how to build your own golf course

by Mustafa Zboncak 9 min read

Start a golf course by following these 10 steps:

  • STEP 1: Plan your business. A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the...
  • STEP 2: Form a legal entity. The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited...
  • STEP 3: Register for taxes. You will need to register for a variety of state and...

Full Answer

How long does it take to build a golf course?

How Long Does It Take To Build A Golf Course? It could take as little as 1 year to build a course but could easily take up to 2 years to obtain all the required permits and complete the construction. This excludes the bedding in the period once the construction is complete. The Kiawah Island Ocean Course was built in three years between 1989 ...

How to build a homemade mini golf course?

Miniature Golf (Putt Putt) Course

  1. Materials. Purchase or scrounge the material. ...
  2. Build the Bases. Build 4 by 8 rectangles with pressure treated 2x4s. ...
  3. Create Bases for the Courses. For each course, we dug 4 post holes to the frost level (one post hole for each corner of the rectangle).
  4. Mount Rectangular Bases Onto the 4x4 Foundation. ...
  5. Put on the Carpet. ...
  6. Finishing Touches. ...

How to make a golf course in your backyard?

Steps Download Article

  1. Think about how much time and space you have. It will be more work than you think to design the course, maintain it, and depending on how complex it ...
  2. Start with the equipment. Make sure you have a pitching wedge/sand wedge and a putter. ...
  3. Decide what kind of ground you will have the course on. ...
  4. Mow the fairway. ...
  5. Mow the green. ...

More items...

How do you design a golf course?

How to Become a Golf Course Designer

  • Method 1 of 3: Getting the Right Experience Download Article PRO. Get a landscape architecture degree. ...
  • Method 2 of 3: Developing Your Skills Download Article PRO. Take up golf as a hobby. ...
  • Method 3 of 3: Finding a Job Download Article PRO. Take the Landscape Architect Registration Examination. ...

How much money does it take to build a golf course?

The median cost to build a golf course is $14 million, not including buying the land. The lowest-priced golf courses cost $7 million. Others cost as much as $25 million. Building greens is one of the most important tasks, and it can cost as much as $60 per square foot.

How much does it cost to build one hole on a golf course?

The cost per hole can vary from $50,000 to more than $175,000 for some upscale courses.

How much land 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.

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 much is it to build a backyard golf course?

If you want something a little larger, lets say 200m2, with a bunker and extra accessories, the cost will most likely fall into the $20,000 – $25,000 bracket. If your green size isn't as large the cost can come down to the $7500 – $8000 mark.

How many acres is a typical golf course?

150 acresAt 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).

How much water do golf courses use?

In 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.

How much of Earth is golf course?

Estimates show that the amount of habitable land is about 24,642,757 square miles, so that would mean that about 0.016503835 % of the habitable land mass of Earth is covered by golf courses.

Why do golf courses have bunkers?

Sand bunkers provide a psychological landmark. They accentuate the hole and provide targets for directing the golfer to a defined landing area whether it is the fairway or green. Sand bunkers provide safety buffers for adjacent fairways, tees or greens, both physically and visually.

What does it take to run 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.

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.

Is a driving range a good investment?

How much profit can a driving range make? An indoor facility with full-service restaurant and rental space in a high-traffic urban environment can see a net profit of up to $2.9 million a year. However, if you have a low-tech field in the country, you could see an income as low as $40,000 a year.

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...

How to market a golf course?

Golf course businesses can be effectively marketed through social media and online advertisements directed at area residents. Pur chasing advertisements on local sports radio stations is another effective way to raise awareness of a course.

How can a golf course business increase its revenue?

Golf course businesses can add additional revenue streams and increase profits by hiring golf pros who offer lessons, putting in a pro shop that sells equipment, installing a driving range adjacent to the course, or having a restaurant on site.

How many golf courses broke even in 2015?

In 2015, 69 percent of golf courses broke even (24 percent) or earned a profit (45 percent). The profitability of these courses varies greatly, depending on their location, prestige, fees and amenities. Some just barely broke even on the year, while others brought in sizable profits.

What is the primary product of a golf course?

A golf course business’ primary product or service is course fees, which golfers pay to play the course. These fees account for a significant portion of a business’ revenue, but they are far from the only source of revenue. Some other things golf courses sell are: golf clubs and other equipment. lessons.

What is a CO in golf?

A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met. If you plan to lease a location: It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO. Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a golf course.

Is it cheaper to buy an existing golf course?

Purchasing an existing business is sometimes cheaper, and it’s often perceived as less risky because the business already has a history. The Golf Course Market maintains lists of courses that are currently for sale and ones that will soon go to auction.

Who is qualified to run a golf course?

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 to have a broad business background, because golf courses are multi-faceted businesses.

How to make a golf course in your backyard?

1. Think about how much time and space you have. It will be more work than you think to design the course, maintain it, and depending on how complex it is, you may not be able to tear it down if you don't want it anymore. You will need a fairly large backyard in order to do this. Of course, it's just going to be one hole.

How to play golf in your backyard?

Start with the equipment. Make sure you have a pitching wedge/sand wedge and a putter. These are the only clubs you will really need if you're just golfing in your backyard. Make sure to have multiple balls, since you may lose some. Also make sure you have a good grass mower that can cut the grass nice and short.

How often do you mow a golf course?

At real courses, they have crews come out every day to maintain the courses. While you may not need to mow your course every day, just every 3-4 days, just take about 15-20 minutes from your day to check up on your course. Invite some friends over to play together, this will make it a lot more fun!

How big should a golf green be?

Leave a few feet in between for the rough. The green should be, depending on the size of your course, roughly around 8 feet (2.4 m). x 8 feet (2.4 m). Try to make the green about the same width as the fairway.

How many sand traps do you need for a golf course?

You shouldn't need any more than three sand traps throughout your course. Try to have at least one along the side of the fairway and at least one in front, behind, or alongside the green. The sand traps should be no bigger than 5 feet (1.5 m). x 5 feet (1.5 m).

How to make a platform leg look better?

Platform legs and most thin wood: Glue quickly and patch things up after gluing, it will make things look better and will perform better. Hole: Use a plastic cup and delicately put hot glue on four sides and stick it on, it is extremely strong. More delicate pieces: Use technique with the hole.

What is the best way to cut wood?

Some tool to cut wood like a table saw, jigsaw, or even a drill for your hole . Sandpaper or a sidewalk edge to sand your wood and make it smoother, safer and will also enable you to adhere things better. Oil or Latex based paint for your wood painting.

Can you use hot glue to stick styrofoam to cardboard?

If you’re mixing materials, most of the adhesives will stay the same. Styrofoam will stick to wood with wood glue, but don’t use hot glue to stick to cardboard, as wood glue works fine all ways. Ask Question.

What is MDF golf course?

Illustration by Carl Wiens. Rich, Tom, and their crew of young builders made this mini- golf course from medium-density fiberboard (MDF), a stable wood composite material. It's smooth and easy to work with, and it makes a great flat surface for rolling a golf ball.

Is mini golf a good game?

Who doesn't love besting Dad on the loop-de-loop hole? But it doesn't have to be just a vacation-week treat. Wouldn't it be great to have your very own course to play all year round —inside or out?

How to make a hole in a game?

Hole 1: Create a ramp with a book leaning against musical chimes or a toy xylophone. If hit properly, the ball moves up the ramp and over the chimes to create a fun sound before it makes it to the hole. Hole 2: Use canned food or cereal boxes as obstacles and use your kitchen to create a fun food theme.

What is mini golf?

Let your kids know what mini golf is. Mini golf is a game where players try to get a ball in a hole in the least number of shots. Mini golf is fun because you can create fun obstacles for your holes. While traditional golf is played with 18 holes, mini golf is played with nine but you can vary how many holes depending on the location.

How to cut a hole in MDF?

Cut your hole. Close to one end of your MDF panel, mark of your hole slightly off-center. Make a hole at this mark with a drill fitted with 4-inch hole saw. Flip the panel over once the drill has poked through and continue cutting the hole from the other side to prevent the MDF from splintering.

Is mini golf good for kids?

This is a great course for very young children. The driveway mini-golf course is great for accuracy as the difficulty increases as you place the holes further and further away. Tape down your cups as each hole and place them at varying distances from the edge of the driveway.

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Feasibility Studies

  1. Technical– is the site you are considering suitable for a golf course? A golf course architect will examine the physical elements of the site, such as land area, topography, soils, geology, vegetat...
  2. Market– is there a market need for your golf course? Will your course fulfil market requireme…
  1. Technical– is the site you are considering suitable for a golf course? A golf course architect will examine the physical elements of the site, such as land area, topography, soils, geology, vegetat...
  2. Market– is there a market need for your golf course? Will your course fulfil market requirements, locally and potentially internationally? What demand is there and how can you satisfy this to best...

Masterplan

  • Once the feasibility studies are complete, the Masterplan investigates how the design concept will convert into a course people are able to play on and enjoy. This is the stage when the golf course layout, including locations for the clubhouse and maintenance facilities, the playing surfaces and landscape character, location, style and size of features, e.g. lakes, streams, walls, bridges and p…
See more on eigca.org

Planning Approval

  • Planning requirements differ greatly from one country to another and obtaining planning permission can be burdensome and lengthy. Your golf course architect will provide a detailed design package to reflect local planning submission requirements and make the planning process easier. Your golf course architect will also assist with the preparation of an Environmental Impa…
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Tenders

  • Your golf course architect will prepare detailed documentation, including contracts, plans and specifications to allow the project to be tendered. If you need them to, they will also assist in evaluating tender responses and select the best contractors for you. The documentation may include plans for: 1. Grading 2. Drainage 3. Clearing 4. Irrigation 5. Grassing / landscaping 6. Gre…
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Golf Course Construction

  • As your golf course architect understands all elements of the build and will be your project leader, they will assist in developing an accurate construction programme. Part of their role is to regularly visit the site during construction to ensure the course is built according to the contract documents and agreed timetable.
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Establishment

  • At this point in the development, your golf course will nearly be ready for play, leaving just the final details before it can open. Your golf course architect will mark out mowing lines for the greens, fairways and roughs, and sand lines for the bunkers. The final stage of making their design a reality is to establish a maintenance regime with the course superintendent to create the overall …
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Selecting A Golf Course Architect

  1. Do you want to do your own research into suitable golf course architects and approach them direct? Search the EIGCA member databaseto find an EIGCA member who fits your needs
  2. Do you want the EIGCA to do the legwork for you? Use our Member Referral Serviceby sending a brief to us and we will distribute it to our members on your behalf
  3. Do you want to organise a design competition? Find out how by using our competition guideli…
  1. Do you want to do your own research into suitable golf course architects and approach them direct? Search the EIGCA member databaseto find an EIGCA member who fits your needs
  2. Do you want the EIGCA to do the legwork for you? Use our Member Referral Serviceby sending a brief to us and we will distribute it to our members on your behalf
  3. Do you want to organise a design competition? Find out how by using our competition guidelines

Cost of Building A Golf Course

  • Golf course design fees are dependent on a variety of factors, such as the type and scale of the project, its technical complexity, the planning approval process, the working practices of the individual golf course architect and the services and conditions imposed by clients. Fees are usually calculated in one of three ways: 1. As a percentage of the construction costs 2. A fixed p…
See more on eigca.org