Ali Hassan, owner of Off The Tee, found his golf game cooled off every time the frigid Michigan winters came around. Eager to improve and keep his golfing hobby up all year around, Hassan sought out a solution – start his own golf simulator business.
Roughly 15 miles west of Detroit stands Off The Tee, Garden City’s go-to indoor golf spot. If you want to host an event or just hang out with friends, Off The Tee is the perfect spot. You can eat, play, and train here, no matter your skill level.
Are you looking for guidance on opening a golf simulator business? Check out how Hassan entered the world of virtual golf. Responses have been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
Tell us about yourself and how Off The Tee began.
I’m Ali Hassan, and I’m an owner at Off The Tee. I’m 32 years old, and I fell in love with golfing about five years ago. Golfing is always a great way to spend my free time and just get away.
Every summer, I would go golfing with my friends. We started the season off poorly but ended it halfway decent. By winter, we would all stop playing. Here and there, I’d go to an indoor golf range, but it was never the same. You could never actually see your progress.
About a year ago I tried an indoor golf simulator and it was really cool. We didn’t have a golf simulator business nearby, so I thought it would be a great idea to start one.
I work full time as a nurse practitioner. However, I chose to start an indoor golf business with my friends, Ali and Gus. We opened in the spring. Many people enjoy coming to play and practice their swings in a fun environment.
What was the process like to open a golf sim business?
We did a lot of research. Starting a golf simulator business was something none of us had a lot of knowledge about, so it wasn’t something that happened overnight.
For the first couple of months, I sat with my friends daily going over golf simulator business plans. We were studying it, working on understanding the equipment, and researching the best golf simulators.
When we played on GOLFZON simulators, we really enjoyed the experience. It was the closest thing to being on a real golf course. After our research, we began to explore different commercial locations. Finally, we found the right spot.
What stood out to you about GOLFZON simulators?
Honestly, the gameplay. I love that you can actually play on the fairway, rough, and bunkers. I loved the experience of playing on all the simulators we tried, but playing on a GOLFZON sim felt the most realistic, especially with the moving swing plate.
I can honestly say that it’s one of the most high-tech simulators I’ve ever played on. Of all the golf sims I’ve tried, this has been my favorite.
Another feature I love is the option the golf sim gives you to replay your swing after every shot. It really shows you how to fix your game. From when we first installed the golf simulators to now, my game has improved significantly. I’ve increased my driving distance by about 60-80 yards all in a matter of about three months. The swing replay camera showed me what I was doing wrong and how to improve it, you really can’t beat that.
Tell us more about your facility’s features.
We only opened about two months ago, so we weren’t sure what to expect. Our food has been really good and we are getting a lot of our customer’s opinions on things.
Right now we serve mostly finger foods, but we will be adding burgers and some more similar items to our menu soon. We currently serve chicken wings, tenders, hot dogs, jalapeño poppers, and more. Our customers love it!
Off The Tee is a really great hangout spot. We have some nice, comfortable couches, and affordable rates. On a really hot or rainy day, it’s nice to come in and hit as many balls as you can in an hour. You really can’t beat that.
We’ve had some customers come in and tell us when they go to the range they have a limited number of balls they can hit, but here there is always another ball teed up for you. You don’t even have to bend down and grab it.
How has the GOLFZON Tour helped your business?
The GOLFZON tour has been awesome! When we heard about the grand prize of $300,000 we thought it was crazy! That’s a huge prize, especially when all you have to do is come in and have fun. Whether you’re a pro or not, everyone has the opportunity to come in and try out, a lot of people are really excited about it.
We had a couple of customers try and qualify right away. What’s cool about it is you can try out as many times as you want.
It’s great just having the opportunity to qualify. There are a lot of really talented, but unrecognized, golfers out there. It’s awesome being able to come in and show your talent.