Becoming a driving range owner?

Question

Is it a lucrative business to build my own driving range and run it?

Answer 1

That depends on quite a few variables! I know of several driving ranges that make all kinds of money, and I also know of a few that have closed.

Just remember the 4 P's of Marketing - get them right and you'll be a huge success!

Product - in this case, more of a service. Make sure your balls and tee boxes are in good condition, parking lot and surrounding area clean and safe, etc.

Place - location, location, location!

Pricing - find the balance of what people are willing to pay while maintaining your profits.

Promotion - huge for the golf business as a whole, bigger still for driving ranges. Coupons in the Sports section of the local paper, a large sign, memberships or discount/punch cards, that kind of thing.

Best of luck!

Answer 2

dont use the crappy mats

Answer 3

If you have the money for the land and the balls and the tractor to pick them up then I would tell you to invest in something else,its a hard business unless you have the perfect place that people swarm to and your in a state that stays warm all year. I worked for my friend one year and he filed bankrupt the next year,with the money it takes to buy the land and equipment you could build a great homemade cooking resterant and if the foods good your going to make plenty of money.

Answer 4

I agree with Jeff M.

Yes, you can make money, but you have to take care to have a good product.

1. A good range has heated indoor bays for winter practice, with nice mats. Personally I hate the mats, but lots of people like hitting off them and they make money all year long.

2. Good targets, make some nice green shaped mounds, don’t just stick pins in the ground. And lots of targets.

3. Good grass to hit off cut nice and tight.

4. An automatic ball dispenser would be nice for you. I know a range that you just sick in a credit card, pick you bucket size and your done. It even cleans the balls.

5. At some point you may want to open some sort of retail store selling clubs, tees, equipment…better yet open a bar. People would love to hit and drink.

Above all, the range needs to be accessible. Build it in a very busy area. I am not driving 20 minutes to hit a $6 bucket of balls. If land near tons of urban sprawl is too expensive, consider building it near businesses, like malls or grocery stores…”I’ll pick you up in an hour honey I am going to hit balls”.    

Best of luck!