The Golf Lab tees off on Whitesburg
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Member Paul Rowe, right, offers insight Monday at The Golf Lab. Photo: Derek Lacey/Axios
Huntsville's newest lineup of golf simulators is up and running.
Why it matters: The Golf Lab is bringing an option for golfers that's weatherproof, faster and improvement-focused.
Catch up quick: Tucked in the corner of the Whitesburg Center at the corner with Airport Road, the Golf Lab opened its doors Sept. 12 but held an official ribbon cutting Monday.
Zoom in: It currently offers three bays bookable by the hour, with one more on the way, each capable of loading up 1,800-plus courses for play.
- Membership levels run from $20-$349 per month, each offering different levels of play and discounts.
- Non-members can book time, too, at $25 per hour.
What they're saying: "Huntsville is a great golf community," owner Jassen Garner told Axios Huntsville Monday.
- But, he said, there aren't that many courses locally.
- "We did a lot of market research," said Garner, who opened the business with his wife, Kerry. "We felt ... there were more golfers that golfed indoors than outdoors."
Context: The market is reflecting that, with X-Golf offering simulator play, and soon-to-open simulator clubs like The Goph Club, Back Nine and The Golffice, which announced two locations, including one directly across the street from The Golf Lab.
Case in point: Paul Rowe is a member at The Golf Lab and a member of a simulator league that plays there. He gets in about four rounds per week.
- The allure, he said, is that the simulator is open any time, and golfers don't have to deal with range times or weather, especially in the winter.
- The other bonus: Since you don't have to drive or walk from shot to shot, it takes about two hours to play 18 holes, as opposed to about four hours for a traditional round.
Yes, but: It offers some training but has an entertainment feel, too, where folks can bring food and drinks and catch the football game on TV while they play.
What's next: The Garners still have a 1,700-square-foot space in the back they plan to expand into, which will offer a to-be-determined but non-golf simulator experience.