have had access to otherwise.
We are currently in the process of expanding into Houston, Texas, and establishing a chapter there. We are also having conversations around a few other cities along the East Coast as we look at where EGC can make the strongest impact next.
What excites me most is the ability to take what we are building in Charlotte and bring that same type of community to other places. As we grow, we have an opportunity to impact the game of golf, support the success of entrepreneurs and investors, and create a national community where relationships, access, and opportunity can move across markets.
For the Front Row Charlotte audience, I would say we are just getting started. Charlotte is the foundation, but the vision is to build a national entrepreneurial golf community that helps people connect, grow, do business, enjoy the game, and create opportunities that last far beyond the golf course.
