GOLF ETC. franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a GOLF ETC. franchise takes $325,000 – $451,000 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $30,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 3% on sales. To qualify, GOLF ETC. asks for $75,000 in liquid cash. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
GOLF ETC. franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $30,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $325,000 | $451,000 | $325,000 to $451,000 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $75,000 | $75,000 | $75,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $325,000 | $451,000 | $325,000 to $451,000 | |
- 1 "Not disclosed" means GOLF ETC.'s filings do not state this figure. We publish the gap instead of estimating it.
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 3% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full GOLF ETC. cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How GOLF ETC.'s cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where GOLF ETC.'s disclosed cost sits against the Health & Fitness category:
- Minimum startup cost of $325,000 — about 1.8× the Health & Fitness median of $184,861.
- Initial franchise fee of $30,000 — about 39% below the Health & Fitness median of $49,000.
Category medians are computed from the Health & Fitness brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Health & Fitness franchises
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How GOLF ETC.'s units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2012: began the window at 32 units; 5 units opened, 2 closed, ending at 35 units.
Not enough history to compute a survival figure — we need at least three years of unit data, and we don't extrapolate.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for GOLF ETC. or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask GOLF ETC. for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether GOLF ETC. is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether GOLF ETC. grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only GOLF ETC. can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the GOLF ETC. franchise
GOLF ETC. is a health & fitness franchisor with 35 units at the end of 2012 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2012, it began the window at 32 units; its filings record 5 unit openings and 2 closures, ending at 35 units. Its parent company is Golf Etc. of America Inc..
No franchise-related lawsuits reported in the disclosure data we hold (FDD Item 3, as of 2026-05) — an absence in our sources, not a guarantee; confirm against the brand's current FDD.
From the franchisor's materials
Since it's inception, Texas-based GOLF ETC. has established itself as a leader in the golf industry – an industry that has experienced unprecedented growth (from $8 billion in 1986 to $23 billion present). With over 35 nation-wide, GOLF ETC. is looking to expand in your area in 2013.
GOLF ETC. franchise: quick answers
- How much does a GOLF ETC. franchise cost?
- $325,000 – $451,000 all-in to open, per GOLF ETC.'s franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many GOLF ETC. units are there?
- 35 units at the end of 2012 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).