When I first turned off Ingraham Road onto Dover Road across from the entrance to the Nehoiden Golf Club on Saturday morning and saw a couple of kids and a man setting up a table with signs, I assumed it was a lemonade stand. But no, this was a case of location, location, location: Jamie (11) and Dylan (7) were selling paper bags of 10 golf balls—make that “premium” golf balls—for $10 apiece.
“You get a couple of Titalists in each,” Jamie said.
“No practice balls,” Dylan chimed in.
The friendly boys, whose enterprise also includes older brother Hugh, say they find the balls all over the place, including in local waterways. They invested in a ball cleaner that really spiffs up the golf balls, Jamie said, even more spotless than the bright yellow one he held up to show me.
Definitely a small business for the local “reduce, reuse, recycle” crowd to embrace.
I’d first figured these guys lived in the corner house in front of which their table stood, and had retrieved balls from their front yard. But they said they lived elsewhere in town and that the woman at this house was nice and let them station themselves there.
As of shortly before 10am, the boys had already made $37 in less than an hour, and I gave them the $3 in cash I had on me to round that up to $40. Just as I was leaving, a couple of runners stopped at the table, and looked to be making a purchase. For those without cash, there is a Venmo QR code displayed for one of their parents.
I asked the boys what they might use their money for from what they described as their first business. Jamie said probably for savings, and Dylan said that maybe he’d open a bank account.
Neither golfs, though they said their older brother is interested.
It was as busy a day for runners and walkers as I’ve seen in town, so hopefully all that foot traffic will translate into lots of business for these young entrepreneurs.
Disclaimer: I’ve golfed maybe 10 times in my life. Though probably should have a bucket list item to golf at Wellesley’s two courses.
Got a great Wellesley slice-of-life story to share? Let us know: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
These boys were in my Abbott Learning Center and I am so proud of them .
I would like to donate to their entrepreneurial venture !! Where can I send that .
Those boys are my grandchildren. Thank-you for the article.
Lucky you… was a pleasure to meet and chat with them. Bob