how do i start a golf course business

Start a golf course by following these 10 steps:

• Plan your Golf Course.
• Form your Golf Course into a Legal Entity.
• Register your Golf Course for Taxes.
• Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card.
• Set up Accounting for your Golf Course.
• Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Golf Course.
• Get Golf Course Insurance.
• Define your Golf Course Brand.
• Create your Golf Course Website.
• Set up your Business Phone System.

Full Answer

Is it possible to start your own golf course?

Learn how to start your own Golf Course and whether it is the right fit for you. You have found the perfect business idea, and now you are ready to take the next step. There is more to starting a business than just registering it with the state.

Do you need a business plan for a golf course?

If you’re looking to start a golf course, or grow your existing golf course, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your golf course in order to improve your chances of success.

How do I start a miniature golf business?

Once you're ready to start your miniature golf course, follow these steps to ensure that your business is legally compliant and avoid wasting time and money as your business grows: Plan your business. Form a legal entity. Register for taxes. Open a business bank account. Set up business accounting. Obtain necessary permits and licenses.

How much does it cost to start a golf business?

Start a golf simulators business ($6M/year) 3. Start a golf club brand ($12M/year) 4. Start a mini golf business 5. Start a photography business ($1.32M/year)

How much money can you make owning a golf course?

Golf Course Owners make between $30,000 to several hundred thousand dollars per year. However, golf course owners sometimes will lose money if the course has a bad year. Overall, the golf course industry is very volatile, and there is no guarantee that money will be made.

Is it profitable to own a golf course?

Profitable golf courses are generally selling for six to eight times EBITDA, while courses that aren't profitable tend to sell at 0.8 to 1.4 times revenue.

How do you start a golf course?

Start a golf course by following these 10 steps:Plan your Golf Course.Form your Golf Course into a Legal Entity.Register your Golf Course for Taxes.Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card.Set up Accounting for your Golf Course.Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Golf Course.Get Golf Course Insurance.More items...•

How many acres do you need to build golf course?

“This means an 18-hole course of all short par 3s could be built on as little as 30 acres, while an intermediate length or executive course of 18 holes of par 3s and 4s would require 75-100 acres, and a full size par 72 course would need 120-200 acres.

How do golf courses make money?

Ways To Raise Money For Your Golf Course. The most common income streams are green fees, membership fees, pro shop sales, and food and beverage sales. While increasing membership fees or green fees might seem like a good way to increase revenue, it might put off more golfers than the additional income earned.

What is the most profitable business?

Here's our list of the most profitable small businesses:Food trucks. ... Car wash services. ... Auto repair. ... Personal trainers. ... Newborn and post-pregnancy services.

How do you build a successful golf course?

Offer Online Tee Time Booking. Online tee time booking is more important than ever. ... Look at Third-Party Booking Outlets. ... Offer Varying Golf Course Membership Options. ... Add a Loyalty Program. ... Use POS Reporting and Analytics. ... Automate Ordering and Inventory. ... Host Golf Events and Contests. ... Add Time-Based Discounts.More items...•

How many golf clubs do you really need?

If you're a beginner golfer you should start with 10 golf clubs. You can golf with a fairway wood, iron, and putter but you're going to want to learn how to use more clubs if you want to be able to handle every situation.

How do I hold a golf club?

4:298:01How to hold a golf club correctly (easy way) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo now the crease on my left hand and the crease on my right hand are pointing towards my rightMoreSo now the crease on my left hand and the crease on my right hand are pointing towards my right shoulder. That is a super neutral grip when i talk about neutral.

How much water do golf courses use?

90 million gallonsIn California, an average 18-hole golf course sprawls over 110 to 115 acres and conservatively uses almost 90 million gallons of water per year, enough to fill 136 Olympic-size swimming pools, said Mike Huck, a water management consultant who works with golf courses statewide.

What goes into building a golf course?

These are just some of the many steps that go into building a golf course....Steps in the Golf Course Building ProcessGrading. ... Drainage. ... Rough and Finish Shaping. ... Green Construction. ... Tee Construction. ... Bunker Construction. ... Grassing and Seed Prep.More items...

How long does it take to build a golf course?

The actual construction time for a golf course from ground -breaking to opening can be from one to two years, depending on the weather and amount of equipment used. But today it often takes an additional one to two years to obtain all of the permits and required approvals before construction can begin.

Due to the spread of the coronavirus, is this business essential?

No. Under current guidelines across multiple states, this business is not classified as essential while emergency orders are active.For more inform...

What are the costs involved in opening a golf course?

The costs associated with opening a golf course are significant. The largest upfront expense is usually land, as courses can require 200 acres of l...

What are the ongoing expenses for a golf course?

The ongoing expenses for a golf course business largely consist of maintenance fees for the course and any buildings on the property. In 2016, the...

Who is the target market?

A golf course’s ideal customer is an affluent golfer. Such a person enjoys the sport, and they have the money necessary to go golfing regularly.

How much can you charge customers?

According to Golfweek, most privately owned golf courses charge an average of $40 per round with a cart on the weekend. Weekday prices tend to be s...

How much profit can a golf course make?

In 2015, 69 percent of golf courses broke even (24 percent) or earned a profit (45 percent). The profitability of these courses varies greatly, dep...

How can you make your business more profitable?

Golf course businesses can add additional revenue streams and increase profits by hiring golf pros who offer lessons, putting in a pro shop that se...

Is this Business Right For You?

Anyone who is well-versed in a variety of aspects of business and enjoys golfing themselves may be qualified to run a golf course. It’s important t...

What happens during a typical day at a golf course?

During the golf season, there are lots of day-to-day activities that must be done. A few include: watering and mowing fairways, roughs and greens c...

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful golf course?

Business owners that build a golf course from scratch should be familiar with golf course design. Even if they hire a golf course architect to actu...

Business Overview

A golf course provides a place for people to play golf, usually offering both 9 and 18 hole games. The course may also offer food and beverages and sell merchandise.

Checklist for Starting a Golf Course

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or this is your first time starting a business, there are some important things to keep in mind. Use this checklist to help get started and make sure you have all the bases covered.

How profitable is a golf course?

Your revenue is hard to predict, and it is highly dependent on your location and how long the course can be used during the entire year. Revenue is generated from membership fees, greens fees, food and beverage, and extra revenue can be generated from merchandise sales if a pro shop is added.

Are there grants to start a golf course?

It’s extremely rare to find a grant to start a golf course. If you search for business grants, you will come across a lot of scams and misinformation. Occasionally an organization will offer grants to start a business, however, be skeptical and don’t provide any sensitive personal information or pay money to get more information.

Golf Course Business Plan Template

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their golf courses. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning.

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your golf course business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan

If you’re looking to start a golf course, or grow your existing golf course, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your golf course in order to improve your chances of success.

Sources of Funding for Golf Courses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a golf course are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest.

Golf Course Business Plan Template

If you want to start a golf course or expand your current one, you need a business plan. Below are links to each section of your golf course business plan template:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of golf course you are operating.

How to get good at golf course business?

Hire hardworking, courteous and honest employees in your golf course business. Invest in good manpower that will give good service to you clients that will encourage them to further patronize your business.

How to attract more clients to your business?

Invest in good equipment and facilities to attract more clients. There must be a place where golfers can change clothes, bathe, dine and buy or rent equipment. Having good facilities and equipment gives your business a competitive edge over competitors.

What are the challenges of starting a mini golf business?

Therefore some of the challenges and threats that you are likely to face when starting your mini golf business include; having to deal with competition from other existing mini golf businesses, having to deal with alternative entertainment options, economic downturn and having to deal with regulations from the industry.

What is the best decision to make when starting a business?

While each option has its pros and cons, it is usually best to choose the one that aligns with your corporate goals and objectives.

Why are mini golf courses struggling?

The paintball and roller skating games have experienced a downturn especially between the periods of 2008 and 2013, which is why new mini golf courses are struggling to stay alive by designing a course that is technologically inclined in order to still be able to attract and retain their customers.

How long have mini golf courses been around?

Mini golf courses have been in existence for about a hundred years and it is an American form of entertainment that has remained viable ever since. Mini golf courses are regarded as one of the few American cultural icons left and can be found in cities, suburbs, and even rural towns across the country.

How much land do you need to build a mini golf course?

The good news is that you can build your mini golf on something as little as three-quarters of an acre. However, you can easily turn a profit if you know what you are doing and if you add other features intended to attract your customers.

Why is location important in mini golf?

In running a mini golf business, location is very important as it can help keep you in competition. This means that customers do not want to drive or travel too far before they are able to enjoy the social activity that a mini golf provides especially with the many alternative entertainment options available.

When did mini golf start?

The mini golf course business began to take shape in the 1950s and boomed until the 90s when its popularity began to slow down due to technology being built for home use as most customers especially kids now prefer to engage in interactive pastimes.

Step 1: Find a location

Before you can start ordering golf simulators, you are first going to need to find an optimal location for your business.

Step 2: Find golf simulators

Once you have selected the location for your simulators, you will have a much better understanding of the space you have available and the simulators that will fit that space.

Step 3: Research your target audience

This is arguably the most important part of starting your golf simulator business, especially if you’re looking to attract investors to raise money.

Step 4: Start a marketing campaign

One of the best things that you can do to generate sales for any business is to have an excellent marketing campaign. Let’s talk about online and offline methods.

Step 5: Schedule an opening day

Following along the lines of your marketing campaign, one thing you could do is schedule a large opening day event. This is likely going to attract a lot of attention from the locals.

Step 6: Evaluate your performance

After you have been open for some time (it could be a few months, a year, etc.), you’re going to need to evaluate your performance and projections.

Conclusion

We want to stress that these six steps are a rough and oversimplified way to start and grow your golf simulator business. There are still a lot of details you’ll need to take care of behind the scenes like:

What is a business structure for miniature golf?

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation. Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your miniature golf course is sued.

How to maximize profitability of mini golf?

In order to maximize profitability, be sure to have an advertising presence in logical areas for potential customers, including schools, churches, and local entertainment centers . Try to stay open as many days as possible—major holidays often prove to be big business for mini-golf courses, as people have time off from work and school and are happy to come out and play. Finally, be sure to have a social media presence that heavily features pictures of actual customers and their testimonials, as this will establish the legitimacy of your business within the community.

How much does it cost to play 18 holes?

The exact cost may vary by region, but it is typical to charge customers about $5 to $7 to play 18 holes. This pricing makes your business a very competitive alternative to the increasingly pricey activities going out to movies, restaurants, etc.

Why do businesses need insurance?

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss. There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks.

What happens when you mix your personal and business accounts?

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Can you lease a mini golf course?

Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a mini golf course.

Is mini golf a business?

The exact growth potential of a mini-golf business varies by area. Nationally, businesses that focus purely on mini-golf have experienced a decline in recent years; however, businesses that have diversified their offerings by including features such as a video arcade typically do quite well, and the affordability of this as an entertainment option remains highly attractive to local residents in many cities.