How to Start a Miniature Golf Business
Affordable recreational entertainment will never go out of style. Wholesome, local, recreational activities for kids offer parents a welcome reprieve and allow kids to let loose. Miniature golf courses are immensely popular around the nation among people of all ages and skill levels. If your town has yet to open a course and your town is large enough to sustain one, you could do well to open an indoor or outdoor miniature golf course. According to CNN Money, start-up costs begin at $150,000.
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Things You'll Need
- Location
- Insurance
- Theme
- Theme equipment
- Fairways
- Lighting
- Plants
- Snack bar or cafe
- Golf balls
- Putters
- Rules
Instructions
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Play on various miniature golf courses throughout your state to learn what components make for a great game. Take note of the difficulty of each hole, the aesthetic appeal of each course, size constraints, hazards, player backups, amenities and clientele.
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Consider opening an indoor course if you live in a colder climate. Otherwise, you will need to anticipate a significant drop in sales during the winter months. Situate your indoor course in a local mall, an athletic club, movie theater, bowling alley or entertainment center. Indoor courses don't offer the same type of appeal as an outdoor course. Miniature golf is often associated with warm weather. In order to get customers interested in your indoor course during the winter months, you may need an additional selling point.
For an outdoor course, look for a location of at least 20,000 square feet, in a safe area with high visibility. Have your theme in mind and look for terrain that can easily accommodate your theme, such as water access, small hills, trees and natural obstacles. Then contact your zoning authority for zoning approval and purchase liability insurance.
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Select a theme that suits your region and anticipated clientele. Consider the level of maintenance necessary to maintain different equipment, such as the need for repainting. Consider using natural obstacles and scenery to reduce maintenance issues. Use hearty, indigenous plants to ensure their survival and minimize upkeep. When planting hedges and trees, ensure that they don't obstruct the visibility of your course. You want passing traffic to be able to see your outdoor course.
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Contact a miniature golf course design company or a licensed contractor familiar with designing miniature golf courses to help you develop your course. Castle Golf is one such company that allows you to decide the level of help that you want. Develop fairways, waterfalls, ponds, fountains, lighting, trim, theme equipment and landscaping to suit your park theme. Many of your customers will be kids and novice golfers looking to have fun. Ensure that your holes aren't too challenging or that you have any bottleneck holes that will slow down play. As well, avoid safety hazards by tucking away all cords and ensuring that water areas are roped off.
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Develop blueprints for a sales office, café or snack shop, gift store, water fountain and restrooms. Then submit your building plans to your building department and wait for approval. Contact your state health department to learn what equipment and supplies are needed for your cafe or snack shack and to set up an inspection.
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Purchase scorecards, golf balls, pencils, flag sticks, putters, children's putters, putting cups, tee pads, carpet and supplies for your restrooms and cafe, if applicable. Contact food or snack vendors.
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Develop rules on player etiquette, customer behavior, safety, breakage or loss and method of play.
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Tips & Warnings
If you elect not to open a snack bar, purchase vending machines for your sales office.
