Adventure Golf Courses are an exciting and profitable facility available for leisure parks, driving ranges, golf courses and local authorities.
This is mainly due to their minimal maintenance requirements and affordable build plans. Every year we see an increase in leisure and courses being built with popular golf-themed areas offering fun for all the family.
The design and scale of a course have a direct impact on your initial costs and future profitability. With years of experience in building courses, we design each course to require little maintenance and ensure they are suitable for all weather, offering the investor a high return on investment.
We pride ourselves on being able to deliver any project from start to finish and doing this all in-house with our expert team. We have sales coordinators, designers, project managers, installers and after-sales teams. Every part of our business has been built to ensure the process of our company is a pleasure to deal with.
We have several services and products available, all of which are suitable for different requirements. It is our job to advise each prospective customer, on the best solution for their enquiry. We will ask several questions to determine the exact needs based on a description of the area, base works, facility required and area dimensions.
As with all golfing applications installed by Active Golf Projects, the preparation and planning process of any golf facility is one of the most important stages due to the number of technical components needed to construct the perfect course facility.
With a huge rise in the popularity of Adventure Golf courses throughout the UK and Europe, we understand that there’s a whole load of mixed information and resources available. With our years of experience and success in the build and run of Adventure Golf courses, we have gathered the most important and detailed information specific to the industry, economy and business you are considering joining. We have prepared a comprehensive guide for serious investors and owners who are looking to begin or continue a highly successful Adventure Golf business in an already thriving industry.
The Family Attractions & Leisure industry within the UK is witnessing year-on-year growth and it doesn’t look like things are going to be slowing down any time soon. This continued industry growth is fantastic news for Adventure Golf Course owners and potential investors, with reports suggesting that the UK is seeing one new Adventure Golf Course opening every week. The worlds most developed countries are witnessing large increases in disposable income spend, a growth in personal free time and improvements in physical accessibility (e.g. developed transport networks making public travel cheaper and faster), all contributing to the rise in recreational spend.
We are living in a ‘Social Experience’ revolution, where consumers are shifting their disposable income spend from material goods to experiences and activities. The ‘Keeping Up With The Joneses’ effect fuelled by Social Media, is becoming more about the show of desirable experiences rather than material goods. 40% of U.K. Millennials prioritized ‘Instagrammability’ (the credibility of their holiday pictures on social media app, Instagram) in their chosen holiday destination. Likeable Instagram posts have become a form of somewhat valuable social currency in 2020. Puttshack and Junkyard Golf Club are perfect examples of ‘Instagrammable’ Adventure Golf Courses, with both Instragram profiles each boasting over 100 visitor picture tags every month.
Short stay leisure trips and European holidays are becoming more accessible than ever. This leads to strong financial support for high end hotels, theme parks, shopping centres, leisure centres and golf courses – all of which can be successful sites for Adventure Golf Courses. Recent shopping centre developments have seen an increase in area allocation for hospitability and experience, rising from 10%-20%, to a whopping 30%-40% allocation. Shopping Centres could be host to the perfect plot for an Adventure Golf course, as can be seen with the Angy Birds Adventure Golf launched by Namco, at the Intu Metrocentre in 2019.
With a general expenditure growth up 17% in the five years before 2018, family entertainment centres (e.g. arcades, bowling, and adventure golf) have benefited largely from this increase in spend. Not only are families and children enjoying more experience based activities, but the student and adult hospitality market is also thriving. Indoor Adventure Golf courses like Puttshack, Junkyard Golf Club and ‘BUNKERS!’ have adapted their business models to serve food and alcoholic drinks after periods where children and families are least likely to be visiting, creating a fun-filled environment for the adult generation. This adaptability within an Adventure Golf course can sky-rocket its profitability, with trading hours of 12+ hours becoming ever more possible.
Efficient digital business models are a key link to the growth in the leisure industry, and this can now be seen within Adventure Golf Courses around the world too. Although courses should be keen to keep to the classic challenges that come with playing a fun-filled and well-designed Adventure Golf Course, technology and digitalisation is becoming more and more prominent, especially within Indoor courses. Features such as Digital Scoring, Course Phone App’s, Interactive Question based holes and Visual FX are all features that should be considered and may help the success of your course.
European Golf Top Tip: encourage pictures and social sharing – make your course perfectly ‘Instagrammable’ and boast it’s creativity. Innovative quirks throughout your course will get people snapping and sharing, helping boost course credibility and increase visitor footfall year on year!
We are living in a ‘Social Experience’ revolution, where consumers are shifting their disposable income spend from material goods to experiences and activities. The ‘Keeping Up With The Joneses’ effect fuelled by Social Media, is becoming more about the show of desirable experiences rather than material goods. 40% of U.K. Millennials prioritized ‘Instagrammability’ (the credibility of their holiday pictures on social media app, Instagram) in their chosen holiday destination. Likeable Instagram posts have become a form of somewhat valuable social currency in 2020. Puttshack and Junkyard Golf Club are perfect examples of ‘Instagrammable’ Adventure Golf Courses, with both Instragram profiles each boasting over 100 visitor picture tags every month.
Short stay leisure trips and European holidays are becoming more accessible than ever. This leads to strong financial support for high end hotels, theme parks, shopping centres, leisure centres and golf courses – all of which can be successful sites for Adventure Golf Courses. Recent shopping centre developments have seen an increase in area allocation for hospitability and experience, rising from 10%-20%, to a whopping 30%-40% allocation. Shopping Centres could be host to the perfect plot for an Adventure Golf course, as can be seen with the Angy Birds Adventure Golf launched by Namco, at the Intu Metrocentre in 2019.
With a general expenditure growth up 17% in the five years before 2018, family entertainment centres (e.g. arcades, bowling, and adventure golf) have benefited largely from this increase in spend. Not only are families and children enjoying more experience based activities, but the student and adult hospitality market is also thriving. Indoor Adventure Golf courses like Puttshack, Junkyard Golf Club and ‘BUNKERS!’ have adapted their business models to serve food and alcoholic drinks after periods where children and families are least likely to be visiting, creating a fun-filled environment for the adult generation. This adaptability within an Adventure Golf course can sky-rocket its profitability, with trading hours of 12+ hours becoming ever more possible.
Efficient digital business models are a key link to the growth in the leisure industry, and this can now be seen within Adventure Golf Courses around the world too. Although courses should be keen to keep to the classic challenges that come with playing a fun-filled and well-designed Adventure Golf Course, technology and digitalisation is becoming more and more prominent, especially within Indoor courses. Features such as Digital Scoring, Course Phone App’s, Interactive Question based holes and Visual FX are all features that should be considered and may help the success of your course.
European Golf Top Tip: encourage pictures and social sharing – make your course perfectly ‘Instagrammable’ and boast it’s creativity. Innovative quirks throughout your course will get people snapping and sharing, helping boost course credibility and increase visitor footfall year on year!
Some business owners and entrepreneurs can become so excited and passionate about a new business venture, that the financial awareness and planning required to successfully run the business can be overlooked. With the help of European Golf, creating a concrete business model and profitable enterprise can be easily achievable. With experience in both building and running our own courses, we know how profitable courses can be, and we also know the big mistakes to avoid.
Only 54% of global businesses make it to their 5th year of trading and almost 1/3 of business failures are due to the business running out of cash. In our experience, we have found that most outdoor courses pay for themselves within 1-3 seasons. Some indoor courses with longer trading hours and year-around playability (non-seasonal) can expect to receive their full investment back sooner.
A big challenge in business is knowing how to price your products and services, and this can be one of the biggest reasons for financial failure within a company. Adventure Golf course pricing is very unwavering and most courses within the same city or county are able to charge the same amount as other courses (subject to the number of holes and extensiveness of props and theming). This means that businesses find less resistance from consumers over pricing, and can feel confident that they are charging economically fair, yet profitable pricing.
Many courses are able to benefit from a second profitable income on the same site, with the addition of food and catering services or retail products. These products and services don’t need to be overcomplicated, but simple additions like Hot Dog, Donut, Ice Cream & Slush Machines, along with sweets and soft drinks can be huge sellers – especially on hot summer days!
Need for ongoing repairs, maintenance and replenishment of stock can also drive a business into the ground. European Golf are specialists in the supply and installation of Low Maintenance courses, which usually include the fitting of Artificial Grass, Wet Pour Rubber and Resin Bound surfaces – all of which are extremely low maintenance and long lasting. This ensures that long-term costs are cut, and the need for additional maintenance staff or equipment is unnecessary. We can also include a small maintenance fee into your course build and re-visit your course yearly to ensure the surfaces and props are in A1 condition.
Adventure Golf course stock requirements are also minimal, and usually need replacing infrequently. Take the balls and putters for example – these are collected at the beginning of the game and returned at the end. Courses do need to regularly replace scorecards which can be seen as an additional cost; however, scorecards can actually be utilised to help drive your business forward. Including a reward scheme or offer on your scorecards can help boost sales by encouraging customers to return soon. In addition, scorecards can be used to advertise another business or work in conjunction with another local attraction to offer multiple rewards.
There is no denying that passion and big ideas alone are not enough to create a financially successful business, and at European Golf we are driven to ensure that you, the customer, can benefit from a course that will create a solid income. To help our customers understand the numbers behind the business, we have created a customisable page with financial calculators and business resources here. Please take a look at this page and see for yourself, just how profitable your course has the potential to be!
European Golf Top Tip: Ensure adequate up-front investment is budgeted for when building your course to ensure a high quality and long-lasting build. Courses may struggle long-term due to high running costs and insufficient staff resources as a result of insufficient investment in the initial build phase.
If the insightful industry trends and lucrative financial strengths shown above aren’t enough to entice you into investing in an Adventure Golf course, maybe the following will. It is not an unknown fact that running a business has its challenges and although rewarding, can be very difficult at times. However, there are few businesses that are as easy to operate or as enjoyable and rewarding as an Adventure Golf course.
Recruiting new staff can often be a challenge, no matter what the business. However, with the benefit that many Adventure Golf courses are seasonal and weekend based, it is often easier to recruit reliable part-time workers (such as students) that are looking for season long employment, and most likely can work weekends. Having a business model where staff recruitment is less difficult than other specialist businesses is very helpful and is one less obstacle to overcome. Employing staff within your business is once again going to help give you a abundant work life balance, whilst allowing you to review and manage your business the way you see best – not many businesses give their owners this type of flexibility.
Adventure Golf courses are so easy to operate, they only need minimal maintenance and don’t require long hours working within the business. Common business challenges such as sales, accounting, operations, marketing and management are all reduced workloads in this simplified business model. With such a broad market appeal and affordability, Adventure Golf is the perfect, family, fun-filled business to own.
Of course, we don’t just expect you to take our word for it, that’s why we’ve created this Investors Pack Download, which includes a successful course case study along with a template business plan, industry expert advice, and a financial planning tool.
Top tip? Make the theme of your golf course as exciting and educational as possible to attract a wide variety of clients. Think about where you are located, your surrounding and what will best work there.
Join the Adventure Golf revolution today and don’t look back!
FIXED FIELDS
CUSTOMISABLE
FIELDS
FORMULAE
Open Time
Night Time Hours from
Close Time
12pm
6pm
10pm
6 Day Time Hours
4 Night Time Hours
10 Total Trading Hours
1
Max. Rounds per hour
Daytime Capacity %
Night Time Capacity %
80
25%
40%
Maximum Capacity & Full Efficiency
80 ÷ 100 = 0.8 x 25 = 20 rounds / hr
80 ÷ 100 = 0.8 x 40 = 32 rounds / hr
2
Daytime Pricing
Night Time Pricing
£7.00
£9.00
20 X £7.00 = 140.00 x 6hr = 840.00
32 x £9.00 = £288.00 x 4hr = £1,152.00
3
Peak Trading Days
Off-Peak Trading Days
90
100
100% Of Rev. at 25% and 40% Capacity
50% Of Peak Trading Day Revenue
4
3 RESULTS SHOWN
PEAK TOTAL REVENUE:
OFF-PEAK TOTAL REVENUE:
£179,280
£99,600
£840 + 1,152 = 1,992 x 90 = £179,280
£840 + 1,152 = 1,992 x 50 = £99,600
5
TOTAL YEARLY REVENUE:
£278,880
£179,280 + £99,600 = £278,880
6
1. Daytime & nighttime hours are to be calculated separately, to allow for later calculation of daytime and nighttime revenue. Formula: (10pm – 6pm = 4 hours).
2. These fields are required to show the average player capacity in the individual time periods, which can then be used to work out the estimated amount of rounds paid for within an hour. Formula: (80 (max. rounds per hour) ÷ 100 = 0.8 (1%) x 25 (daytime capacity %) = 20 rounds per hour).
3. Revenue of daytime and nighttime hours can then be calculated as we have the estimated rounds played per hour. Formula: (20 (rounds per hour) x £7.00 (daytime pricing) = £140.00 (per hour) x 6hr (daytime operating hours) = £840.00 daytime hours revenue).
4. Peak trading days are based on 100% revenue. Off-Peak trading days are fixed at 50% of peak revenue to allow for reduced footfall. Off Peak Formula: (90 (Peak Trading Days) ÷ 2 = 45).
5. Peak & Off-Peak Revenue are calculated separately for a more accurate yearly revenue estimate. Peak Formula: (£840 (Daytime Rev) + £1152 (Night time Rev) = £1992 (total daily rev) x 90 (peak trading days) = £179,280 (total yearly peak revenue). Off-Peak Formula (£840 (Daytime Rev) + £1152 (Night time Rev) = £1992 (total daily rev) x 50 (off-peak trading days) = £99,600 (total yearly off-peak revenue).
6. Total Yearly Revenue (all trading days combined): Formula: (£179,280 (Peak Total Revenue) + £99,600 (Off-Peak Total Revenue) = £278,880 (Total Yearly Revenue)).
