Here’s the math: 19 holes of miniature golf costs $800,000 to build out.

And this is only the beginning.  Because it’s part of a $4.8 MILLION development project at South Mountain — including the packaging and rebranding of the Turtle Back Zoo + Codey Arena into the “South Mountain Recreation Complex”.  Next-up?  Restaurant on the lake… (perhaps like the one on the lake at Verona Park but not operating anymore besides that small snack bar inside?)

Anyway, that’s about $42,000 sunk into each hole on the minigolf course.   Essex County is expecting revenues of at least $250,000 per year on the golf course alone.   If the sales projections are correct, that means the county will make their money back within 4 years.  And supposedly all revenues will be going to the Turtle Back Zoo itself (which you can get to on the free shuttle trolley that cost $180,000 itself).

Woa.  Can this really work?  Was that massive elephant overlooking Northfield really worth its weight in revenues?

Well, the early results are in, and since the opening day on the rainy September 16th, the Safari Minigolf course apparently took in approximately $37,000 up to the first week in October.  That’s about $15,000 per week.  Of course you can probably discount that a bit since it’s a brand new facility and there’s a lot of press and those tall flying air-blown tubes in front of the entrance corner on Northfield and Pleasant Valley Way (wonder how much those are costing per day?).

It looks like peak days when all things are going well, the course can handle between 875-975 people a day.  About 1,000 rounds of golf at $5 or $7 per person.

Time will tell if the revenue targets will be a hit…or miss.

There are of course, tons of lost opportunities here that one can see immediately — many that are simply low hanging fruit, if someone at the E.C.S.M.R.C. (Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex) paid any attention.  Here’s a quick back of the napkin list of ideas that are missing out of the gate:

• If this is truly a part of the Zoo, why isn’t there cross-selling marketing collateral at each venue?  Why not a combo ticket?  Or a discount offered at the other place with admission receipt?
• Pre-paid multi-ticket booklets for families — or even an unlimited safari pass?  The zoo offers an annual membership, the miniGOLF course should too!
• Birthday parties.  Book ‘em at $250 a pop.
• Safari gear – every zoo needs a gift shop.  You already have the labor, why not install a small gift shop with safari-themed educational toys, games, etc?
• Adopt an endangered safari animal wall – give a chance for kids and families to donate money for a name plate at each of the 19 holes in honor of a given animal in need.
• Corporate sponsored balls.  That’s a no-brainer.   Sell annual branded sponsorship opportunities on the balls, give them away at the end of the year, and get new sponsors or returning sponsors to buy brand new equipment each year.  6,000+ people could have been handling some company’s logo for 1/2 an hour each already.
• Discounted “2nd chance” rounds.  $5 child $7 adults for the first round, let them go around again for $3 each.   You already have the customer there, now take more money from them.
• This is a NON-revenue related item, but there should be more “kodak moment” photo opps inside and outside the golf area.  For example, that huge elephant is a wasted photo opp far behind the fence.  If you designed some of the animals so that the “Safari miniGOLF” logo was in view, the photo opps would turn into free advertising as customers show off their photos to friends and family.
• Add a $1 option for animal conservation at the zoo for each admission.  “Would you like to add $1 to your admission today to help care for and save the animals?”

There’s tons more ways to generate extra value and hence extra revenue with this same venue.  Just my $0.02.

Opening night was a washout with drizzling rain on a Thursday night, but people still came – enough that there were lines for the free mini golf rounds. A band, free hotdogs and soda were also available for the determined miniature golfers.

At $5/child and $7/adult, it will take awhile for Essex County to make their money back — they estimate $250,000 in revenue a year from this venue.  The real test will be after this winter season when the Turtle Back Zoo season is back in full swing and the to-be-built restaurant will be up and running (a boat house is coming too apparently).

Essex County has another mini-golf course over by Eagle Rock in Roseland that was recently renovated with fresh carpets too (actually a fun little course to go play for $5/round too), but it is no match for this safari wonderland smack in the middle of New Jersey.

Believe it or not, the Turtle Back Zoo is open year round.

So if there’s a break in this freeeezing weather, and it warms up a bit to give us a preview of spring, you may want to remember that the zoo is a great escape for the kids from our suburban life around town!

We had almost 100 entries, including some across the Twitterverse.

But the contest deadline of November 15th has come and we are now able to pick the winner of the free zoo membership.  In order to work towards transparency in picking the zoo contest winner, here’s the video selecting the winner:

Congratulations to our winner!  Thanks for participating to all our readers. 

Watch out for another contest coming up real soon at www.FingerClickingGood.com/livingston

Well, the kids have been asking to go to Turtle Back Zoo to ride the train, feed the birds, ride a pony and more. But there are some other zoos in NJ too.

Here they are: