Turnkey Golf Simulator Installation: A Smart Investment

TL;DR

When considering a custom golf simulator installation, particularly for affluent homeowners, club managers, or business owners, a critical decision arises: engage a turnkey provider or manage multiple vendors independently? The discussion highlights that while some may attempt to coordinate various trades like GCs, framers, and drywallers themselves, this often leads to significant challenges and unexpected overlaps in scope. A turnkey golf simulator contractor, by contrast, assumes the complex role of project management, coordinating specialized golf simulator installers, and handling the ‘cat herding’ of multiple subcontractors. This approach significantly reduces the burden on the owner, allowing them to focus on key decisions, design input, and ultimately, the successful launch or enjoyment of their golf simulator space. While individual components like turf and screens remain consistent, custom branding, upgraded finishes, and integrated lounge areas require specialized expertise that a turnkey solution inherently provides, ensuring a superior fit, finish, and overall experience without the headaches of self-management.

Turnkey vs. Multi-Vendor: The Project Management Dilemma

Cliff: Yeah. Just everything Cody said. Right? There’s a reason why we have, project managers, project coordinators on staff because there are a lot of moving parts to deal with. And so it really just becomes the question of, is that something you want to add onto your plate as the owner versus just focusing on how am I going to start and establish and grow this business, or you do you also wanna you do handle the, for lack of better term, the cat herding as it would be of, working on multi vendors and subs?

Cliff: So, it’s to each their own, but, that’s one of the major things that if you’re working with a turnkey provider in this space, you should be expecting that they’re gonna take the large majority of that off your plate, and you’re really just there for key decisions and maybe some design input and those types of things and then obviously being able to start your business, once the installation’s complete.

Stephen: Yeah. And I think it’s important to kinda contextualize and correct me if I’m wrong here, guys, but, know, I know, Cody, you said you have a good amount of experience even previously as a GC.

That you went into so many, whether it’s homeowners or DIYers or whatever, that essentially try and do that themselves and almost we even talked about this in the last conversation, end up hiring a GC in the long run because it is so much cat herding, so much, even with something that’s maybe more specialty and not necessarily a full home build or something like that.

Stephen: Like, it’s, I’ve seen it from other clients. I’m sure you guys have from the others, and Cliff mentioned it last time, but sometimes you end up even just hiring that out in the long run, and you would have just saved the headache, if I’m if I’m not mistaken. Right?

Tyler: Absolutely. It costs you more money in the long run and more headache. It, it’s there’s a there’s a phrase buy once, cry once. It’s you spend the money now and get it over with. And once you’re once you’re past that, you’re you’re grateful that you went that route.

The Hidden Costs of Self-Managing Your Golf Simulator Build

Stephen: Yep. Oh, yeah. I’m gonna use that. Alright. Well, we really only have one last question here for today with these. And, and that is what factors affect the final cost of a commercial golf simulator design build project?

Tyler: Technology is a huge one. There’s there’s individual components to the golf sim that pretty much stay the same for the most part, turf, hitting mat, screen, or ceiling and wall protection, that can vary a little bit if you wanna upgrade to, a leather or suede. But technology is a huge cost swinging factor. And then, like we talked about beyond the scope of just the simulators, that’s that’s a huge cost swing. What are we doing? Are we doing a merch counter? Are we doing, a check-in place? Are we doing additional TVs and millwork throughout? ? Are we doing a bar? There’s there’s so many other things that go into it. But I would say factors that you can control on the golfs inside are just what’s tech you go with.

Beyond the Bay: Customization and Integrated Luxury

Cliff: Yeah., Cody’s alluding to this, but it’s it’s also just the overall fit and finish. Right? Like, how elevated do you want that even within the simulator bay, that space to look? So we talk about things like doing acoustic panels, wood slap wood slap panels are very popular these days. But, if you want more custom branding inside of your bays and logos and sign walls and all those types of things., as you might expect, right, that’s that’s additional materials and labor and other considerations and also just experience to do those installations well that will factor in.

Cliff: But, as part of the investment, right, it creates something that’s more unique than you may get of just doing something like, more standard or, the next, commercial simulator business next to you.

That overall fit and finish along with the technology and then, as Cody mentioned, just additional things outside of the simulator, simulator bay, walk hours, lounges, merchandise counters. Those are all just key factors that can add into the overall investment.

Stephen: Well, guys, that is the end of our questions for today, but, I think these have been really, really helpful for anyone who’s looking to get into the space. Thank you guys so much for the time. If there’s if there’s anything else you wanna add as a as a final thought, then please do. But, otherwise, I got everything that I needed.

Cliff: Alright. No. That was great.

Stephen: Awesome. Alright. Sweet. Thanks, guys.

Cliff: Appreciate it, Steven.

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