Indoor Golf has come a long way over the past few years with advancements in ball tracking technology and software. Due to new innovations in technology, indoor golf is becoming more and more popular around the world. Throughout the United States, golf simulators are being installed in a variety of venues including homes, golf courses, bowling alleys, sports bars, and indoor golf centers; not to mention being used for group parties and day-long events by businesses all over the United States. For those thinking about buying or renting a golf simulator or multiple simulators for a business, here are some tips when going through the process:
- Choosing a Simulator. Accuracy and course selection are key factors in determining which golf simulator to choose. Make sure to demo the product and hit a variety of shots including draws, fades, pitch shots, and putts. Your customers will want to play golf courses they have heard of and see on TV.
- Rent/Lease vs. Purchase. Minimizing start-up capital and maintaining positive cash flow are important factors to the success of any business. As a general rule of thumb, it takes about 3 seasons to build up a strong customer base for indoor golf facilities.
- Know Your Maintenance and Upgrade Costs. Golf simulators have a variety of ongoing maintenance costs such as screen replacements, hitting surface replacements, projector bulb replacements, etc. Make sure to ask what the expected frequency and costs of replacements items are. Along with keeping your simulator looking new, you will want to keep up to date with software. Ask your golf simulator company what the update costs are and how often they come out with new courses.
- Warranty and Service. With most technology, you never know when something will go bad. Make sure you know what your warranty covers and for how long. The industry standard is one year for service and warranty. Any downtime on your golf simulator is costing you money so ask your golf simulator company what their customer service hours are. The peak hours for an indoor golf facility are weeknights and weekends so make sure they have customer service available during these times.
- Additional Revenue Streams. Food and beverages are great ways to increase the bottom line. A simple menu of appetizers, sandwiches, salads and pizzas will go a long way in satisfying the needs of your customers. Other revenue streams include leagues, birthday parties, corporate events, golf lessons, and golf club sales. Make sure to ask your golf simulator company if their software has the capability to advertise within the game as it can provide some easy revenue at little or no cost to you.
Operating an indoor golf facility can be an exciting and profitable business venture. Ace Indoor Golf has over two decades of experience in the golf simulator industry both as a manufacturer and as an operator of an indoor golf center. We are here to help you succeed and have developed our Simulator Rental Program specifically for indoor golf facilities. Whether you are just exploring the industry or looking to start an indoor golf business soon, Ace Indoor Golf is here to help. We hope this article has provided some insightful information to you.