Indoor Golf Continues to Grow - And There’s Room for Everyone

The market is on track to exceed $3 billion by 2030 but that growth won’t come from one type of venue, one type of golfer, or one type of business model. It will come from an ecosystem - franchises, independents, golf clubs, coaches, entertainment spaces, community hubs - all serving very different needs.

This is where independent venues have a huge opportunity.

The Growing Landscape: More Than One Way to Play

The MyGolfSpy article rightly shines a spotlight on franchise concepts. They offer consistency, accessibility, and strong branding - important factors for many golfers.

But golfers are not a single customer persona. Indoor golfers are incredibly diverse, and so are the experiences they look for. In our previous blog, we outlined several customer types and how to win them over. The same diversity appears on the venue side too.

Here are the major categories emerging globally:

1. Unmanned Practice-First Studios

For the golfer who wants peace, focus, and repetition. These venues thrive on convenience: key-code access, book-and-play simplicity, and a clean, quiet environment. They attract the serious practiser and the time-pressed golfer who wants efficient improvement.

They’re often profitable, low-overhead, and operationally simple - ideal for local entrepreneurs.

2. Pro-Led Coaching & Custom Fitting Studios

These venues go deeper: instruction, data, skills development, and high-touch service.

They attract the golfer who wants to get better fast.Their strength lies in expertise - PGA pros, club fitters, short-game specialists, and coaches who can turn technology into real improvement.

Independents with local credibility often win.

3. Golf Clubs Offering Year-Round Play

Traditional clubs are increasingly realising that indoor golf isn’t competition - it’s member retention.

Indoor facilities give clubs:

• a weather-proof way to keep members active
• a modern offer for younger demographics
• a faster alternative to a full 18 holes
• a way to stay relevant and competitive

This hybrid model blends tradition with technology, and we’ll see much more of it in the coming years.

4. Community-Driven Local Venues

This is where indoor golf becomes a social sport. These venues focus on:

• leagues
• events
• group play
• loyalty and membership
• recurring community engagement

For many new golfers, this becomes their golf club. And for operators, it’s one of the most powerful models because the community becomes the marketing engine.

5. Entertainment-First Sim Venues

Hire clubs, cocktails, food, friends.This isn’t “golf practice” - it’s “a night out”.

Think:

• corporate events
• birthday groups
• beginners
• mixed groups
• social golfers

This format is often the entry point for people who never previously considered golf. It’s also an area where chains tend to shine - but independents with strong local F&B credentials can absolutely own their niche.

The Core Message: There Is No “One Best” Indoor Golf Venue

The question "which indoor golf club is best?" is the wrong question.

The real question is: Best for who?

Indoor golf is not a single market. It is a collection of micro-markets:

• the practiser
• the improver
• the competitor
• the learner
• the social golfer
• the entertainment seeker

This is exactly why the industry has so much headroom. Chains will play an important role. They will grow awareness and introduce more people to the experience. But independent venues - with their authenticity, local relevance, personality, and flexibility - will continue to innovate, specialise, and win in different ways to franchises or chains.

A Global Market, Many Winning Models

As the industry moves toward that projected $3bn size by 2030, the growth will not be concentrated in a single segment. It will come from hundreds of operators finding their niche, owning their local market, and serving specific types of golfers better than anyone else.

At Alba, our mission is to support all of them - large and small, chain or independent - because the rising tide lifts everyone. And the more diverse the indoor golf ecosystem becomes, the stronger the category becomes as a whole.

Indoor golf isn’t replacing traditional golf. It’s expanding it.
And we’re still only at the beginning.