Golf business consultant to plan, manage, market, finance, buy or sell a golf course.

MICHAEL A (MIKE) KAHN AND GOLFMAK, INC.

In case you don't know who I am - it's me, Michael A Kahn, with over 50-years in golf. Today, I'm a golf business consultant and a golf course trader under my company name, Golfmak, Inc (real estate license working out of First Tampa Financial Group, Brokerage in Tampa, Florida). I am a former golf course owner, manager, a former licensed superintendent, and a former carded assistant golf professional (1960's).

My most recent consulting engagements included three golf courses in upper New York State, a community golf course in Maryland, and an executive golf course in Indiana. I have become involved professionally in hundreds of golf courses for various reasons - consulting, brokering or financing. I've worked in Michigan, Texas, Georgia, the Carolinas, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, New York, several other States and in Canada.

Maybe I'm an old guy but I have a young mind. I created my own web site (this one) before most people my age even heard of the Internet. I was using Google back when people were still laughing at the name. My email address is over 10-years old. My domain was registered in August, 1997.

I have managed (or owned) just about every kind of golf facility imaginable: a lighted par-3 golf course, an executive golf course, a resort golf course, a 900-member private golf course, a 27-hole public golf course, a 36-hole semi-private golf course, and a (lighted) driving range. I've managed swimming pools, dining rooms, tennis courts (hard and clay surfaces), hockey rinks, curling rinks, fitness centers, and a lodge.

I successfully managed a well known Sarasota, Florida golf course through Chapter-11 bankruptcy (1996 through 1998).

I've managed construction projects, designed clubhouses, irrigation installation and programming, and planned complete golf course marketing campaigns.

I brokered a deal in Naples, Florida (Lely Resorts) that triggered one of the largest single golf course transactions ever - the acquisition of 39 golf courses by the largest golf company in the world December 1995.

I devised and planned one of the first tee time re-seller programs in the industry while working with North American Golf Club in Tampa, Florida.

I have managed bentgrass in Ontario, New York, and Michigan and Bermuda grass in Florida. I have shoveled snow off greens in Canada, and treated for mole crickets and fire ants in Florida. I recently oversaw the installation of Champion ultra-dwarf Bermuda grass on 18-greens at a Tampa golf course. This amazing new Bermuda hybrid putts as much like bentgrass as you'll ever see.

I have brokered over $100 million in golf course trades, and financed about the same amount. When called upon for interim management for a golf course with financial problems, I have been 100% successful in putting the facility back on track.

I have consulted several companies developing golf industry products including Point of Sale systems (The Leading Edge Accounting and POS for golf courses), and GPS systems (Uplink).

I once owned a string of golf retail stores and a complete franchise program.

During my career I pioneered:

Tri-plex greens mowers (1970's)

Hydraulic driven reels (1970's)

Flymos - floating rotary lawn mowers - (1960's)

Internet to promote tee times (1990's) - created many web sites

Golfmak.com, is one of the first golf business web sites - established August '97

Non-Gender Fees for green fees and memberships (1960's)

Changed the name "Marshall" to "Player Assistance" (1980's)

The one-piece, solid core range golf ball (1970's)

Private brand golf equipment- clubs, bags, etc. (1960's)

Spikeless golf shoes (1970's)

Eliminating dangerous chemicals in the 60's- mercury, lead arsonate, DDT, chlordane, etc.

Metal woods (1970's)

Graphite shafts (1980's)

Cavity back irons (lost wax process) 1970's and 80's

Slip-on grips (1950's) - Anyone remember those white Golf Pride grips?

Video teaching aides (late 1970's and 80's)

Indoor golf ranges/golf schools (1950's and 60's)

One of the first superintendents to hold a pesticide license

At one time I could par a golf course. It's a little tougher for me these days. I think I'll have to live to my 80's to shoot my age!

I ran a 5-pin bowling alley in Toronto, Canada in 1960. I broke in Brunswick's first automatic pin setters. I completely re-designed them. My design is still used today. Really!

In Canada I devised and implemented a learn-to-play-golf program introducing over 5,000 people to golf from 1964 through 1988. The program targeted men, women, seniors and children - who had not yet played golf.

A few years ago at The Homestead Resort in Hot Springs Virginia, I enjoyed time with late golf legend, Sam Snead. He watched me hit balls with his 4-degree driver on the Homestead practice range (he couldn't see the ball land out there, but he told me where every one wound up). We discussed great players and he told me the best striker of a golf ball he ever saw was the late, great Canadian pro golfer, Moe Norman. Snead raved about Moe's accuracy with every club in the bag.

Moe Norman was my teaching and touring pro at a golf center in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada in 1964. I played a few rounds with Moe back then. Nobody would believe what Moe could do with a golf ball - until they watched him play. I don't bother telling what I saw him do, because they don't believe me either.

I'm here to help: Via email, I've helped hundreds of high school and college students with projects related to golf or the golf business. If you have any questions about golf, about your club, your game, your swing, your project, equipment, etc., write me at: mike@golfmak.com. I try to answer any and all emails asking me for information or advice about golf or the business.

I've been around this business a long time. That's who I am and golf is my business.

Mike Kahn