Sean Michaels, local franchise owner of Back Nine Golf, explains what his future indoor golf simulator business in the central part of Lake Havasu City will look like when it’s projected to open to the public in mid-March. Greg Moberly
LAKE HAVASU CITY – A new alternative for golf enthusiasts who may be pressed for time or need to escape the scorching desert heat is taking shape in the center of Lake Havasu City.
Back Nine Golf, an indoor golf simulator business that would allow patrons to perfect their game and feel like they’re on the links at premier golf course, is targeting a mid-March grand opening in the former Payless ShoeSource location. But a lot of work remains as a brief, early February tour revealed a shell of what’s expected.
Sean Michaels, owner of Feelin’ Good Fitness mere storefronts away from the prospective Back Nine Golf, is the local franchise owner for the brand that is rapidly expanding both nationally and internationally.
Unbearable summertime heat, crowded courses with winter visitors during the cooler months and the time crunch of daily lives all can get in the way of getting in a full 18 holes.
“That’s the battle around here,” Michaels said.
For himself, Michaels said, getting away to play a round of 18 holes for four hours isn’t in the cards with young children – a five-year-old and a two-year-old – at home.
When Back Nine Golf is up and running, he may be able to complete a full 18 holes in an hour and a half with family and friends nearby.
Patrons will typically bring their own clubs and can hit balls in one of the separate bays with large scale video imaging inside the 2,700 square foot business like they are out on a course. They will get back detailed analytics from multiple sensors including spin rate of the ball, how far it was hit, speed and where the clubface hit the ball.
“The idea is to become a better golfer,” Michaels said.
He said he anticipates being able to help Lake Havasu High School golfers and league players perfect their game.
The high school golfers, like many others during the hot summer months, typically are unable to hit the links to practice their skills. “They’ll get the data to really improve (at Back Nine Golf,” Michaels said.
“This is putting kids in a position to fall in love with sports,” Michaels said. That’s something he has focused on throughout his professional career in Havasu which previously included helping athletes as a physical therapy assistant.
Michaels likes the idea that this is a way to give back and support the community he has called home since 1998.
“We’ll have community events and fundraisers,” Michaels said of what he expected at the business.
It will be a family-friendly business with a high-end vibe, he said, as he described plans for slat walls and TVs available to also keep young ones who might not yet be enthralled by golf occupied. Members will be able to access the gym 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The store front set to house the new business at 1850 N. McCulloch Blvd. B1 has been vacant for years. For more information, visit thebackninegolf.com/lake-havasu-city-az/.
Greg Moberly
