An ultra-exclusive Elgin County golf club that’s played host to a slew of Hollywood A-listers for nearly three decades is changing hands, The Free Press has learned.
Redtail Golf Club’s founders John Drake and Chris Goodwin have sold their stakes in the club to London car dealership kingpin Ryan Finch.
“Ryan is a longtime member of Redtail and successful businessman with all the required talent to oversee the next chapter in the evolution of Redtail,” the partners said in an email to Redtail members, a copy of which was obtained by The Free Press.
Goodwin and Drake, through his lawyer John Brennan, both declined further comment.
Finch declined comment on the Redtail acquisition Friday.
Since it opened in 1992, Redtail’s posh reputation and roster of celebrity guests have given the club an almost mythical status among golfers and the public.
The elite private golf course north of Port Stanley has played host to sports greats including Mike Weir and Wayne Gretzky and Hollywood stars Hugh Grant, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery. The Queen stayed at a cottage on Redtail’s grounds during a visit to Canada.
The sale of Redtail comes after two protracted legal fights between Drake and Goodwin for control of the storied club.
