Have you ever spent a late night looking at houses on Zillow and thought, “What if I lived there?”
If you’ve done so, you’re not alone. Lots of people entertain themselves by dreaming about real estate. This may be because there are just so many interesting properties out there to explore. It also may, unfortunately, be because most young people today don’t believe they’ll ever own a home.
But no matter why this fantastic thinking happens, most of us just can’t help ourselves. Now, a recent viral video from TikTok user Colin Landforce (@landforce_) has people dreaming not about a house, but about a golf course.
Can You Really Buy A Golf Course On Zillow?
In a video with over 753,000 views, Landforce says that one can currently buy a golf course in the town of Estacada, Oregon.
“There’s a golf course for sale on Zillow with a 3-bed, 2-bath, double-wide,” he says. “There’s 9 holes, no driving range. There’s no PNL, not even a multiples to consider.”
“It’s 60 acres in the middle of forest with shops, clubhouse, and all equipment for $1.25 million,” he continues.
While reviews for the actual course are mixed, Landforce says he’s enthusiastic about the idea of dropping everything and becoming a golf course manager.
“Am I the only one who sees a place like this, double-wide and all, and can’t help but think about calling the money guy? Getting a small investment from my father, maybe a little [from] friends and family? Putting together a quick pitch deck for my wife, including a Cap X allocation to turn this into a wedding venue?” he asks.
Is This Really A Good Deal?
To start, the golf course is real and can be found on Zillow here. If one wants to spend $1.25 million on a golf course, that’s their own decision.
However, it should be noted that this is not a one-and-done deal.
To start, running a golf course takes both time and money. According to a 2022 article in Golf Magazine, the average 18-hole course requires about $810,254 in maintenance annually. Not only that, but labor expenses add another $463,163 in annual costs.
While the course on Zillow is only 9 holes, if one crudely divides these costs in half (though costs would likely be higher), they still end up with over $636 thousand in annual costs before they’ve earned a single dollar. This roughly aligns with other estimates of maintenance costs.
What Other Costs Come With Owning A Golf Course?
The above number also doesn’t take into account other bills that may be incurred over the course of ownership. These costs include water, maintenance equipment, and small things like tees and ball washers.
Most golf courses make up for this by charging for memberships, offering lessons, and more. However, managing all of that information will require additional staff that can further eat into one’s funds.
Could this be a good deal regardless? Sure. But actually running it as a golf course and wedding venue will be a lot more work and take a lot more money than Landforce’s video implies.
@landforce_ On the list of *golf courses we should totally maybe buy* I’m not sure this is the one but.. might be
Commenters Want In
In the comments section, many users said that, no matter how much effort it takes, they want to participate in running this golf course.
“Who wants to go in on it. Legit question,” wrote a user.
“Let’s add lights make it night time course,” added another.
“I’m in 500,000.00,” offered a third. “But it’s Monopoly money. Just sayin.”
BroBible reached out to Landforce via TikTok and Instagram direct message.