John bought his first golf course at the age of 23. Ever since, he's been involved with owning and operating golf facilities of all kinds around the country. In this podcast episode, he discusses the great things about club ownership as well as the downside that comes with it.

Either way, in his 5th decade in the business, John's always got interesting things to say and value to bring.

On the good side, John takes tremendous pride in the positive feedback he gets from his work. Of course verbal testimonials and "thank you's" are great, but simply becoming a repeat customer at John's facilities is probably the best vote of confidence anyone can give.

Golf courses are typically one of the primary centerpieces of any community. They provide jobs, recreation, green space and a genuine source of pride in many ways. Property values are affected by a golf course's reputation.

John explains that the rewards of ownership can be immeasurable. And as the owner, you get to do it your way...which is great by him as well.

Of course when you're the one in charge, you're the first one in line when things go bad.

All the upside that a community sees with a thriving golf course can be quickly reversed when the club is struggling. Real estate values plummet, people lose their jobs, conditions and course reputation declines, and lots of people get grumpy.

It can be extremely stressful when golf courses are underperforming because golf clubs are not like ordinary businesses. When a restaurant fails, sure it affects ownership, staff and vendors. But when a golf course fails, the effects are far more wide reaching.

The stakes are extremely high. As an owner, you're either the beloved hero or the hated goat. Certainly not for the faint of heart.

In the end, John discusses customer service and the value of company culture. He feels that it's simply not possible to grow and thrive as a business without a positive working environment. Here are the 3 keys he emphasizes at every one of his properties: