how much does it cost annually to run a golf course

by Prof. Rey O'Keefe 9 min read

Full Answer

How much is a golf course really worth?

Those in the industry will tell you that a golf course that was purchased for $5 million in 2006 would be worth about $2.5 million today. From 2010 to 2014, there were a lot of distressed golf course assets put on the market by lenders, financial institutions, and bankruptcy companies.

What is the average cost to run a golf course?

The $3.8 million Doyle paid for the course, in Florida’s third-biggest market, is slightly more than the average purchase price ($3.1 million) for the 114 golf course sales tracked by Leisure Investment Properties Group last year. And the majority of transactions in the current environment involve first-time buyers, like Doyle.

How much profit do golf courses make?

On an encouraging note, Sageworks’ data show that even though golf courses have negative margins, they have strengthened steadily since 2008, when the average net profit margin was about -9%....

What is the average cost of a round of golf?

Median Cost Per Round. The median cost for 18 holes of golf at a public course on the weekend is $36, including a cart, according to the survey, which noted that at a daily course -- a privately owned facility open to the public -- the median cost was $40 for a weekend round.

How much money does it take annually to maintain a perfect golf course?

The cost to achieve and maintain the golf course condition players expect, or will at least tolerate, ranges from roughly $500,000 a year for a daily-fee course to a cool million a year for a private club, according to Bob Randquist, chief operating officer of the Golf Course Superintendents' Association of America.

What is the operating cost of a golf course?

The cost to achieve the condition players expect — or will tolerate — ranges from about $500,000 a year for a daily-fee course to $1,000,000 a year for a private club, estimates Bob Randquist, chief operating officer of the Golf Course Superintendent's Association of America.

Is owning a golf course profitable?

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 much does the PGA pay to use a golf course?

Money for hosting an event ranges widely. If you're talking about a U.S. Open, the amount the USGA pays in facility fees is substantial — north of $2 million when it “rents” a club. But clubs also share in the event's revenue and receive additional funds to prepare and restore its course.

What is the profit margin on golf clubs?

After all expenses, the best golf retailers rarely profit more than 2-3% of the total cost of a club. However, as a whole, we can say that around 33.33% of the cost of a golf club is the markup from the retailer.

What is golf course maintenance?

Golf Course Maintenance Personnel Duties include but not limited to: lawn care maintenance, fertilizing, watering, weeding, irrigation maintenance, tree pruning, spring/fall cleanups, golf course maintenance, basic equipment…

How do golf businesses make money?

How To Make Money Playing Golf (Top 5 Ways)Get a Job as a Golf Pro. ... Play in Golf Tournaments. ... Place Friendly Bets with Your Friends. ... Become a Mystery Shopper. ... Get Sponsorships/Become an Influencer.

How many acres does it take to build a 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 many acres is a golf course?

At the individual level, an average 18-hole golf course covers 150 acres, approximately 100 (67 percent) of which is maintained turfgrass. This area is predominantly comprised of rough (51 acres) and fairways (30 acres).

What does it cost to play Augusta National?

To join is reportedly under $100,000, which might be one-tenth of other high profile clubs in the country. And if you were lucky enough to play the course with member, you can probably afford it. Guest fees are said to be about $40.

How profitable is the PGA?

“The PGA Tour in 2019 took in $1.5 billion in revenues, profited more than $250 million from 2016 to 2019, and skirted about $80 million in federal corporate taxes.

Do PGA players pay for their own travel?

Yes, they do. And it can be pretty expensive. Some estimates place the annual expenditures on travel (including room and board) at upwards of $200,000 for a golfer who plays in events worldwide. In addition, pro golfers also have to pay their caddies each week.

Buzzkill

Don't have midwest info but when I worked in Florida our budget for two 18 hole courses with 2 mechanics and 15 greenskeepers was $750K which I believe is low by most standards. This was a private country club too.

Pepperturbo

In my experience - some numbers quoted here are low. Maybe they are low end courses (not meant as an insult anyone), can't say. On average, courses in AZ and CA cost about 6M-15M, depending on course turf, turf equipment and facilities. An acquaintance bought a tournament level course years back.

HenryBall

If you are running an 18 hole facility with food and beverage ops here are some of the numbers you can expect Food and Bev operation: 150,000 Golf related expense (flags, event signs, handicapping, pos software, staff, range balls, etc): 100,000 Maintenance: 200,000 Marketing: 75,000 Misc repairs/expenses: 100,000 These numbers may be slighlty skewed.

8orBetter

I'm sure the cost of gas is a budget buster for a lot of courses out there, especially with a weak economy where membership is cutting back either due to being laid off from work or just cutting back on expenses.

KennyLee

Way too broad of a question to get a good answer to without a ton more information. I've seen budgets that were $300k per year (goat track) and places where the greenskeeper made that much or more.

Tstiles

How much could one expect to spend on operating expenses for an above average golf course in the Midwest? I don't have much information to offer but would like some info on this. Thanks guys.

SFbaybum

Are you guys including other op expenses if you have more than a golf course (pool, tennis, etc)?

2016 State of the Industry Report - 2016 State of the Industry Report

Want a compelling reason to believe 2016 will be a better year for the industry than its immediate predecessors?

Projected capital budget for 2016

Golf Course Industry contracted with Readex to assist in the creation and to facilitate the distribution, completion and computation of the 2016 State of the Industry survey. This is the second year GCI has worked with Readex, an independent research company located in Stillwater, Minn., for this report.

BUDGET

Golf facilities that endured the Great Recession continue to give superintendents resources to produce quality results.

FINANCES

Public facilities experienced mixed financial results in 2016. Forty-three percent turned profits while 33 percent experienced losses. The split was 38-33 among private courses. Of all golf facilities, 67 percent turned a profit or broke even, a 2 percent decrease from 2015 and 4 percent decrease from 2014.

Golf Championships on SMGD courses

At Close House – Colt Course. Sept 2017. A prestigious European Tour Championship hosted by Lee Westwood.

The Cost of Building a Golf Course

It’s one of the most difficult questions to answer, but one of the most commonly asked, how much does it cost to build a golf course? The answer depends on a variety of factors; three of the most important being, what type of course the client wants, what type of land the course is to be built upon, and the competency of the golf course architect.

How much does it cost to play golf in 2020?

According to research from the National Golf Foundation, the average cost to play a round of golf in the United States in 2020 is $61. The average cost to play nine holes in the United States is $33. The median rate, which is the price in the middle of the range instead of the average of a range, is $49 for 18 holes and $26 for nine holes.

How much does 18 holes cost?

At lower-traffic times of day, the median price for 18 holes is closer to $30. For four to five hours of entertainment, the hourly rate can range from anywhere to $6-$15 on average. That's a good deal.

Do you have to pay to play golf?

Those are separate, but they're typically not required. Golf does cost money, and it's unlike other sports in that you have to pay every time you want to play. However, for the cost of going to a couple of movies, you can play golf and enjoy a great day outdoors.

How much did Doyle pay for the golf course in Florida?

The $3.8 million Doyle paid for the course, in Florida’s third-biggest market, is slightly more than the average purchase price ($3.1 million) for the 114 golf course sales tracked by Leisure Investment Properties Group last year.

What is the National Golf Foundation's GolfMAP system?

The National Golf Foundation’s GolfMAP system, for example, provides a detailed look at demand-related variables such as participation rates, golfing households, rounds played, interest among non-golfers, and household income in a particular region.

Where did Dan Doyle Jr. play golf?

E very day for almost 20 years, Dan Doyle Jr. passed the same public golf course near Tampa, Fla., while driving his kids to school or heading to the office. The town-owned Belleview Biltmore Golf Club in Bellaire was the venue at which Doyle learned to play the game as a youngster and he’d frequently feel pangs of disappointment ...

Why are charity golf outings important?

Charity outings exist to raise money. But even when companies and organizations host golf outings for clients, prospects or employees, money is an important factor. In each case, you want to control your spending, yet deliver an outing that offers exceptional value and a positive, memorable experience.

Do golfers take time off?

Golfers truly enjoy participating in golf outings. That is why so many companies and non-profits host and/or participate in them. But they can’t take unlimited time off to play in too many, so they must “pick their spots.”.

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