Golf
Books and taxes for footgolf and adventure golf.
A per-round footgolf fee, a corporate team-building group booking, a combo pass sold with regular tee times, and soccer balls that wear out fast. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
August came in at $7,600. A corporate team-building booking for 30 players got kept separate from walk-up rounds so you can see what group business is really worth.
- Square terminal payoutFootgolf round fees
- Corporate group bookingGroup and event bookings
- Combo pass salesCombo tickets
- Soccer ball restock orderEquipment inventory
- Cup and flag replacementCourse upkeep
Why your books are different
A footgolf operation's books go wrong around a shared course.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Most footgolf and adventure golf setups run on slow tee times at an existing course or a repurposed patch of land, selling to a completely different crowd than regular golfers. When the books do not separate that from the rest of the course's revenue, you cannot tell if the footgolf side is actually paying for itself.
-
1
Footgolf revenue gets buried inside regular course income
A footgolf round played on the same holes as regular golf, during slow tee times, often gets rung up through the same system as a green fee, making it impossible to see whether footgolf is adding revenue or just filling dead time for free.
What we doKeeps footgolf round fees in their own category, separate from regular green fees, so you can see what the format is actually worth. -
2
Combo passes get counted as one flat sale
A combo ticket that includes both a footgolf round and a round of regular golf is really two products sold together, and counted as one lump sum it is hard to tell which side of the business the pass is actually driving.
What we doSplits combo pass revenue between footgolf and regular play, so each side of the business shows its real contribution. -
3
Group and corporate bookings look the same as walk-up rounds
A 30-person team-building event is worth planning around, but if it rings up the same as five people walking up on a Saturday, you cannot tell whether group business is worth the marketing effort it takes to book.
What we doKeeps group and corporate event bookings in their own line so you can see how much of the business comes from planned group play. -
4
Ball and cup replacement gets lost in general upkeep
Soccer balls wear out fast and large footgolf cups and flags need regular replacement, and lumped into general course maintenance it is easy to lose track of what running the format actually costs.
What we doKeeps footgolf equipment and cup replacement in its own line, so the real cost of running the format is visible.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a footgolf or adventure golf operation.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Footgolf round feesPer-player pricing, separate from regular golf.
- Combo ticketsPasses that pair a footgolf round with regular golf, split between the two.
- Group and event bookingsCorporate team-building and school group events.
- Soccer ball rentalFor players who do not bring their own ball.
Money out
- Course upkeepLarge cup, flag, and hole marker replacement.
- Equipment inventorySoccer balls bought for rental or resale.
- Payroll for course staffKept apart so labor is clear against footgolf revenue.
- Marketing for group bookingsOutreach to corporate and school groups.
- Property and liability insuranceCoverage for the footgolf layout and equipment.
What we watch for you
- Footgolf rounds played
The core volume number, kept apart from regular golf rounds on the same course.
- Group booking revenue
How much of total income comes from planned corporate or school events.
- Combo pass split
How combo ticket money divides between footgolf and regular play.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.
Ask Gus
Things footgolf operators ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
Yes. I keep footgolf round fees separate from regular green fees, so you can see whether the format is adding real revenue instead of just filling dead time.
I divide the combo ticket price between the two, so each side of the business still shows what it actually brought in.
Yes, and I already do. Group and event bookings get their own line, so you can see how much of your business comes from that kind of planned play versus walk-ups.
The tax side
The tax side of a footgolf or adventure golf business.
Costs here run lighter than a full golf course, since there is no turf crew or clubhouse, but the same rules on equipment, staff, and contractor pay still apply.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Equipment depreciationLarger equipment like a ball retrieval cart or course signage system can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Self-employment taxAn owner-operator running the business as a sole proprietor or single-member LLC pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on top of income tax, on the Social Security wage base up to $184,500.
- Worker classificationCourse staff who work your hours are usually employees, not contractors, even if they only work weekends or during peak group booking season.
- Contractor 1099sAn outside contractor, like someone hired for course layout work, paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list running.
Deductions footgolf and adventure golf operators miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Soccer ball inventory
- Cup and flag replacement
- Hole marker and signage
- Staff uniforms
- Point-of-sale software fees
- Marketing for group bookings
- Liability insurance
- Credit card processing fees
- Course layout consulting
- Ball retrieval equipment
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A footgolf year, kept every month.
Group bookings and warm-weather play carry most of the year. Your taxes come on a fixed schedule regardless. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the contractor 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed as school and corporate group bookings start picking up for the spring and summer.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand at peak season, what you will owe, and whether group bookings are ahead of last year.
- October
Before the slowdown
Gus looks at course equipment worth replacing before group booking season winds down for colder-climate operators.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for footgolf and adventure golf operators. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions footgolf operators ask first.
We layer footgolf onto an existing golf course. Can Gus keep the two separate?
Yes. Footgolf round fees and regular green fees get their own categories, even when they run through the same tee sheet and the same slow-time tee slots.
How does Gus handle a combo pass that includes both footgolf and regular golf?
The pass price gets split between the two, so you can see what each side of the business actually contributed instead of one lump combo number.
We book a lot of corporate team-building events. Is that worth tracking apart from walk-ups?
Yes. Group and event bookings get their own line, so you can see how much of your revenue comes from planned group business versus regular walk-up play.
Our course is seasonal in a colder climate. Does that change anything?
No. Gus works with whatever months you are open and keeps the off-season quiet in the books, without treating it as a problem.
Our records have never really been kept separate from the main golf course's books. Can Gus untangle that?
Yes. Send whatever statements and booking reports you have. Gus sorts out what belongs to the footgolf side, the accountant checks it, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
More in golf
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Golf course maintenance contractors
- Mini golf courses
- Par-3 & executive courses
- Golf driving ranges
- Golf instructors & teaching pros
- Indoor golf simulator venues
- Private country clubs
- Public golf courses
- Aerial adventure & ropes courses
- Archery ranges & pro shops
- ATV & off-road parks
- Bait & tackle shops
- Bike rentals & bike tours
- Cabin & cottage resorts
- Campground & RV park buyers / investors
- Campground developers (new builds)
- Disc golf courses & shops
- Farm stay & boondocking hosts
- Fishing guides (inshore / freshwater)
- Fly fishing guides & shops
- Glamping resorts
- Group camps & retreat centers
- Gun clubs & private shooting clubs
- Hiking & backpacking guide services
- Houseboat rentals
- Hunting land leasing
- Hunting outfitters & guides
- Hunting preserves & lodges
- Kayak & paddleboard rentals and tours
- Long-term & monthly RV parks
What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever