* KSL to acquire Invited for around $3 billion, including

debt, sources say

* KSL previously owned Invited from 2006 until it took it

public in 2013

* Current owner Apollo had been exploring an exit of

Invited

By Abigail Summerville

NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - Private equity firm KSL

Capital Partners has agreed to buy Invited Clubs, an operator of

golf and membership clubs, for around $3 billion, including

debt, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The deal would mark KSL's second stint as Invited's owner,

having bought the company, then known as ClubCorp, in 2006 for

$1.8 billion and taken it public in 2013.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ It

comes after Reuters reported in December that Apollo Global

Management ( APO ), which took Invited back private in 2017 for

an enterprise value of $2.2 billion, was exploring options for

the company including a sale or initial public offering.

KSL and Apollo declined to comment. Invited did not

immediately respond to a comment request.

Founded in 1957, the Irving, Texas-based company has over

150 clubs across the U.S. including golf and country clubs, city

clubs and venues within college football stadiums, and over

300,000 members, according to its website.

Marquee clubs include The Metropolitan Club in Chicago and

Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Members pay monthly dues,

typically running into hundreds of dollars, after an initiation

fee. The company rebranded itself from ClubCorp to Invited in

2022.

The transaction comes on the heels of a wave of dealmaking in

the golf and private club sector.

Last year, Bain Capital acquired golf and country club operator

Concert Golf, and Leonard Green & Partners bought a majority

stake in the Topgolf business from Topgolf Callaway Brands

. High-end club operator Soho House was taken private

for $2.7 billion last year by a group led by MCR Hotels that

included actor Ashton Kutcher and Apollo.

KSL, which focuses on travel and leisure investments,

already owns golf and country club operator Heritage Golf Group,

as well as resort assets including Fairmont Grand Del Mar in

California and Alterra Mountain Company, the ski resort group

behind the Ikon Pass, which gives skiers access to dozens of

mountains worldwide.