How to Start a Golf Driving Range
By Bill Herrfeldt
It takes a lot of intestinal fortitude for a person to turn the sport he loves into a way to make a living. For example, you may love golf and would like to earn a living at it, but you're simply not good enough to make it on tour. Still, you can parlay your affinity for the sport into owning and operating a golf range--and you can succeed if you follow some basic principles.
Instructions
Difficulty: Challenging
First decide whether you plan to build your driving range from the ground up or would rather buy an existing one. Your decision will be based on the amount of money you have or your power to raise it, because starting from scratch requires a lot of money and time. For instance, you need to locate a piece of land adequate for your needs. It must be a large enough parcel to accommodate the necessary buildings and spacious enough for today's long hitters. As an alternative, you could find a driving range that is for sale; its economic viability will be determined by the price of the business and the seller's terms.
Do market research to determine all you can about your potential customers and their expectations. Also, learn about your competitors, what they charge and what it will take to wean their customers away from them. If you intend to build your business from scratch, you will need help, possibly from a professional, to comply with all the zoning requirements in your county. Finally, keep the neighbors abreast of your plans because it's good business and they represent a ready market for you.
Create a vision for the business. At some driving ranges, food is offered to patrons and it can be very profitable. Some sell golf clothing and equipment, while others make a lot of money giving golf lessons. Whatever direction you decide for your business, you will need to make an adequate investment for it to be successful.
Establish your pricing and determine the hours that you will be open for business. Pricing will be a function of what your competition charges, and the hours you'll be open will be based on the customer's wishes and expectations. And just like most businesses, there will be times when you'll not be busy. Perhaps you can consider lowering your prices at those time to encourage more traffic.
About The Author
Bill Herrfeldt specializes in finance, sports and the needs of retiring people, and has been published in the national edition of "Erickson Tribune," the "Washington Post" and the "Arizona Republic." He graduated from the University of Louisville.
