David McDonald, Owner of Escalante Golf, Episode 306
David McDonald is the owner of Escalante Golf and a third-generation car dealer originally from Roswell, New Mexico, raised in the Denver area. A former college tennis player at the University of Oklahoma, David carries deep work ethic values shaped by family, faith, and decades of business leadership. Today, he leads Escalante Golf with a long-term stewardship mindset, building private clubs and experiences that prioritize customer service, culture, and community.
Brad sits down with David to explore how Escalante Golf was born out of a simple observation: golfers, especially young golfers, weren’t always treated with appreciation at public courses. David shares how his family’s business background in automotive (dating back to 1926) helped shape his operational discipline, while his entrepreneurial wiring and Christian faith pulled him into golf with a bigger purpose than profit. He walks through the early days of starting Escalante in the early 1990s, learning to “trust God” in uncertainty, and later using the 2008 market crash as a window to acquire and improve properties with strong operational fundamentals. David also explains the vision behind Icon Golf (“membership in the sky”), the story of acquiring Canyata (built on a family farm, with zero revenue at the time), and the unique home-office culture where employees are invited, not required—to read the Bible together every morning.
“Work really creates strengthening, understanding your purpose in life, building your own self-esteem, it’s a great life teacher.” – David McDonald
“I thrive off of uncertainty” – David McDonald
“We’re really in a lot of ways a very old school fundamental, disciplined company, it’s not a house of cards. It’s really built on solid, solid rock.” – David McDonald
This Week on The Wow Factor:
David’s upbringing across New Mexico and Colorado, and how tennis, family, and faith shaped his drive
The McDonald family legacy in the car business (since 1926) and seeing business as a platform for service
Why Escalante Golf started: noticing a lack of customer appreciation and wanting to treat people differently
Learning the car business on his own, the power of commitment, and giving his best effort for years
Launching Escalante independently and the leadership lesson behind “go figure it out on your own”
The 2008 crash as a turning point: operator mindset, buying opportunities, and scaling through discipline
Canyata’s origin story: a world-class course built on a family farm, acquired with zero revenue, and transformed through vision
Icon Golf explained: access + curated experiences, community, couples travel, and long-term membership connection
David McDonald’s Word of Wisdom:
David challenges leaders to think bigger than their own limitations and to enjoy the ride. He believes we’re often constrained by what we can see and predict, but growth comes when we step into uncertainty with trust, discipline, and joy. He also emphasizes teaching stewardship, of time, resources, and responsibility, because when people learn to steward well, they multiply the mission and the results far beyond what leadership could do alone.
Connect With David McDonald and Escalante Golf:
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