how to operate a golf course

^{Start a golf course by following these 9 steps:}

1. Plan your business. A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns.
2. Form a legal entity. The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.
3. Register for taxes. You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
4. Open a business bank account & credit card. Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection. ...
Set up business accounting. Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business.
Obtain necessary permits and licenses. Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
Get business insurance. Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully.
Define your brand. Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public.
Create your business website. After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

Full Answer

How do you manage a golf course?

But managing a golf course is a monumental task. Online booking, event management, retail inventory, dining, mobile orders, course maintenance, and staff management make it a major operation. It’s important that you prioritize which parts of your operation that you want to improve and take it step-by-step.

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.

What licenses do I need to operate a golf course?

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a golf course. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits. In addition, certain local licensing or regulatory requirements may apply. For more information about local licenses and permits:

What can I learn from the Golf Course Owners Association?

There are several resources that business owners can learn from: The National Golf Course Owners Association hosts the Golf Business Conference and has an informative forum for golf course owners. The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America has educational resources on environmental issues and maintaining courses.

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.

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.

How much profit does a golf course 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 are the 5 major components of a golf course?

To play with the right club, you have to have a better understanding of the hole you are playing, especially its parts. Each hole in a course has 5 major parts namely Tee, Fairway, Green, Rough and Hazards. Understanding these parts allow you to plan your shots right.

How do you maintain a golf course?

What is Golf Course Maintenance? +7 Ways To Reduce Maintenance CostsHire an experienced staff.Keep up with fertilizing and plant protectants.Consider alternatives to clipping removal.Roll more than mow.Consider tree removal.Keep course accessories to a minimum.Create a preventive maintenance plan for all your equipment.

How can I make my golf course successful?

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 acres are needed 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 do golf businesses make money?

How to Make Money Playing GolfGet a Job as a Golf Pro. If you generally enjoy the game of golf and think you could handle a career in the industry, becoming a golf pro is a great choice. ... Play in Golf Tournaments. ... Place Friendly Bets with Your Friends. ... Become a Mystery Shopper. ... Get Sponsorships/Become an Influencer.

How many acres is the average 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).

What is the golden rule of golf?

Play the ball as it lies. Don't move, bend, or break anything growing or fixed, except in fairly taking your stance or swing. Don't press anything down.

What is the 90 degree rule in golf?

The 90-Degree Rule Under this rule, carts are allowed on the fairway, but they must maintain a 90-degree angle from the cart path. You must take the cart path to a spot that is even with your ball, make a right angle turn and drive straight toward the ball. This rule may be in effect for all or some holes.

What is the water on a golf course called?

In other words, "casual water" is water on the golf course that isn't meant to be there by design. Casual water can be anywhere on a golf course outside the water hazard, which is now called the "penalty area." If there's water somewhere in the "general area," then it's casual water or temporary water.

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...

What platforms are golf courses on?

Make sure your course is on all major platforms, including, Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, and Google – plus, any more niche verticals, like Golf Advisor and Greenskeeper.

How do golf courses make money?

Golf courses make a large portion of their revenue from events, tournaments, and contests. Spend time with your team organizing various events throughout the year. Market your business for charity events, marriages, corporate outings, and local tournaments.

Why is online tee time important?

Online tee time booking is more important than ever. The vast majority of golfers prefer to book online and it saves your clubhouse and pro shop attendants time on the phone. A great online booking system will be more convenient for both you and your players.

What is integrated online booking system?

With an integrated online booking system every aspect your golf course operations will be kept under a single system. Modern event management software will allow you to customize the booking process and all reservations made online will be updated for on-site users.

How to encourage players to reserve tee times?

You want to encourage players to reserve tee times online, so make sure your website is easy to use and nice to look at. Redesign the site with updated photos or your facilities and course. If possible, add flyover videos of each hole so your golfers can get an idea of your course beforehand.

Why is social media important for golf?

Social media is vital for any business, but particularly for golf courses. Show off your new clubhouse, redesigned greens, or perfect maintenance. Golf courses can also allow booking on social media platforms so users can reserve a tee time in a variety of convenient ways.

Why is it important to spruce up your golf cart?

Sprucing up your cart game is a great way to improve the golfing experience. New players can have a better idea of the course layout and will be more likely to come back if it helps them have a successful round. It’s a big investment but will add a lot to your business.

How many golf courses have closed in the past two years?

In just the past two years, according to the National Golf Foundation, more than 300 courses around the country closed.

Can sisters in law learn golf?

Finally, the sisters-in-law may even learn to golf. “My plan is to learn this summer,” Linda said. “Maybe we can market clinics as, Come and Learn With Linda.”

Did Kittie and Linda Fenlason play golf?

Never used a spreadsheet, never hired and fired people, never dealt with intricate insurance policies. Heck, they didn’t even play golf. • But a few years ago, when their husbands died within months of each other, Kittie and Linda Fenlason suddenly found themselves owners and operators of Blackberry Ridge, a 216-acre golf course ...

How long is a golf day for women?

Golf courses are allowed to manage, price, and plan the event in any way they choose, but the typical Women’s Golf Day event last for 4 hours and is followed by a cocktail reception. 20. Revamp Your Restaurant Menu. Your restaurant is steady source of revenue for your golf course.

What is golf marketing software?

Modern golf marketing software makes automating your email marketing much easier than you think. To cut through today’s noisy inboxes, emails need to be targeted, personal, and meaningful, They can’t just be a lazy promotion blast to massive list.

Why do golfers text?

These small gestures go a long way for making customers feel excited about their round of golf and visiting your facility. Text messages also serve as a powerful promotions and marketing tool.

When is Women's Golf Day?

Women’s Golf Day is hosted every year in the first week of June. This internationally celebrated event is the perfect opportunity to show your community that you care about the development of women in the game of golf.

Does every tee time expire?

Every tee time has an expiry date and their values fluctuate depending on time of day. Are you capturing the full value of every booking? Dynamic pricing makes it easier to ensure that customers are paying the optimal price whether they are booking the most or least desirable tee times a week early or last minute.

What do you need to know about golf?

It is also not a bad idea to know a few of golf’s basic rules: Familiarize yourself with the official way to drop a ball, to take relief from an unplayable lie, what to do if your ball is out of bounds and what to do if you hit your ball into a hazard.

How to chip golf?

For a basic golf chip: Hold the club lower on grip, with a more narrow stance, lean your weight and torso towards the target, and make a basic putting motion that brushes the grass. I would choose a pitching wedge for this shot, and practice getting comfortable with it.

What is the best wood for a fairway club?

A great choice for a reliable fairway club might be your most lofted fairway wood, like a 7-wood. A 7-wood would still travel a reasonable distance and be more consistent than a lesser lofted option.

What is the proper posture for putting?

A good, basic putting posture is to bow from your hips, have your eyes over the ball and your arms hanging below your shoulders.

How to spot a good golfer?

1. Nail the basic fundamentals. You can spot a good golfer before they even hit the golf ball. Their key fundamentals of posture, grip and stance are all good, and they usually have a very specific order which they do these things (known as a pre-shot routine) which helps them repeat these each and every time.

How to find your golf club yardage?

Write all the clubs you have on a piece of paper, and when you hit a shot reasonably well, use an app like GolfLogix (an affiliate company of GOLF.com), a range finder like a Bushnell, or walk off the yardage yourself and write it down. These numbers will change over time, but knowing your distances will help your consistency on the course.

How to adjust your feet on a golf club?

Put simply: Grip the club, step and bow, then adjust your feet.

Why do golf courses mowing every fairway?

Golf facilities have expansive lands. Mowing every fairway will incur higher labor costs, more fuel consumption, and equipment wear and tear. Some courses switched to the classic half-and-half pattern to minimize expenses on this service. That lowered their expenditures on fairway mowing.

What is roughs in golf?

The roughs take the most significant part of every golf course. They comprise thick grass and vegetation that aren’t maintained regularly as the fairways. However, they ought to be serviced occasionally. Maintenance of roughs is quite challenging.

Is golf course labor competitive?

Labor. The reputation and survival of golf courses always depend on their workforce. Unfortunately, the golf course labor market is highly competitive. Finding competent staff is quite a challenge, and that is why these facilities incur hidden costs. They must invest in their hiring process and training.

Is running a golf course expensive?

Running a Golf Course is extremely costly. The decreased participation of youngsters in golf is also a problem. As a result, golf courses have had to cut down their maintenance expenses. Many organizations are now operating golf courses with lower budgets than their previous plans, eight or ten years ago.

Do golf courses need to have green grass?

This sport essentially requires a lawn covered with healthy green grass. Apart from that, the golf course must safeguard every vegeta tion and tree within the premises. To facilitate their growth, investment in fertilizers is necessary. On the other hand, they must purchase plant protectants to keep diseases at bay.

What do you need to make money on a golf course?

You need a location that is convenient and has high traffic for visibility . Additionally, locating a course close to other family attractions or fun centers such as batting cage, go kart track, video arcade, etc., can help generate more income.

What is the best way to market a mini golf course?

Common marketing techniques for a mini golf course include social media marketing and online advertising. Developing a website can be a significant expense, but it can also give your mini golf course greater visibility online.

What is a mini golf course?

A mini golf course (also called putt-putt) provides the course and equipment for customers to play rounds of mini golf. Some also offer other activities, such as arcade games or batting cages, as well as a snack bar.

What is the target market for mini golf?

The target market demographics include mini golf lovers, particularly families with children and tourists.

How to get the most accurate idea of what to budget for insurance?

Insurance policies will vary. To get the most accurate idea of what to budget for insurance, request quotes from multiple providers. When comparing the quotes, consider not only the premiums but also how the plan exclusions, coverage limitations, and deductibles compare.

Is mini golf a recreational activity?

Mini golf has been a popular recreational activity for people of all ages for a long time. Almost all of us have played at some point in our lives. If you are a mini golf lover, you could have fun and make money by opening your own mini golf course.

Is it risky to start a mini golf course?

It takes a significant amount of capital to start a mini golf course, so there will be a high level of risk and no guarantee of success.

How does GPS work on golf course?

If you are inside the golf course, your location is automatically detected through GPS technology. Now, you have all the other details, such as area of the course, location of flags, boundaries, pins, etc. Once activated, you can read the distance to the back, front, sides, etc.

Why are golf clubs so convenient?

When on the golf course, it helps to triangulate the distance between the players and the intended target, providing the data necessary to make a better player .

Why do golfers use rangefinders?

Professional golfers use either laser rangefinder, GPS rangefinder or GPS smartwatch because of the accuracy of their results. The final choice however depends on what each player requires to elevate their games. It’s an individual decision. You can check out the best golf rangefinders under $100 here.

How to hold a range finder?

To hold the range finder steady, there are two options: 1 Grasp the device between the palm of both hands, this provides the device as much stability as possible and rest your arms on your chest, this provides a lot of stability for your device. 2 Use a Tripod: A tripod will provide a better stability than the palm would, and is the preferred option. As much as possible, try to get the tripod that fits your rangefinder device.

What is a rangefinder in golf?

The rangefinder is a very important device on the golf course . It functions to calculate the distance of the shooter from a target, such as a flagpole or pinhole. This allows you to make more informed decisions about how to play the ball. At the same time, many golf rangefinders also come with angle compensation (or slope calculation). This allows you to know the actual distance between the ball and the target, which can be uphill or downhill. With that information, you can not only decide how to play the ball, but also which club to use.

What are the features of a golf rangefinder?

Other features include: hole detecting properties, stability and focus and waterproof properties. Though simple to use, golf rangefinders should not be taken for granted and handled carelessly. You need to be informed and be knowledgeable about the guidelines achieve your goals and calculate your range accurately.

What is golf sport?

Golf is a sport for the meticulous, in constant search of better performance and improvement. When we think of golf, we imagine golf clubs, balls and bags. But there is technology that can improve the score but also offer you a new experience.

How much does it cost to maintain 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. But of course, it’s also about location, location, location. Hawaii is, on average, the most expensive state in which to maintain a course, at $1.44 million a year. That’s followed by tracks in the southwestern U.S., where the average yearly maintenance cost is $1.05 million. Because they have such a short season, courses in the north central states come in, on average, at a bargain $556,000.

What is the most important thing in a golf course?

The greens. They are the most essential element of any course, but because of labor and equipment they are also the most expensive things to maintain — even if some of our demands are a costly waste. Firm and fast is the golf standard for greens.

What do golfers complain about?

As golfers, we complain about the course. Miss a putt and we instinctively touch the green, tamping down a raised ball mark that only our eye can see. Hit it wide off the fairway and we’re likely to comment on the consistency of the rough. Patchy. Burned out. Trampled down. Even if we get to play a U.S. Open–level course like Winged Foot, where the rough is thick and pristine, we’re likely to complain that it’s too thick! And then there are bunkers, where golfers are apt to note that the sand is different from hole to hole. Send it flying over the green? Not a bad swing — no sand in the bunker!

How long does it take for a stimpmeter to slow down a golf game?

Every foot of green speed on a stimpmeter slows play by seven minutes per group .

How do private clubs, which carry a bigger tab, spend their money differently?

How do private clubs, which carry a bigger tab, spend their money differently? More people and equipment. They might, for example, hire a horticulturist to handle the landscaping or a fleet of grounds-crew workers whose lone job is to fill fairway divots. Grooming the course of your dreams? That’s a dream-team scenario.

Who is the vice president of Billy Casper Golf?

That’s a question owners ask all the time,” says a weary Bryan Bielecki, vice president of agronomy at Billy Casper Golf, which manages nearly 150 golf courses in the U.S. “You can’t spend less and expect the same exact product. You have to sacrifice something.”.

Why does the USGA slow down the greens?

Lest this seem pedestrian, Moeller says that even the USGA slows its roll at championship venues. “Because of pace-of-play issues we have at our championships, we’ll sometimes slow the greens down,” he says. “We have so many golfers to get through, and we want to use challenging hole locations.”