Sharing Your Home Golf Simulator Without Turning It Into a Second Job
TL;DR
Neighborhood National isn’t a chain, a franchise, or “Airbnb for simulators.”
We help people turn private golf simulators into small, neighborhood-first clubs — without high overhead, without it becoming a second job, and without losing the fun.
It works when it starts in the right place, stays small, and puts the neighborhood first.
Here’s how we’ve made that work across 10+ clubs and 350+ members.
Finding the Neighborhood
“If you like the idea of sharing your space and building community, it’s a no-brainer. NN helps with everything, and the members they attract will surprise you in the best ways.”
That’s Garrick. He built a club in his backyard in Winston-Salem. And he’d be glad to talk to you if you’re curious… just like all our Club Pros.
Most didn’t start out trying to “start a business.”
They had a simulator… or were thinking about getting one.
If you’re reading this, you can probably relate.
Beyond that, they liked the idea of sharing it some.
And a decent chance they liked the idea of meeting a few folks nearby too.
Somewhere in there, they came across us… and the neighborhood that we’re building.
They didn’t react to a business… although we are one… and each of our clubs legitimately are as well. It was the idea that there might be a simple way to turn a private home golf simulator into an actual club, even if small… without it turning into a whole second job.
And they were right.
We’re not building a chain.
We’re not franchising locations.
We’re not chasing an opportunity.
We’re starting small residential golf simulator clubs in real spaces for the people who live around them.
We’re not a fit for everyone, and we won’t work just anywhere. But where we work, we’ve shown we can work well. A bit here on more specifically how it is we actually work… and how we’ve made it work based on close to 3 years of learning and experience across 10+ clubs and 350+ members so far.
Why Most NN Club Pros Start in the Right Place
We only work when the interest starts in the right place.
Most of our Club Pros didn’t come in focused on making money.
They came in because the idea sounded fun.
Sharing the space sounded fun.
Meeting a few people nearby sounded fun too.
The money mattered.
It just wasn’t the main thing that mattered to them.
When it starts that way, everything tends to line up.
And we’ve found that the money usually lines up as well.
How We Make Sharing Your Golf Simulator Easy
Nothing individually is particularly hard.
But when it all adds up, it can be hard to do well.
What simulator makes sense?
How do you set up the LLC?
How do you get the right insurance in place?
How do you find members?
Vet them. Onboard them. Answer questions once they start booking.
Then you need to manage booking… and dues.
Preferably with the ability to do one, dependent on the other.
Games are fun.
But there’s planning.
Then communicating.
Then communicating again.
Sign-ups. Payments. Scheduling. Scores. Leaderboards.
And the inevitable cat-herding in between.
All of this is what we do.
You bring the space.
We bring the support.
And the recipe that makes it all work.
The Three-Legged Stool, the Space, and the Simulator
Everything we do sits on three legs.
The Pro Shop.
Club Pros.
Members.
All three matter.
And all three only really work when the neighborhood comes first.
The space doesn’t have to be fancy.
It just has to work.
Rough minimum around 15 feet by 15 feet by 9 feet.
Clean. Safe. Functional.
Garages.
Sheds.
Warehouses or light commercial space.
A lot can work… as long as the overhead stays low.
With the simulator, accuracy, consistency, and ease of use are what we use to define high-end.
More clearly defined by a minimum of three cameras for ground-based monitors, or anything overhead.
We’re admittedly conservative here for a reason.
Why Our Membership Model Works
Free intros are a requirement.
When something’s new, different, and sounds a little too good to be true… people have to experience it themselves to believe it.
We charge a $50 initiation and use it for a background check.
Less about mitigating risk… more about setting the tone and foundation for expectations to come.
It’s honestly our virtual “no assholes allowed” sign.
Unlimited use.
Unlimited guests.
No booking restrictions.
Sounds crazy.
But across those 350+ members we mentioned, we’ve literally had zero issues with availability or booking abuse.
What really makes it work is the self-policing culture that forms when everyone puts the neighborhood ahead of themselves.
That culture doesn’t come from policies or penalties.
It comes from just two simple rules:
Treat the club like it’s yours.
And don’t be an asshole.
Every member agrees to a pledge in kind.
We don’t just end up with people who don’t want to mess it up.
We end up with a club that members want to support… because they know the stool only stands when they do.
Why Traditional Commercial Real Estate Breaks the Model
We only work with non-traditional, no-cost or very low-cost real estate.
Garages.
Sheds.
Warehouses.
Light commercial spaces with minimal overhead.
The moment a traditional retail lease shows up, the recipe’s going to flop.
High fixed costs force volume.
Volume forces transactions.
Transactions then change everything.
You can absolutely give that a go. Most everyone out there is.
It’s just not how this works… and not what’s going to work for us.
At the End of the Day, It’s Still a Business
Neighborhood first.
Profits follow.
Club Pros aren’t doing this for charity.
And while our own path to profitability is a ways off by design, we’ve got no intention of being a non-profit either.
Clubs bring in real monthly income.
Buildout and operating costs are real business expenses.
For what it’s worth…
Your internet probably is now.
Your cable subscription can be too.
New demo clubs.
Training aids.
Golf balls you’re obviously going to need.
Plenty of what you already spend on golf, you’re now spending on your business out back — your spouse will be very impressed.
All legitimate business expenses.
All easily doable from a backyard, where we’re typically targeting you clearing around $1K a month with things working well.
Backyard math is pretty simple.
We’re usually targeting 20 members in around 4–5 months, at $65–$75 per month per member.
Some get there faster.
Some slower.
It depends on which boxes get checked.
Commercial-lite spaces can look a little different, but the core recipe is always the same.
Garrick filled in under two months.
A great neighborhood.
A great space.
A great Club Pro — with the right intent.
I just cut him a check for $1,045.92…
and he’s got three other great neighbors also waiting in line.
Want to Learn More?
If you’d like to learn more, we’d love to connect:
- Become a member at a nearby club
Get Started → - Join when a club opens near you
Let Us Know → - Start your own club
Reach Out → - Not sure yet? Let’s talk
Contact Us →
❤️🏘️⛳️
