LinksDAO

LinksDAO is a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) established in 2021 by founders Mike Dudas, Jim Daily, and Chris Maddern, with the mission to create a modern global golf and leisure club. Dudas, an entrepreneur with a background at Stanford and experience from ventures like The Block and 6th Man Ventures, was inspired to create a more accessible and modern alternative to traditional, stuffy country clubs. The organization operates by selling NFT-based memberships that grant access to a global community, governance rights, and a range of benefits.

The business model is centered around its digital memberships, which initially raised over $10 million in January 2022 by selling out a collection of over 9,000 NFTs. These NFTs, which come in "Leisure" and "Global" tiers, provide holders with voting rights on key decisions, such as course acquisitions and club rules. While the DAO structure allows for community governance, a separate corporate entity, Links Golf Club, handles the legalities of owning and operating physical assets. Revenue is generated through these one-time NFT sales, which can be resold on secondary markets, and through annual subscription-based memberships that cater to non-cryptocurrency users, offering tiered access to a network of courses and partner discounts.

The core offering for members is access to a growing network of private and partner golf courses worldwide. A significant milestone was achieved in May 2023 with the acquisition of Spey Bay Golf Club in Scotland. More recently, LinksDAO partnered to become a co-owner of Hillcrest Country Club in Kansas City, its first U.S. course. Beyond course access, members receive substantial discounts from over 30 golf brands, including Callaway, which is also a strategic investor, and access to exclusive events, a members-only Discord community, and professional golf instruction. The organization continues to evolve, recently announcing the LINKS token on the Base blockchain to further engage its community and fund future acquisitions, signaling a shift to a more flexible financial model beyond solely NFTs.

Keywords: decentralized autonomous organization, golf membership, NFT membership, community-owned golf, golf course acquisition, Spey Bay Golf Club, Hillcrest Country Club, Mike Dudas, web3 golf, digital country club, crypto golf, golf community, member benefits, blockchain golf, golf governance, LINKS token, Callaway partnership, Jim Daily, Chris Maddern, golf technology