Are you thinking about starting your own golf simulator business? Take a look at how Ryan Snyder, owner of Dunes Golf & Bar in Jenison, Michigan, turned his initial idea — installing a simulator in his barn — into something much bigger.
Located in the Grand Rapids area stands Dunes Golf & Bar, a vibrant indoor golf facility blending sophistication and fun powered by GOLFZON’s golf simulators. From first-timers to seasoned players, the store is a golf haven in the area for all skill levels.
Watch the customer spotlight interview with Ryan on YouTube here, and check out the full interview below. Responses have been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
Tell us about yourself and how Dunes Golf & Bar began.
My name’s Ryan Snyder, and I’m the owner here at Dunes Golf & Bar. We opened in January, so we are still pretty new. It has been an absolute riot getting this place off the ground and seeing the community come out and support it. Seeing the number of regulars grow has been awesome. It’s been a lot of fun.
The idea of Dunes Golf & Bar began because I wanted to install a sim at my house. I have a barn with a bunch of empty space, so I started looking into golf simulators. While researching the best golf simulators, I went way too far down the rabbit hole and ended up opening this place.
What features stand out about Dunes Golf & Bar?
We have a full-service bar. We don’t offer food, so people are welcome to bring in their own food. The full bar gives us the ability to host events. All groups can come in from birthday parties to corporate events, or anything else you can think of that gets a group of friends and people together.
We went with GOLFZON simulators because we wanted the absolute, top-of-the-line simulator on the market today. GOLFZON simulators capture all the data the seasoned golfers are looking for and features like the moving swing plate keep it entertaining for the people who are looking to just have fun.
The biggest thing that we focused on from the onset was our staff. Everyone on the staff is a golfer – they know the game. They’re also people-people, so they want to get to know our customers. We don’t want an employee who is just sitting, getting them checked in, logging on to the sim for them, and then who walk away. We want our staff to be a part of a guest’s experience. It goes a long way and we truly enjoy getting to know everybody who walks in here. For Dunes Golf & Bar, customer service is what we’re built on and we will never stray away from that.
What kind of customers visit Dunes Golf & Bar?
Here in Jenison, Michigan we have all kinds. Some people have never swung a club before and some are diehard golfers. What we enjoy about it is that every single person who comes in, whether they’re experienced golfers or not, leaves here having a great experience and wanting to come back.
Walking onto a golf course can sometimes feel intimidating and our goal from the start has been to be the complete opposite. We want to make everybody feel like they’re here to have a great time, regardless of if they shoot well or not. Every single member of our staff strives to make people feel welcome and make sure they have a great time.
What parts of the store are customers impressed with?
When you walk in, the facility is very spacious and open. We went as high-end as we could with all of our furnishings to give a country club feel, but as soon as people get on the sim, it blows their mind. The moment that the swing plate moves for the first time, everybody has the same reaction. It’s a real wow moment. Nobody has ever seen anything like it before and it goes a long way in people’s minds. The swing plate changes the indoor golf experience for our customers. You’re not hitting a turf shot over and over for 18 holes. You’re going out there and seeing the lie change, getting to hit off of different bunkers, sand traps, and rough strips. It keeps the game fresh, so it doesn’t feel repetitive.
What advice do you have for future indoor golf business owners?
You need to be sure you know what market you’re going into. I was born and raised here, so I know what is important to people here. You need to know what your customers are like and how best to service them. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters. You can have the coolest concept in the world, and you get the top-of-the-line GOLFZON simulators, but it doesn’t guarantee that people are going to have a great time. You have to put yourselves out there and connect with your guests, be a part of their lives while they’re at your facility. The biggest thing is putting people first – they are the ones who keep the doors open. Life is way more fun when you have those regulars who come back and you get to talk and joke about the things you spoke about just a few weeks ago. Get to know your customers on a personal level. That is the main differentiator for us.
Considering starting an indoor golf business? Whether you’re crafting a golf simulator business plan, exploring commercial golf simulator prices, or researching the most profitable way to run a virtual golf business, Snyder’s story is a real-world example of how passion and the right technology can create success.
Take a look at the full interview here.