The latest golf simulator business under construction in Richland is owned by a golf professional who’s part of the PGA program and has worked at golf courses around the Tri-Cities.

It’s the first business venture for Kyle Davis, who began golfing in his early 20s and has worked to make a career out of the sport ever since.

“Golf is a big passion of mine, and I want to see what the community has to say about it,” he said.

He’s hoping to get Smooth Swings open at 110 Gage Blvd., Suite 203, as soon as possible because he knows once the weather starts to cool, golfers retreat indoors.

Davis is investing $480,000 in building improvements at the strip mall across from Bonefish Grill, not counting the cost of four Trackman golf simulators.

His shop will have a small bar top offering beer and wine, plus food options, with the venue inclusive and open to all ages.

“You can come in and not even own your own set of clubs,” Davis said. “We’ll have rental clubs; we’ll have everything you need to come enjoy yourself for an hour or two. We’re just entertainment. Hopefully, you love golf. Hopefully you love food or sports or something that would draw you in here. Maybe you are excited to try Trackman or get on a golf simulator.”

Davis hopes to also schedule club fittings and use the site to offer personal lessons as part of his growth in the PGA program.

The 33-year-old never played the sport while at Kamiakin High School, only completing a single season with the Washington Junior Golf Association in middle school before getting serious about the game a decade ago.

“I started where everyone does, shooting 90, 80, and then just got better and better and started shooting 70 with my friends and competing in tournaments, and thought, ‘Why not make a career of this?’” Davis said.

Fast forward to today and Davis has had stints teaching lessons at Columbia Point Golf Course, Meadow Springs Country Club and Sun Willows Golf Course. He’s looking to bring that experience to his new business.

Close to course

“The winters here get long, and there isn’t much else to do. Plus, the location is good right near the golf course,” he said.

Meadow Springs is a half mile away from Smooth Swings and recently built its own Golf Learning Center with a simulator, though it’s open to members only. Davis doesn’t see that as direct competition.

“I think there’s a pretty big market here if you think of the whole area as a draw,” he said. “I think this is a different market and Meadow Springs doesn’t rely on people driving by. They have a big clientele. There might even be some overlap because I have a good relationship with many members there.”

Growing popularity

Though downtown Kennewick lost a large golf simulator space with the closure of the X-Golf franchise, Davis said, overall, indoor golf is growing in popularity.

The statistics back that up, as the National Golf Foundation, or NGF, reported about 33 million people played off-course golf, which includes businesses with simulators, golf entertainment venues, standalone driving ranges and screen golf setups.

Numbers from the NGF cite a 17% increase year-over-year for off-course golf participation from 2022-23.

There is crossover, with players choosing both options, especially for the customers Davis is hoping to capture: Golf enthusiasts looking to maintain their skills in the off-season and also those new to the game who might feel intimidated by stepping onto a golf course for the first time, not knowing the rules and etiquette.

“It’s going to be welcoming,” Davis said. “A lot of people try golf for the first time in facilities just like this versus country clubs or golf courses where there’s a little bit more of an intimidation factor. You’ve got to dress the part or look the part. You’ve got to fit in or know what you’re doing. Here, it’s a lot more relaxed and there’s not a dress code. There’s not all the pressures. You can still learn how to golf very well or get some cool information and meet people, but it’s a very different environment.”

Professional players Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have teamed up for a new indoor golf league that’s set to debut in January, adding to the popularity and interest of golf simulators. Beside the controlled climate, simulators give players the chance to play 18 holes in about an hour by cutting down on the need to walk or drive between swings.

Smooth Swings joins a handful of other businesses around town with public golf simulators, including Divots in Richland and D-BAT in Kennewick. Davis’ venue will be only the second in town to offer the Trackman software, which is used by 90 of the world’s top 100 golfers, according to Trackman, including Justin Thomas and Nelly Korda.

Smooth Swings is under construction at110 Gage Blvd., Suite 203, in Richland with plans to open as soon as possible because once the weather starts to cool, golfers retreat indoors.  

| Photo by Robin Wojtanik

Part of Davis’ strategy for success is to operate a modest sized facility with four simulators in 2,700-square-feet, versus six or seven sims, when each bay costs tens of thousands to outfit. Smooth Swings is expecting to be on par with the national average, charging $50 per hour for use of a single simulator.

“It really kicks in when you have a group of three or four because you pay the same flat rate for a group, too.” said Davis. “You spend three hours, that’s $150 split between you. It would also be the same if you came in and did it by yourself, but that’s also you hitting shot after shot after shot.”

League play

The group-oriented popularity lends itself to private parties, corporate events and possibly the chance for local leagues.

“There’s nationwide indoor golf leagues, and Trackman is one of the biggest on the technology side of things and has their own league, so you can play in weekly leagues with other Trackman facilities around the nation with big purses, and we can also do local leagues with maybe a 10-week run based on demand,” Davis said.

Booking a bay will be available online up to a week in advance. Smooth Swings also may look to offer a punch card option with a discount for buying multiple hours, but there won’t be an option for memberships so that they can ensure the opportunity to play will be available when people want to stop in.

Construction on the shop began in mid-summer by MacRoberts Handyman as the general contractor on the project. Davis expects to hire two to three people, preferably with both golf knowledge and customer service experience. Down the road, he may add a virtual reality “putt view,” but wants to keep the model simple overall.

“I don’t think this is going to last forever,” he said. “It’s a technology thing; it’ll get replaced eventually. It’s becoming more affordable to where you can have these in your homes, but it hasn’t fully gotten there yet, and there’s still a market for it.”

The shop plans to be open seven days a week to start, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Smooth Swings: 110 Gage Blvd., Suite 203, Richland; smoothswings.com; 509-572-2044.