The GOLFZON China Open took place late August 2025 at the groundbreaking City Golf venue in China, the first of its kind worldwide. With a $700,000 prize pool, the event drew top golfers and showcased the potential for future professional-level tournaments at City Golf venues, sparking excitement across the world.
Dozens of participants in the event, including former World No. 1 players like Yani Tseng and major champions like Na Yeon Choi teed off on GOLFZON TwoVisionNX simulators and continued their approach play, which gave competitors realistic ball flight, terrain interaction, and in depth swing analysis.
But rather than finishing on a screen, each hole transitioned to a realistic indoor putting green which allowed players to complete their short game in an actual physical space, not on the simulator. The screen simply rolled up, allowing players a brand new indoor experience.
Participants captured the excitement perfectly:
When I first got here, I was really impressed with how grand the venue was. I’ve played screen golf a few times in Korea but it was a unique experience to see the screen roll up and open and play the short game on the actual greens.
It was my first time playing City Golf so I had some high expectations but it exceeded them. Regardless of how I was playing, I was just impressed by City Golf. It’s very similar to playing on an actual golf course. The sensor is very sensitive – it figured out my ball’s characteristics very accurately
Broadcast coverage brought the tournament to a wide audience across China and Korea and social media clips went viral almost instantly. The buzz confirmed what GOLFZON had envisioned: City Golf isn’t just a venue. It’s a stage for elite-level competition.
GOLFZON China Open: A New Era of City Golf
GOLFZON opened its first City Golf location in Tianjin, China in September 2024. The venue has brought together business leaders, competitive golfers, and media members from across the world. GOLFZON China has demonstrated the future of golf as a city-centered experience that combines high quality simulator technology with real putting greens, and creating an 18-hole course inside a city and urban environment.
A Full Golf Course Inside The City
City Golf is unparalleled in the golf industry. Inside a massive 106,000 square foot venue, golfers can complete an entire 18-hole course both on the best indoor golf simulator on the market as well as real greens and bunkers.
City Golf also offers a variety of amenities including restaurants, fitness areas, and lounge-style social spaces, making it a destination designed to attract golfers and non-golfers looking for a fun experience.
The venue itself spans around 16,000 square meters (172,200 sq. ft.) and features soaring 18-meter-high ceilings that let in natural light, giving players a spacious, private golf experience in the middle of the city. Each hole includes a dedicated screen for long play and a physical green for putting, with some holes even adding bunkers and approach zones for more realism.
Why It Matters
The GOLFZON China Open proved that golf can thrive in urban centers where outdoor courses are limited. City Golf has already been praised as “the most ideal urban golf course, applying GOLFZON’s world-class golf simulator technology and golf course management expertise” and Golf Digest called it “the perfect solution to winter golf.” With momentum building, it’s clear City Golf is blending tradition and innovation to create something entirely new for the game.
Future Aspirations
While the first City Golf is thriving in Tianjin, its success signals exciting possibilities for the future. Urban golf destinations like City Golf could soon appear in other global cities including those in the U.S. where demand for innovative, social golf experiences is higher than ever. The GOLFZON China Open is just the beginning of a new era for the game.
Simulator golf participation in the U.S. surged from 3.6 million five years ago to 8.1 million users in 2024, according to The National Golf Foundation, reflecting a showing rising demand for immersive indoor golf experiences GOLFZON America. The City Golf model, by combining realistic simulator technology with authentic short-game experiences and entertainment amenities, could be the next evolution in that trend.