Built to Last. Designed to Evolve.

Standard Golf Company has called Cedar Falls home since 1910. With more than a century of manufacturing behind them, this locally owned business creates golf course accessories used around the world!

A Century of Adaptation

Standard Golf Co. began as a small foundry, producing agricultural products like cisterns, cattle gates, and ornamental fencing. In the 1920s, when Cedar Falls opened its first golf course, the company responded by shifting its focus to golf accessories. By 1926, they were manufacturing tools and equipment specifically for golf courses.

They launched their first hole cutter in 1938. Over the decades, they’ve added everything from bunker rakes and tee markers to ball washers and tournament flags. You’ll find their products on courses in all 50 states and across six continents. In fact, when the first major golf tournament of the year airs each April, there’s a strong chance you’re seeing products manufactured in Cedar Falls on the screen.

What They Make

Standard Golf Co. produces the equipment needed to maintain and manage golf courses. Their main customers are superintendents, and their work is all about helping courses run smoothly.

Products include:

• Hole cutters and cups

• Flagsticks and tournament flags

• Ball washers and tee markers

• Range equipment and signage

• Maintenance tools and accessories

Most of what they make starts and finishes in Cedar Falls. Products are shipped weekly across the globe. And while golf is the backbone of the company, they’re always experimenting. Take the Levelawn, for example. A simple landscaping tool originally made for golf course maintenance. During COVID, it unexpectedly became a bestseller among homeowners who wanted pro-level lawns. Now it’s one of their top-selling items on Amazon.

A Team That Owns It

At Standard Golf, welders, designers, engineers, operators, and warehouse staff work together to design and produce every item. In 2018, the company became 100% employee-owned and that ownership model has shaped the workplace culture.

Many employees have been with the company for decades. Some started through high school co-op programs. Staff members wear multiple hats and often collaborate across departments, with an emphasis on accountability, adaptability and shared success.

A Defining Decision

In 1992, an unfortunate fire destroyed Standard Golf’s original downtown facility. It would’ve been easy to relocate. In fact, Arizona was on the table. But ownership made the call to stay for more than just business reasons. Their people were here. Their families were here.

Working closely with the City of Cedar Falls, Standard Golf became the second tenant in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park. That partnership not only gave the company a new home but opened the door for other manufacturers in the region.

Grounded in the Cedar Valley

Standard Golf supports workforce development programs, internships, and partnerships with local schools. They’ve mentored students, donated equipment and helped introduce new audiences to the world of manufacturing. Several local vendors supply materials or assist with specialty processes, reinforcing a regional supply chain built on trust.

The team also collaborates with golf courses, tournaments, and nonprofits, helping customize flags and accessories for events, fundraisers, and memorials.

Looking Ahead

Standard Golf continues to explore new product ideas and technology. Current discussions include experimenting with new materials and expanding personalization options for clients.

The company meets regularly to identify trends, test new ideas and find new ways to serve golf courses and customers around the world. The same mindset that led them to invent no-touch golf tools during COVID is still present in their day-to-day operations.

Part of Something Bigger

Standard Golf Company continues to grow while remaining rooted in Cedar Falls. From backyard kits to international shipping, the team behind each product brings attention to detail, creative thinking and deep industry knowledge to every order.

To read more stories about local businesses building their future in the Cedar Valley, check out the full “Made in the Cedar Valley” series on the Grow Cedar Valley blog.