Babysitting - Increase Play on Weekend/Revenue for Courses?

[GHIN0011458]

New business Idea- Car seat for golf carts??

[David in FL]

New business Idea- Car seat for golf carts??

No room in the cart.... .....roof racks?

[Patch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GHIN0011458

New business Idea- Car seat for golf carts??

No room in the cart....

.....roof racks?

Out where we live there is a guy in a golf cart with roof racks running around with two surf/paddle boards on top. Ironically, his wife owns three Day Care centers in town.

[AmazingWhacker]

Golf course daycare is a great idea but, as others have pointed out, not without it's obstacles.  Now is the time to think outside the box.  Many struggling courses have unused swimming pools.  They make nets that go over swimming pools to keep kids from falling in - but they could also be used to keep kids from getting out.

What if we put a net over one of these unused pools and simply toss the kids in there?  They'll be safe and easily supervised.  One employee could supervise as many as 50-60 kids.  All you gotta do is turn on some cartoons where they can see them and, every so often, toss some snacks down through the holes in the net.  If any kids get out of line, the garden hose takes care of that.  Not to mention, the bottom drain on the pool is perfect for just hosing out the whole thing at the end of the day.

You're welcome, golf industry.

[Big C]

My wife doesn't want me to leave our son with the "strangers" at our gym for 30 minutes - I can't imagine how the conversation would go if I tried to talk her into leaving him at a golf course day care for 5 hours!

[David in FL]

I'm trying to think of any public courses that I know that have a spare 500-1000 square feet of secure space that they're not already using.....

[GHIN0011458]

My wife doesn't want me to leave our son with the "strangers" at our gym for 30 minutes - I can't imagine how the conversation would go if I tried to talk her into leaving him at a golf course day care for 5 hours!

People leave their kids with strangers everyday at day care.

I'm trying to think of any public courses that I know that have a spare 500-1000 square feet of secure space that they're not already using.....

The putting green is a good start. They usually have plenty of acreage to do outdoor activity. After all, you are only playing when the weather is decent(unless it is a tournament). I can think of plenty of courses with lots of space that has gone unused in clubhouses. I said it was a bad idea, but only because of the insurance and liability side of things.

[David in FL]

The putting green is a good start. They usually have plenty of acreage to do outdoor activity. After all, you are only playing when the weather is decent(unless it is a tournament). I can think of plenty of courses with lots of space that has gone unused in clubhouses. I said it was a bad idea, but only because of the insurance and liability side of things.

Good thing the weather never gets iffy during a round..... It's also worth noting, that for those that want someone else to watch their kids when they play golf, there are actually people (usually high school girls) who will come to their house to do so..... ;-)

[iacas]

People leave their kids with strangers everyday at day care.

Not everyone does. He doesn't (or his wife doesn't want him to).

[Lihu]

My wife doesn't want me to leave our son with the "strangers" at our gym for 30 minutes - I can't imagine how the conversation would go if I tried to talk her into leaving him at a golf course day care for 5 hours!

Yeah, that might be a little tough.

However, I've seen dad's out on the course with 3-6 year old kids, and many dad's bring their little toddlers (2-3 years?) to the putting greens and driving ranges.

"First tee" takes kids as young as 4 nowadays.

[Spitfisher]

As I am sitting here with 60 degree weather today in St. Louis wanting to play golf, I cannot because the wife has an appointment, which is fine. This is at least the tenth time I have thought "I wish there was a golf course with a daycare." Gyms have them, why not golf courses. Charge $10 a kid. Even if you break even on the daycare, you are getting more golfers in the door who couldn't play if the wife was busy. Just thought I would throw it out there and see anyone's thoughts on it. Maybe their are courses that do this already. This would also be great if they used it as a short "junior camp" for 4-5 hours where kids can putt or hit balls or whatever.

10 bucks a kid? sitters around here get close to 12-15 per hour.but besides from that Day care or any type of child care, by a business no less, would be extremely impractical. Insurance, staffing, and cleanliness.

[turtleback]

People leave their kids with strangers everyday at day care.

I'm guessing that they checked out the day care a little closer than most people are able to check out the daycare at the gym.

The putting green is a good start. They usually have plenty of acreage to do outdoor activity. After all, you are only playing when the weather is decent(unless it is a tournament). I can think of plenty of courses with lots of space that has gone unused in clubhouses. I said it was a bad idea, but only because of the insurance and liability side of things.

The putting green?  You must be kidding.  Isn't it there for the golfers?  And wouldn't a bunch of kids running around kind of interfere with the golfers??  Why not just go ahead and do it on the first green?

You are asking an awful lot, of courses, just because you couldn't play that day.  And for what?  The one or two guys a week in that situation who would take advantage of the service?  It is not a bad idea because of liability and insurance, although they are certainly factors, but it is a bad idea because there is almost no market for the service and providing the service is utterly impracticable.

I'll also add that looking back from the perspective of having fully raised kids, I'm glad I chose to spend my time with my kids in those years, not playing golf.  I may suck at golf, as a result, but I ended up with 2 great kids.  The time you have to spend with your kids is short and fleeting.

[Golfingdad]

People leave their kids with strangers everyday at day care.

Not really.

Not everyone does. He doesn't (or his wife doesn't want him to).

Most people don't.

I'm guessing that they checked out the day care a little closer than most people are able to check out the daycare at the gym.

Exactly.  Full time daycare/preschool is (usually) an accredited, professional thing with well trained teachers that we get to know pretty well pretty quickly.  A daycare at a gym is more than likely going to have a couple of teenage or college girls in there.

The whole thing just seems monumentally unfeasible unless they were charging two arms and three legs for the service.

[imsys0042]

My club has gotten this suggestion from time to time.  Not exactly for golfers, but for social activities, where you can drop your kids off and go elsewhere in the club to do something for a couple of hours.

I don't think it went well because now it's only for a couple of movie nights where you can drop off kids and it clearly says "you must remain on club grounds" because people left their kids there and then left to go elsewhere.

Even if they could find people, it's a big liability issue, potentially, so they aren't open to doing it.

[GHIN0011458]

Well I'm glad I am not the only one with the idea then.. lol it is a bad idea sorry for bringing it up. Personally for me, I would use it if it was available. That is all I am saying now. My wife stays at home but I prefer the kids going to a daycare/preschool so she picks up social skills. I grew up going to daycare and it was no big deal she grew up with her mom at home. If we can afford her staying at home then that is fine as long as she has multiple activities throughout the week where she can interact with other kids.

I'm guessing that they checked out the day care a little closer than most people are able to check out the daycare at the gym.

The putting green?  You must be kidding.  Isn't it there for the golfers?  And wouldn't a bunch of kids running around kind of interfere with the golfers??  Why not just go ahead and do it on the first green?

You are asking an awful lot, of courses, just because you couldn't play that day.  And for what?  The one or two guys a week in that situation who would take advantage of the service?  It is not a bad idea because of liability and insurance, although they are certainly factors, but it is a bad idea because there is almost no market for the service and providing the service is utterly impracticable.

I'll also add that looking back from the perspective of having fully raised kids, I'm glad I chose to spend my time with my kids in those years, not playing golf.  I may suck at golf, as a result, but I ended up with 2 great kids.  The time you have to spend with your kids is short and fleeting.

So kids shouldn't be able to learn to chip and putt now? You sound like part of the reason why golf is in decline. And are you implying that I don't spend time with my kids because I do play golf and, as a result, they will be 2 horrible kids? Not sure where you are going with that?

[iacas]

So kids shouldn't be able to learn to chip and putt now? You sound like part of the reason why golf is in decline. And are you implying that I don't spend time with my kids because I do play golf and, as a result, they will be 2 horrible kids? Not sure where you are going with that?

That's not at all what he said.

There's a big difference between using the putting green for a kid's clinic (with kids that want to do that sort of stuff) and using it for babysitting.

[Lihu]

To get the kids to 'want' to play golf, just dump golf paraphernalia all around the house, and make them get 3 10 footers before every meal. If the want a play date they need to par a couple holes at your local course. Too late for my kids, but younger ones. . .;-)

[GHIN0011458]

She likes it so far, likes riding in the cart really more than anything and hitting putts into the hole. I am not going to force it on her, or my son. My goal is to just introduce them to as much stuff (arts, sports, experiences) as possible and let them figure out what they like. If it happens to be golf that is just a huge bonus :).