America’s Best Franchises (ABF) Brand Insight —
Indoor golf concepts cluster at two extremes: bare simulator rooms that struggle with retention, and entertainment complexes carrying kitchens, big staffs, and heavy buildouts. Swing Bays deliberately occupies the middle — a membership club with country-club community and instruction, minus the food operation. The structural detail that stands out: PGA pros and TPI trainers work as contractors who pay the franchisee a percentage of lesson fees, turning the usual labor cost into a revenue line.
At a Glance
- Liquid Capital Required: $300,000 — (readily available cash or cash-equivalent assets — not from borrowing, selling a primary residence, or relying on future income)
- Ownership Model: Owner-Operator
- Location Type: Retail facility, approximately 4,200–4,900 square feet
- Time Commitment: Full-time
- Experience Required: None — golf background not required; business or team-building experience helpful
About Swing Bays
Swing Bays was founded in 2022 by PGA professional Dustin Miller and Brenna Miller, and began franchising in 2024. Dustin — a three-time Golf Digest Best Teacher honoree and 2025 Colorado PGA Teacher of the Year with more than 20 years in the golf industry — built the concept around a simple observation: golfers at every level want to improve while belonging to a community.
Each location combines TrackMan-equipped simulators, full-swing and short-game practice areas, PGA instruction, TPI-certified fitness, club fitting and repair, apparel, and member events. Memberships range from $35 to $595 monthly, and locations run on small teams with no kitchen or food-service overhead.
Why Own a Swing Bays Franchise?
- Membership-based recurring revenue, with engagement programming built to keep members visiting weekly and renewing monthly.
- Multiple revenue streams from one visit — lessons, club services, equipment, apparel, junior programs, and corporate events.
- Instructors are contractors who pay you a percentage of lesson fees rather than drawing wages.
- No kitchen means no cooks, servers, hoods, perishables, or health-department complexity in the buildout or operation.
- Lean staffing — locations run with one to three employees, even on the busiest days.
Why This Opportunity, Why Now
ABF Market Analysis —
Demand for golf keeps rising while access tightens: tee times are harder to book, rounds cost more, and weather limits outdoor play across most of the country. Indoor golf solves all three, and the $227 billion golf economy gives the category deep spending power. Within it, Swing Bays targets the underserved center — golfers who want real improvement and community, not just an hour in a simulator bay or a night of eatertainment.
ABF Timing Insight —
Swing Bays only began franchising in 2024, so this is the system’s first expansion wave and prime territories remain open — and the franchisor publishes affiliate-location performance in its FDD, giving candidates real numbers to evaluate rather than projections. The conversion-friendly buildout (4,200–4,900 square feet of existing retail space, no kitchen infrastructure) shortens the path from signing to selling memberships, a meaningful advantage while the category’s growth window is wide open.
Training & Support
- Site selection support including introductions to top-tier real estate brokers, plus guidance through buildout and construction.
- Training systems covering operations, membership sales, and the golf knowledge gaps a non-golfer owner may have.
- A proprietary point-of-sale system runs check-ins, memberships, retail, and services from one central bar area.
- Marketing, branding, and pre-opening through grand-opening support to launch with momentum.
- Ongoing operational support from the Swing Bays leadership team and the franchisee network, including best practices for recruiting PGA and TPI professionals.
Franchise Owners That Thrive
- Relationship builders active in their local business community.
- Owners with business, sales, or team-leadership backgrounds.
- Operators who enjoy a membership club atmosphere.
- People committed to following a proven system.
- Golf enthusiasm helps — golf expertise is not required.
Who Is Not A Good Fit
- Buyers seeking a passive investment rather than hands-on ownership.
- Those wanting a food-and-entertainment venue with a full bar and kitchen.
- Owners uncomfortable with membership sales and community building.
- Operators inclined to modify systems rather than follow proven methods.
- Buyers expecting quick or guaranteed returns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much does a Swing Bays franchise cost?
A: The franchise fee is $40,000, with estimated startup costs of $246,000–$999,000 depending on site and buildout, and $300,000 in liquid capital required. The ongoing royalty is 6%.
Q: Does Swing Bays publish financial performance?
A: Yes. The franchisor discloses affiliate-owned facility results, including gross revenues of $1,013,728 with adjusted unit-level EBITDA of $161,221 for fiscal year July 2024–June 2025, and $830,887 in gross revenues with $199,049 adjusted EBITDA (23.95%) for the nine months ending September 30, 2025. These figures reflect an affiliate-owned location, not franchisee results — review Item 19 of the FDD for full context and definitions.
Q: Do I need a golf background to operate a Swing Bays?
A: No. The Swing Bays team fills in golf-education gaps. Your main job is building relationships in the local community, so business or team-building experience matters more than your handicap.
Q: How does the staffing model work?
A: Locations run with one to three employees handling check-ins, beverages, retail, and club repairs from a central bar area. PGA pros and TPI trainers operate as contractors who pay a percentage of their lesson fees to use your space.
Q: Is it hard to find PGA or TPI-certified professionals?
A: It varies by market, but thousands of PGA professionals and TPI-certified trainers are looking for indoor teaching space. The executive team — which includes both — shares its playbook for recruiting the right professionals in your market.
Next Steps
If you are drawn to a membership-driven indoor golf club with recurring revenue, a contractor model that turns instruction into income instead of payroll, a kitchen-free buildout, and a founder with two decades of award-winning teaching credentials, Swing Bays is worth a direct conversation. Complete the form below to request a qualification review and discuss territory availability for Swing Bays.
This profile represents general franchise information. Individual results may vary. Refer to the Franchise Disclosure Document for complete details.