golf course cost

[Chris Hervochon]

Just out of curiousity, does anybody know what the high and low end are for the construction of a golf course(shaping, insurance, pertmits, etc.)?  Factoring in design a well, figuring we won't be using a big name architect.  Let's also assume that this course is not route through a forest and there will not be an exhorbitant amount of tree removal (i.e.- there is a lot of open space on this cours).  Also, how would the use of say a Penn G-2 on the greens drive cost up vs. the use of say a more generic bent found on an average public course?

[Tim_Weiman]

Chris,

Figure somewhere between one and fifty million dollars.

[Doug Wright]

Chris,

Pretty wild guess since we know very little about the land, location, etc. which can cause the #s to spiral up  but if you're not using a "big name architect" I've heard $2 million to $4 million as possible costs for the course (excluding clubhouse and other infrastructure). The guys who really do this stuff are obviously more reliable in this area...

All The Best,
  

[Bill Perlee]

Chris,
The cost of the seed you choose for the greens is the very least of your expenses.  High end bents are costing around $10/LB as contrasted to low cost bent blends in the $5.00/LB neighborhood.  If you have 3 acres of greens and seeded at 1 LB/1000 sf you would need 133 LB of seed.  The premium for the more expensive seed is a grand total of $665.  You will end up spending more than that for the gravel layer in one putting green.

[Tom Doak]

If you need a gravel layer, that is ...

The cost of a good golf course depends on the location and the soils.  If you have sand, and you don't need to buy materials for greens and bunkers, that's worth half a million dollars, and really more like a million because it makes all the construction easier.

Clearing can be half a million dollars, or zero.
Let's assume earthmoving is minimal, no more than $250K.  [If you have to strip and replace topsoil, this won't go very far.]
Shaping can be anything you want, but usually it's between $200K and $500K.  If you have good contour already, take the low end.
Drainage can be $750K, or again close to nothing if the contour and soils are right.
Irrigation can be $300K for a single row system, up to $2 million nowadays [no kidding].

All put together, we've done courses for anywhere between $1.4 million and $5 million, although Texas Tech will be quite a bit more than that.  I believe the $1 million construction figure quoted for Wild Horse is fairly accurate, and I also believe the $37 million quoted for Shadow Creek, more than half of which was landscaping.

These are construction figures for the golf course.  Add in half a million to multi millions for the land, half a million for grow-in, some number for the clubhouse, and there you have it.  Tim's right on.

[jim__janosik]

Chris,  assuming  all  permitting is done you need to obtain  regionaly  specific  costs for hte following  elements:

SOFT  COSTS

     Golf architect
     Civil Engineer(need access roads
     SOils  Eng.( need copmaction testing)
     Irrigation design
     Landscape  architect
     Building  architect( need restooms)
     Biologist

Hard Costs

     Shaping(grading)
     Drainage
     Cart paths
     LAkes
     Irrigation
     Grassing
     Trees(landscaping)
     Sand traps
     Infrastructure  to site(water, sewer, electric, gas)
     Entry  roads
     Build a well?

The above  could range within what the above posts said.

The key  to acurate  costs  is all including all the elements
invovlved  whether it be a  1 mill or  37 mil project.  

Call me if you want  to chat further.  

[RJ_Daley]

Whenever one of these cost questions about building a golf course arises, I rarely see anyone mention or list the costs of a maintenance facility or a super and grow-in crew.  That seed won't mow itself after it is planted    

The number and types of mowers needed to start with will change as the turf matures.  They don't come cheap, nor does an inventory of common or standard replacement parts.  Just imagine the cost to go out and buy essential quality-durable hand tools for mechanical repair, irrigation repair and parts for needed adjusting as you dial in the system; and durable finish "gardening" impliments from hand rakes and shovels to power trimmers.  How about a facility to store materials (chemical-drygoods-mechanicals), a fleet garage and plan to meet some OSHA standards for safety and working conditions?  May I suggest figuring $350-750K before salaries...  Plan on a big yearly budget item to build up inventories of above equipment for years to come.  Sometimes there was a previous ag operation to save on some of the building costs until you get bogged down working out of a 100 year old set of barns and out buildings.  Have fun taking the time to go to implement auctions, farm sales and auctions, scouring the second hand market, and purchasing new stuff wisely from the orange, red, or green boys...  

[jim__janosik]

RJ,

The  issues you raise in your post  are why its always difficult
to  accurately  discuss  construction costs  conceptualy.
For  our clients the golf course is the golf  course.  The  facility  is a separate  line item (cost center)  and so is the equipment.  If  the  question by Chris was for  a  facility  then
you get into  structures, equipment, etc.  It is difficult  sometimes  to discuss  true costs  because  so much  "gum
flapping"  occurs  in the golf  business  about  such and  such a project  costs  and  you really have to look at line item by line item  to get a true  big picture.

Maintenance  facility.........$700,000
Ff&E                                 125,000
Equipment(West)                750,000
Grow  in...........................1,000,000