The morning mist still clings to the driving range at All About Golf in Franklin Township when Ken Macadaeg arrives for another day of doing what he loves. As the owner unlocks the doors to his 114 North Road facility, he's thinking about the golfers who will spend their day here— beginners gripping a club for the first time, seasoned players fine-tuning their short game, and everyone in between.
As Tiger Woods once said, perfectly capturing Ken's approach, “I get to play golf for a living. What more can you ask for, getting paid for doing what you love.” For Ken, All About Golf represents the culmination of a 25-year journey that began with retail experience at Kmart and evolved into something much more personal.
“I didn't really like what the future looked like for me with Kmart,” Ken explains. “I could see the writing on the wall and I didn't think they were going to make it. So, I wanted to do something that I was passionate about, something that would give me the drive to go to work every day. I figured retail was my knowledge and golf was my passion.”
This is the story of a risk-conscious entrepreneur who mastered the essentials of running a solid, small retail business. An entrepreneur who took strategic risks to create a unique offering of a technology-enhanced driving range, short hole golf course and expanded retail operation in one location called All About Golf. Not only was this a benefit to the Western Pennsylvania golfing community, but it helped the bottom line for Ken Macadaeg as well.
The Foundation: Building From Experience 
Ken has built his enterprise on the foundational principles that make great golfers: patience, strategic thinking, and wisdom gained through experience. Ken's golf journey began early, shaped by his grandfather's passion. “From age six to age 14, I really played a lot of golf. My grandfather took my brother and me, and we’d play 18 or 36 holes three, four days a week.”
Ken loved golf but he had a family to provide for. It was not until after 20 years with Kmart as a store manager, that Ken made the entrepreneurial leap in 2000. “Out of the gates, it was not overly successful,” he admits honestly about his small plaza retail store. “Anyone who starts a business always comes through the school of hard knocks, just trying to get the cash flow going, and golf's obviously a seasonal sport.”
Strategic Course Management
Even the most technically sound golfer knows that sometimes you have to really go for it, take a shot with some risk to try to make up ground. The decision to move to his current location eight years ago exemplifies Ken's strategic thinking, much like a golfer studying course conditions before selecting the right club.
The previous owner of a driving range and short hole golf course at what is now AA Golf had expressed his interest to Ken about creating a year-round operation by adding a retail store. Seeing the opportunity, Ken said, “Well, if you're looking to do that, why don't you make room for me, and I'll move over there and we can probably help each other out.”
The partnership proved mutually beneficial for five years. Then, Ken faced a potential hazard. “My partner had an offer from a developer to turn this all into a development. Obviously, not a good thing for me. So, I took my biggest shot yet in business. I ended up buying it off of them.”
Banking Partnership and Local Values
Kyle Hilfiger, Farmers National Bank branch manager has witnessed Ken's business evolution from the beginning. “We did the banking for Ken’s old store, which was very close to the branch,” Kyle explains. “But since the acquisition, we handle the banking for all facets of his business.” The banking relationship extends beyond business. “He recently began building a home that Farmers is financing,” Kyle notes.
It is the local approach that Ken values. “What's nice about Farmers is that it's the local hometown bank. I know everyone there. They know me. Anything I need, they have answers for. I don't have to talk to a machine.”
Kyle recognizes Ken's strategic customer focus: “Ken sees where the opportunities are and then executes. He’s not just tailored to the guys that are buying new clubs. He's focused on other aspects too. He'll sell secondhand clubs that he'll fit for people at a fraction of the cost, but they're better clubs than they would ever buy otherwise.”
Of his customer base, Ken shares, “We have a combination of both serious and casual golfers. The course isn't really designed for advanced players—it's more for beginners. But the range is different. Our range is really beneficial to the advanced player.”
Like Farmers, Ken takes a customer-focused approach. “Ken’s a big family man, himself. He’s not just dedicated to the guys buying new clubs. He's focused on getting families out together,” Kyle says.
Weathering Challenges 
Like any golfer who has played through challenging conditions, Ken has navigated business obstacles with patience. He recalls advice from a business owner friend: “Every time I'd see him, he'd tell me, 'Well Ken, you starve the first five years of your business.' The startup is tough.”
Ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic actually provided a boost to golf. “Golf was on probably a 20-year decline,” Ken explains. “COVID is what really did jumpstart golf, it was one of the few things you could do.” (Read more about golf’s exponential growth in the accompanying side bar.)
Teaching Philosophy
While Ken clarifies that he's “not a golf pro” in the certified sense, his approach reflects a deep understanding of the game. “I just love the game, and I love to see people enjoy the game. I always try to be the encourager.”
He employs PGA professional Tim Nypaver for formal instruction, but Ken's teaching moments happen organically. “There's a customer who's been with me since day one. A couple of times over the years he has said, 'I think I'm just going to quit this game.' So, we’ll go down to the practice putting area and work on chipping—that's always his issue.”
As Ken's father used to say, “Every shot makes someone happy,” whether it's the player who hit it well or the opponent who's glad they didn't.
Technology Investment 
Like most successful entrepreneurs, Ken is perpetually reinvesting in his business, especially in the technology sector with innovations in how to play and practice golf. He's invested strategically in technology that enhances the customer experience, particularly the renowned and not inexpensive Toptracer system.
“If you ever watch golf on TV, they'll have a red line track the ball so you can see what the shape of the shot is and they give you data,” Ken explains. “It gives you launch angle, ball speed, how far you hooked it or sliced it, how far it rolls out.”
Competitive Success
Ken's credibility was reinforced recently when he won a member-guest tournament at Butler Country Club. “There were 72 teams, and we were fortunate enough to win that,” he says, modestly, as the guest in the twosome. In fact, that was the second time he and his partner had claimed victory.
Looking Forward
As the golf industry experiences unprecedented growth, “If you were to ask the average person what's the number one growing sport, they would say pickleball. But it's actually golf,” Ken notes. All About Golf is positioned for continued success.
Like Arnold Palmer, who believed “Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated,” Ken has created something that serves both the technical and emotional aspects of the game. His success comes from the patient, strategic approach that separates good golfers from great ones.
Ken has combined his retail expertise with his lifelong passion for golf, supported by a banking partner that understands local relationships. As Palmer said, “Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.” For Ken Macadaeg, that philosophy transformed a risky career change into a thriving business that embodies the very best qualities of golf—patience, persistence, and the pursuit of excellence, one swing at a time.
Golf's Business Boom: A Decade of Dramatic Growth 
Ken Macadaeg's success with All About Golf over the past decade mirrors the golf industry's surprising growth trajectory. The numbers tell the story of golf's remarkable transformation from declining participation to record-breaking growth across every business segment.
Participation Surge
Ken has tapped into the growth of the game driven initially by new players embracing golf during the Pandemic, when being outside provided freedom from restrictions created for indoor spaces.
Golf participation reached unprecedented levels in 2024, with 47.2 million Americans playing golf—a 38% increase from pre-pandemic 2019. Traditional on-course participation topped 28 million, marking the seventh consecutive annual increase, while a record 545 million rounds were played. The female golfer population grew 23% since 2018 to 7.9 million.
Golf Course Industry
After decades of decline, the golf course industry stabilized dramatically. The golf courses and country clubs market reached $34.9 billion in 2024 with 4.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) growth. The U.S. has nearly 16,000 golf courses at 14,000 facilities, with about 75% open to the public, and experienced the fewest course closures in 20 years.
Equipment Market
The golf equipment sector shows explosive growth. The global market is expanding from $18.34 billion in 2024 to a projected $29.3 billion by 2034, with a 4.8% CAGR. North America commands 48% of the global market. The equipment boom is driven by technological innovations and customization trends, with the middle price range dominating 48% of sales, making quality equipment more accessible.
Retail Evolution
Ken knew by increasing the size of his retail operation, he would be aligned with a growing retail market. Golf retail balances traditional and digital channels. Even though online distribution channels show the highest growth at 6.2% CAGR as manufacturers develop omnichannel strategies, offline stores maintained 78% market share in 2024— with pro shops and specialty retailers providing crucial services like custom fitting.