A profitable indoor golf business depends on more than simulator rentals. Divot Golf Factory demonstrates how commercial golf facilities can increase revenue through lessons, leagues, food and beverage sales, events, dynamic pricing and a premium simulator experience powered by GOLFZON.
Meet Divot Golf Factory: Building an Indoor Golf Community
How do you pack a bunch of fun and build a community? All you need to do is look at Tim Kruse and Divot Golf Factory in Brownsburg, Indiana, just outside of Indianapolis.
Kruse moved to Indiana from Ohio in 2008 and started a family. He and his wife would play in occasional outdoor golf leagues in the Indianapolis area, which has over 100 golf courses around the state’s capital. As his passion for golf grew, he needed to satisfy his itch during the cold off-season in the Midwest.
Looking at what was around his community, Kruse learned that Brownsburg could use an entertainment venue where golf can be played in the off-season.
Brownsburg really needed an indoor golf simulator place because they were starting to pop up. We found a spot and did some reach on different manufacturers and we had actually played on GOLFZON and we just kept coming back to the software, the touch screen, everything about it. It was perfect and everybody loves it.
Everyone loves it so much that since he opened Divot Golf Factory in September of 2023, the place has been “packing a bunch of fun” with repeat customers only increasing.
When people come in here and they have a good time and tell me how great it was and how much of a blast they had and they’ll be back, that makes me happy. Happy to see people enjoying and giving me that feedback and repeat customers coming back time after time after time.
Kruse also knew he made the right decision when he heard much feedback from his friends and network.
“You beat me to it.”
Building Multiple Revenue Streams Beyond Hourly Simulator Rentals
Divot Golf Factory houses three GOLFZON TwoVision systems, with Kruse looking to upgrade them to TwoVisionNX soon. Situated at just 20 minutes from the airport, the place has six beers on tap with more than 24 different varieties of cans. There’s an extensive food menu – items you can find on a golf course.
Divot Golf Factory proves that a profitable golf simulator business can earn more than just hourly bay rentals. By designing the space around real golf simulator use cases — solo practice, coached improvement and social group play — the venue creates multiple ways for guests to book time, spend longer and return. That includes structured lessons and swing feedback, leagues and friend-group sessions and event-style gatherings that turn the bays into a year-round entertainment option. In a competitive market, this mix helps keep utilization steady, strengthens the local community and makes the indoor golf experience feel like more than a one-off simulator visit.
- Food and drinks: With beers on tap and a full menu, guests can turn a quick session into a longer hangout.
- Lessons and coaching: On-site instructors and recorded swing feedback create an upsell beyond “just playing.”
- Group bookings and events: Leagues, friend groups and watch parties help drive booking volume during busy times.
- Repeat visits: When customers come back for practice, lessons and social time, it supports steady demand for indoor golf year-round.
That mix matters because it smooths out slower hours and makes the business more resilient when weather or season changes.
Smart Pricing Strategies That Increase Golf Simulator Revenue
Pricing hours can make a big difference in how well an indoor golf business fills its schedule. A smart approach is to use different hourly rates depending on demand.
- Peak pricing (higher demand): Weekends, evenings and holidays often bring the most foot traffic. Charging a bit more during these times helps maximize revenue when the bays are most in demand.
- Off-peak pricing (lower demand): Mornings and weekdays can be slower. Offering better value during off-peak hours encourages more booking and helps keep utilization steady.
- Simple packages: Bundles like “play + lesson” or “group session + food” can reduce decision fatigue and increase average spend.
For a simulator venue, the goal is to keep the experience fun while also matching pricing to real customer behavior — so the bays stay active across the full week.
Creating a Golf Entertainment Destination That Keeps Customers Coming Back
It’s a fun hangout — some people even call it the ‘golfing cheers.’ Guests come in, grab a beer, watch sports and then jump into the simulator for a quick round or practice session. We’re not a huge commercial venue, but we’re built to pack a lot of energy into every visit. That’s what makes our indoor golf experience feel like more than just a simulator — it turns into a local gathering spot where people keep coming back
With the GOLFZON systems, customers can take lessons as well. Zac Treash is one of the instructors on site. Treash was also one of the top individual players on the GOLFZON Tour.
Why Divot Golf Factory Chose GOLFZON Over Other Golf Simulators
“Having the slow-motion camera over the club head and being able to record the swing on top of that, it only takes me five or 10 balls to figure out a cause of why the ball is going a certain way, for instance,” he said.
Having that evidence takes away the doubt that player has coming from a pro who’s telling them that it feels weird. It really accelerates the process of learning. With the GOLFZON Global App, I can also see some videos when they’re out of session with me.
Kruse echoed that sentiment — and for him, the choice came down to more than brand recognition. In the golf simulator market, the best commercial golf simulator options are the ones that are easy for guests to use, simple for staff to manage and reliable enough to support daily play, practice and group bookings.
That’s where GOLFZON stood out for Divot Golf Factory. While Trackman is widely known for advanced ball-tracking (often associated with radar-style performance), GOLFZON’s TwoVision system delivers an all-in-one, guest-friendly experience that’s quick to learn and fast to run. With clear, instant feedback from the first swing, players stay engaged and staff spend less time troubleshooting setup or coordinating multiple components.
For a busy indoor golf venue, that translates into fewer “setup headaches,” a smoother customer experience, and a golf simulator experience that feels purpose-built for everyday use — helping the business operate efficiently while keeping customers coming back.
“What stood out was you’ve got two different cameras at the top and on the side,” he said.
With the moving floor and touchscreen kiosk, everything came together and other simulators, you have to piece them all together. Projector and desktop and everything came as one package and it was a no-brainer with the technology that was offered. Everything from the instant feedback and how realistic the simulator was, it was a no-brainer to go with GOLFZON over everybody else on the market
Understanding Commercial Golf Simulator Costs
Of course, before a venue can build those revenue streams, owners have to plan for the commercial investment. While exact quotes vary by package, bay setup and software options, here are the cost questions most operators ask when comparing a golf simulator for a business.
- Trackman iO commercial price range: Many buyers budget in the mid-to-high five figures per bay for a Trackman iO commercial setup, depending on the full package and installation.
- GOLFZON TwoVisionNX commercial price range: For GOLFZON TwoVisionNX systems, commercial pricing is often positioned as a strong value option in the market, with many operators planning a similar mid-to-high five-figure range per bay when bundled with the full simulator experience. More affordable options like the TwoVisionNX Standard systems are also available.
- Typical commercial costs per bay for top simulators: Across the golf simulator market, top-tier commercial bays commonly land in the mid-to-high five figures once you include the simulator hardware, software and the essentials needed for a smooth guest experience.
- Full Swing Pro Series for corporate events and luxury venues: Full Swing Pro Series is often chosen by higher-end operators because it can support premium experiences — think corporate golf days, hospitality suites, and luxury event programming — where the budget can justify a more “event-ready” setup.
For decision-makers, the key is to compare not just the sticker price, but what each commercial simulator package includes — setup, software features and the day-to-day experience that drives repeat visits.
How to Make an Indoor Golf Simulator Business Profitable
Once you understand the commercial cost per bay, the next question is how to make it profitable. The best operators treat pricing and utilization like part of the product — because a simulator venue wins when the bays stay active and guests keep coming back.
- Match pricing to demand: As Divot Golf Factory shows, using different hourly rates for peak and off-peak hours helps smooth utilization across the week.
- Bundle to raise average spend: “Play + lesson,” group sessions and food-and-drink add-ons can increase revenue without adding complexity for staff.
- Turn feedback into retention: When guests get clear, instant results from the simulator, they’re more likely to return for practice and coaching — supporting steady booking volume.
- Plan for upgrades: Many venues start with a proven system (like GOLFZON TwoVision or TwoVisionNX Standard) and then plan upgrades such as TwoVisionNX when demand and budget allow.
In a competitive market, the goal isn’t just buying the best golf simulator — it’s building a repeatable revenue model around it, so the investment keeps paying off.
Hosting Events and Leagues That Build Community
Using the technology, Divot Golf Factory immediately jumped on participating at their first chance to host the GOLFZON Tour. GOLFZON Tour Season 2’s first Round Robin match was livestreamed. Although the team lost to eventual champion Tee Times from Detroit, the place was packed, supporting on their families and friends – just the type of atmosphere that Kruse wanted to initially create.
Planning for Long-Term Growth
A graphic designer as well, Kruse designed Divot Golf Factor’s logo, menus and all the artwork in the facility. Make sure to check out his touch when you’re in the Indianapolis area and you can see the influence of Happy Gilmore and Caddyshack and more.
I wanted it to be more golf bar than country club. I wanted there to be generational connection through movies and pop culture. And I think for the most part, everybody really enjoys that because you can come in, you can be laid back, you can holler at good shots, watch your language on bad shots.
My goal is to just continue to service the people and make sure they have a good time. And as we start to grow and maybe even outgrow the space we have here, we can start looking for other opportunities in town or surrounding.
Indoor Golf Business KPIs Every Owner Should Track
When operators talk about making an indoor golf simulator business profitable, one of the first questions investors ask is: what kind of EBITDA margins are realistic? While results vary by location, pricing, and how many bays are running consistently, many successful simulator venues target margins that can support healthy cash flow after operating costs. The biggest drivers are usually revenue per bay (from play time, lessons and food-and-drink) and how tightly the business controls fixed expenses like rent, staffing and software subscriptions.
Utilization is another KPI that strongly influences whether an indoor golf facility can reach its revenue and margin targets. In practical terms, utilization measures how many of the total available bay-hours are actually booked and producing revenue. While exact numbers vary by location, pricing, and staffing, many profitable simulator operators aim for a utilization rate in the ballpark of 60%–75% on an annual basis — then push higher during peak periods (evenings, weekends and holidays) to offset slower weekday demand. The closer you are to that range, the more reliably you can cover fixed costs like rent and labor, protect cash flow and keep the business on a steady path to profitable performance.