Ripon will soon get indoor golf simulator. How is it different from Modesto’s Swing Center?
A weeklong hunting trip between a father, son and son-in-law may not have been successful in the way they initially hoped, but not seeing many animals did leave a lot of time to talk business ideas.
One of those ideas, to open an indoor golf simulator business, came to life just months after they returned from the trip and the “perfect place” became available in downtown Ripon, co-owner Kirk Williamson said.
“(The idea) was kind of born in the back of the truck,” he said.
The other owners are Williamson’s father-in-law, Ken Brown, and Brown’s son, Luke Brown. The Browns are Riponites and Williamson is from the town but lives in Utah.
Williamson still works in the area; he owns a Stanislaus County staffing business and has ownership in Primo Golf Apparel. All three are golfers by hobby.
The Fairway Club will be a 24-hour, membership-based golf club at 113 E. Main St., where weekend warriors and accomplished golfers alike can work on their swing. It’s on track to open in the fall.
The building does not have Main Street access — the entrance faces a parking lot shared with surrounding restaurants and offices. The site was ideal for the trio whose business model isn’t to pull customers off the street but is to be in a well-known area.
How does the Fairway Club work?
The Fairway Club will work on a locked-door system. Members will use an app to book a time to use one of the three bays for an hour.
Then they will get a code for the door and will log into the TV at the bay they’ve selected. The club will open with two bays and the third will be completed by the end of the year.
There will be two membership options: $300 per month for all access and $150 monthly for slightly limited access.
All-access members will be able to book prime-time spots, including after work and certain weekend hours. They also will be able to book more than one hour, though the time limit is yet to be determined.
Memberships can be canceled any time through the app, but Williamson and the Browns said they hope to provide an experience that people don’t want to leave.
The club uses Trackman iO technology to “record everything imaginable,” from club speed to attack angle to ball spin, Ken Brown said.
“(It uses) Doppler radar, and sonar and everything else — a little bit of pixie dust and magic — whatever it is,” he said.
The data then goes to a PC, which every bay will have, and to a high-lumen laser projector that will shine on a 14-by-9-foot screen in less than a second.
Members can access their video, statistics and everything else in their profile on the Trackman app. The app also allows for planning a course and the conditions and variables like tee type, wind strength, how firm the greens are and how fast the ball will travel on the greens (the putting area).
The trio envisions members coming in alone or with a coach to learn how to correct their swing. But if they want to go with a friend and just play a course, they can do that as well.
Members can bring a friend for free, and if you’re an all-access member, you can bring more than one.
“It’ll regulate itself,” Williamson said. “If you book it for an hour on the lower package and you bring a friend, you’re going to get less time (for yourself).”
Members can choose from 330 courses, including St. Andrews and Pebble Beach. An average of three new courses are added to the existing list per month.
The courses available are considered “dream destinations,” Brown said. “That’s what people want to play because they kind of figure you can go play (Ripon’s Jack Tone Golf) any time you want but you’re probably not going to get to some faraway, exotic course,” he said.
There’s also a feature where members can upload any professional player’s swing and do a side-by-side video analysis.
There will be a consistent supply of Titleist Pro V1 golf balls for members to use — the best in the game, Brown said. Members bring their own clubs.
How does The Fairway Club differ from, say, Swing Center in Modesto?
Different business models, Williamson said. And the trio hopes to have an informal partnership with the indoor golf course on Pelandale Avenue.
If people are looking for food, drink and a group atmosphere, The Fairway Club owners will suggest they go to Swing Center.
“And if they get someone who says, ‘”Man, I leave at 4 in the morning from Turlock and I commute to Livermore and I wish you were open,’ then we hope (Swing Center employees) would say, ‘You ought to talk to those guys at The Fairway Club,’” Brown said.
For more information and updates, visit their Instagram page.
This story was originally published August 21, 2024 at 8:19 AM.
.jpg)