Troon, the world’s largest golf management company, is getting into the golf-entertainment game by partnering with Golfzon to open and operate three new ZSTRICT facilities throughout New York in 2022.

Troon will manage all aspects of the forthcoming ZSTRICT venues, from pre-opening work and project management to guest service, golf instruction, and food and beverage operations. The new facilities are tentatively scheduled to open in fall of 2022, and other company-owned stores are planned for major markets throughout the U.S.

“We’ve been thinking for a long time about how we get into this type of space – the off-traditional-golf-course space – in a meaningful way and this provides the perfect avenue,” said Troon President and CEO Tim Schantz. “The goal is to accelerate the growth of the company-owned stores in a meaningful way, prove that business model, and really expand from there, ultimately franchising to other people who are interested in what we’ve created and shown works.”  

Golfzon is a leader in the golf simulator space, with 65 million rounds played worldwide on its products in 2020. More than 6,000 commercial facilities use Golfzon simulators outside the U.S., including 4,500 franchised locations in South Korea, which is about a quarter of the size of California.

“I don’t think we can have that many facilities in the U.S. in five or 10 years, but we would love to expand fast,” said Tommy Lim, CEO of Golfzon North America.

Golfzon opened its first ZSTRICT in 2019 at Chelsea Piers in Stamford, Connecticut, a popular venue that features 10 of the company’s Vision Premium simulator bays along with a full bar and food and beverage options that include a seasonally-updated menu.

Research from the National Golf Foundation indicates that 24.3 million people played off-course forms of golf in the U.S. in 2020, from simulators and golf entertainment venues to traditional driving ranges. That number has steadily grown in recent years, in large part because of the proliferation of golf entertainment venues — from Topgolf and Drive Shack to independently-owned locations — and the overall participant pool is almost equal to the 24.8 million Americans who play traditional, on-course golf. The NGF has said it’s very likely that the number of off-course golfers could surpass on-course players this year, and just over half of all off-course golfers also play on course.

There are currently about 35 commercial locations in the U.S. that use Golfzon technology in their bays. As part of the joint venture with Troon, the new ZSTRICT venues will incorporate the company’s latest technology and have the ability to network between locations, creating a more community-oriented environment.

While the typical Golfzon location in South Korea is about 9,000 square feet and features 8-10 simulators, the footprint will likely be bigger in the U.S., with 10 to 20 simulators and a more robust food and beverage service than is found overseas. The venues would also be scaled based on the size of a particular market or space.

Like at its golf courses, Troon will employ PGA professionals at ZSTRICT to provide guests with swing lessons, club fittings and other instruction and game improvement.

Golfzon’s simulator bays include multiple playing surfaces – fairway, rough and bunker – that provide realistic turf interaction, and hydraulic swing plates to match the contours and lies a player would face on an actual course. Guests can play or compete on more than 90 courses, including layouts like Pebble Beach, Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course and St Andrews, and shots are tracked seamlessly via four ceiling-mounted sensors.

ZSTRICT also offers multiple ways to win cash prizes, with a daily purse for players who make an eagle, albatross or hole-in-one, and long-term tournaments that are flighted by a player’s ability. The existing Connecticut location has paid out more than $65,000 in cash prizes since opening just under two years ago.

NGF research has shown off-course forms of golf, notably golf entertainment and simulators, not only helps introduce non-golfers to the sport, they increase the likelihood that current golfers will play more traditional golf as well.

“We want to collectively take advantage of a new normal in golf,” said Troon’s Schantz. “We feel like we have a strong position in traditional golf and golf management. We’re a hospitality-based company oriented around golf that’s opening the door into something that’s really a part of what we do, but haven’t done to date. It’s very exciting.”