Golf
Books and taxes for golf driving ranges.
Bucket sales, range card memberships, Toptracer bay fees, and a lesson bay rented out by the hour. 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
June came in at $13,700. The range card renewals this month got kept apart from single bucket sales so you can see which one is actually growing.
- Square terminal payoutBucket sales
- Range card renewalsMembership cards
- Toptracer monthly feeBay technology
- Range ball order, CallawayRange balls
- Nightly lighting, city electricUtilities
Why your books are different
A range's books go wrong around balls and bays.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your range sells buckets, range cards, and bay time by the hour, and range balls disappear into the rough and the pond by the hundreds every month. When the books do not track that, you cannot tell if the range card program is actually growing or if bay tech fees are eating the margin.
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1
Range card sales get spent all at once
A golfer buys a 20-bucket range card in April and works through it over three months. Booked as income the day it is sold, April looks strong with buckets that have not been hit yet.
What we doKeeps range card sales tagged against the buckets still owed, so income shows up as cards are actually used. -
2
Ball loss never shows up as a real cost
Range balls get lost to the pond, cracked, or walked off with by the hundreds every month, and most ranges just reorder when the bin gets low without ever pricing out what that attrition actually costs.
What we doKeeps range ball purchases in their own line so you can see ball replacement cost against bucket revenue. -
3
Toptracer or bay tech fees get buried in general expenses
A monthly technology fee for ball-tracking bays is a fixed cost that runs whether the bays are full or empty, and lumped in with everything else it is easy to lose track of whether the tech is paying for itself.
What we doKeeps bay technology fees in their own line next to bay revenue, so you can see if the tech pays for itself. -
4
Lesson bay rentals blend into bucket sales
A teaching pro who rents a bay by the hour and a golfer who buys a bucket often ring up through the same register, hiding whether bay rental is a real revenue stream or a rounding error.
What we doKeeps lesson bay rental income separate from bucket sales, so each shows its own number. -
5
A new ball dispenser or picker looks like a supply cost
A range ball dispenser or a mechanical ball picker can run several thousand dollars, and filed as supplies it muddles the month it was bought.
What we doFlags major equipment purchases like dispensers or pickers the month they happen and logs them as equipment for the accountant to depreciate.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a driving range.
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
- Bucket salesSmall, medium, and large buckets sold at the counter or a dispenser.
- Range card membershipsPrepaid bucket cards, tracked against buckets still owed.
- Bay technology feesWhat golfers pay to use Toptracer or a similar ball-tracking bay.
- Lesson bay rentalsHourly bay rental to independent teaching pros or lesson programs.
- League and event feesEvening leagues and long-drive events.
Money out
- Range ballsNew stock and replacement for balls lost or cracked.
- Bay technology licensingMonthly fees for Toptracer or similar ball-tracking systems.
- Ball dispenser and picker maintenanceRepairs and parts for range equipment.
- Turf and mat replacementTee mats and grass upkeep across the hitting stalls.
- Lighting and utilitiesNightly lighting for evening play.
- Payroll for counter and range staffKept apart so labor is clear against bucket revenue.
- Property and liability insuranceCoverage for the range and any lesson bays on site.
What we watch for you
- Buckets sold
The core volume number. Card sales, revenue, and ball replacement all move with it.
- Range card renewal rate
Shows if the membership program is growing or shrinking.
- Ball replacement cost per bucket
What ball attrition actually costs against what each bucket brings in.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.
Ask Gus
Things driving range owners 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.
Only what has actually been used counts as earned. I keep the rest tagged against buckets still owed, so the number matches what actually got hit.
I keep that fee next to bay revenue every month, so you can see the two side by side and decide for yourself.
Usually it can come off this year. I logged it as equipment, not supplies, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
The tax side
The tax side of a driving range.
Most of what trips up a range is equipment and timing: a card sale counted too early, a picker filed as a supply, or bay tech fees nobody tracked against what they actually bring in.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Range equipment depreciationBall pickers, dispensers, and bay technology hardware bought for the business can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Self-employment taxAn owner-operator running the range 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 classificationCounter staff and range pickers who work your hours with your equipment are usually employees, not contractors, even if part-time.
- Contractor 1099sAn outside teaching pro or contractor 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 golf driving ranges miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Range ball replacement
- Tee mat replacement
- Ball dispenser repairs
- Bay technology licensing fees
- Nightlight bulbs and fixtures
- Staff uniforms
- Card processing fees
- Signage and yardage markers
- Netting and barrier repairs
- Marketing for leagues and events
- Liability insurance
- Point-of-sale software fees
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 range year, kept every month.
Evening leagues and long-drive nights come on a seasonal calendar. Your taxes come on a fixed one. 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 before evening leagues and lesson bookings pick up for the season.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand at the peak of bucket sales and league play, and whether range card renewals are ahead of last year.
- October
Before the slowdown
Gus looks at equipment worth buying, like a new picker or dispenser, before the season winds down in colder climates.
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 golf driving ranges. 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 driving range owners ask first.
Can Gus track range cards separately from single bucket sales?
Yes. He keeps card sales tagged against the buckets still owed, so a strong card sale month does not overstate income and later months are not shorted for buckets already paid for.
We run Toptracer bays alongside regular stalls. Does that complicate the books?
No. Bay technology revenue and its monthly fee both get their own lines, so you can see whether the tech is paying for itself next to regular bucket sales.
How does Gus handle ball loss and reordering?
Range ball purchases get their own category, so replacement cost is visible against bucket sales instead of getting lost in general supplies.
We rent a bay to an independent teaching pro by the hour. How does that get booked?
That rental income gets its own line, separate from bucket sales, so you can see what the arrangement actually brings in.
Our books are a season behind. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, 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.
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We keep books for the business next door too.
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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