Owning a Driving Range and Miniature Golf Range
Owning a miniature golf course and a driving range is a fun and lucrative business idea. The primary obstacle to overcome is the large capital, possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars, necessary to either purchase an existing golf range or to construct your own. Once you own the business it's a relatively simple matter of maintaining the golf range. For many, playing the miniature golf course is primarily a social event, so focus on creating a friendly and fun environment for customers so that they recommend the place to their friends and family and keep coming back.
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Instructions
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Purchase an existing driving range and miniature golf course that is for sale or purchase a large parcel of land to develop your own course on. The driving range will need to be at least 275 yards long and the miniature golf course will require about an acre of land. The price of land fluctuates wildly between states and local regions. If you don't have enough capital by yourself, ask your friends, family members and other private individuals for financing. It's sometimes possible to get the land owner to put up some of the start up capital or to engage in a joint venture with you.
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Acquire all the permits, licenses and insurance your local government requires for running a golf range.
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Hire professionals to design and build both golf ranges. It can be tempting to try and save money by designing the course yourself. However, the trick is to have a top-notch course and driving range and maintain them well. Consider using artificial sports turf and sand for the driving range field so that the balls land softly. Elevate the target greens a few feet in the back of the driving range so that people can properly view them from the tee stations.
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Purchase a ball-retrieving machine for the driving range so that an employee can drive it around during business hours. This is more cost effective than having an employee manually collecting the balls during off hours.
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Construct a building where an employee will run a cash register and process customers who want to play on the miniature golf course or the driving range. You will need enough golf clubs, balls and buckets that you won't run out even when the range is running at full capacity. Consider selling other golf related merchandise in the store, placing vending machines and offering ice cream or grilled food.
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Build a large parking lot for your customers. It should be as close as possible to the driving range so that customers don't have to carry their golf clubs far.
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Maintain the golf ranges on a daily or weekly basis. Fancy miniature golf courses require lots of painting and scrubbing to keep the course looking attractive to customers. If you have plants along the course you need to have someone water and trim them frequently.
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Hire employees to operate the cash register, maintain the area, collect balls and interact with customers. You shouldn't have to pay much more than minimum wage and you can offer employees free time on the driving range and the miniature golf course.
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Manage the driving range and miniature golf range as you would any other business. Handle the finances, accounting and make sure your employees are doing a satisfactory job. Look for opportunities to grow and expand your business whenever possible.
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Advertise on the radio, in the mail, in magazines and on T.V. if your budget allows for it. Offer coupons and special discounts to first time customers. Form marketing partnerships with other local golf establishments, such as golf courses and equipment retailers.
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References
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