How do I find out how much of a golf course’s play comes from league nights?
Ask for the tee sheet and the league schedule for the same weeks, and mark which rounds belong to leagues. Then compare league income with other play, and ask whether the leagues are booked by contract or only by habit and by whom they are run.
A busy course can be misleading if leagues fill the quiet evenings. Start with the tee sheet for a full season, and ask the seller to mark every round that belongs to a league. Do this by week, so you can see which times are full because of leagues and which are open. Then ask for league revenue on its own: green fees, cart rental, food and drink around the event.
Next, test how firm each league is. Who organizes it? How long has it played here? Is there any written arrangement, or just a habit? A league run by a friend of the owner may move if the owner leaves. Ask whether any league has threatened to go elsewhere and why.
Ask what the course would look like without them. Would other play fill the slots, or would the evenings sit empty? Compare the course’s fees with those of nearby courses, since leagues move for price and condition. Your accountant can help you read the receivables and revenue by type, and a broker can often tell you how leagues behave in your area. Ask what the leagues would need to change to keep playing under a new owner, such as a time or a price.
Key takeaways
- Mark league rounds on a full season of tee sheets.
- Separate league revenue from other play and food sales.
- Ask who runs each league and whether it would stay.
Related reading
12 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Buying
- Expert answerHow do I find a golf simulator business for sale in Canada?
- Expert answerHow do I find a mini golf business for sale in Canada?
- Expert answerWhat comes out of a hotel’s room revenue before the owner is paid?
- Expert answerHow do I find a junior or minor-league hockey team for sale in Canada?
- Expert answerHow do I find a youth or adult sports league for sale in Canada?
- Expert answerHow do I find out what share of donut sales is coffee and drive-through?
- Expert answerHow do I find out who supplies a shawarma shop’s meat and bread?
Due diligence
- Expert answerWhat should I ask about a shawarma shop’s late-night weekend crowd?
- Expert answerHow do I find out how a food wholesaler’s accounts pay their invoices?
- Expert answerHow do I find out how much a juice bar’s cleanse and subscription customers repeat?
- Expert answerHow do I find out how a roastery’s wholesale cafe accounts are served?
- Expert answerHow do I find out how tenants of a shared kitchen are billed for hours?
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are financial statements?
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
Deavo is an advertising and listings platform, not a brokerage, law firm or valuation firm. This page is general information, not legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and rules differ by province. Confirm anything you rely on with a qualified professional before you act on it.