Three Months of Balanss Indoor Golf: Entrepreneurship Between Data and Drivers

Late October 2025, as I write this, is now three months ago that my adventure as the owner of Balanss Indoor Golf began. And honestly? I truly had no idea how this would turn out.

I’ve been an entrepreneur for over 25 years. For the past 12 years mainly as a personal trainer and owner of several fitness and yoga studios. So I thought: I’ve seen a thing or two. But indoor golf… that turned out to be a whole new game.

From fitness to fairway
Early 2025 I dove into the world of indoor golf. What struck me immediately: many golfers pay surprisingly little attention to their bodies. Flexibility, strength, mobility? Often secondary to “just playing and enjoying the game.” For me, the ideal match quickly became clear: expanding my existing gym with two indoor golf bays. Not just to add something new, but to help golfers truly move better, play better and recover better.

Entrepreneurs among entrepreneurs
During my research I spoke with many other indoor golf center owners. What stood out to me: most of them are, like me, entrepreneurs who see a gap in the market, but who are also asking the same question: “Will this become a financial success… or just a very fun hobby?”
Spoiler: after three months, I can cautiously say it’s looking good 😉

Three months in: expectations vs reality
Now, three months later, I look back on three successful months:

• My membership forecasts have come true

• Almost daily, the bays are booked by non-members

• Challenges, club nights and themed evenings have proven to be a real hit

And yes… summer is coming. Are we able to maintain the same level then? That will be a challenge. But challenges are there to be taken on, and the ideas are already lined up!

Golfers + data = love at second sight
What may have surprised me most are the reactions from golfers themselves. There are still plenty who walk in saying: “Indoor golf? Isn’t that a bit fake?” And then TrackMan enters the picture. After one or two sessions, you start hearing things like:

“Wait… did I really swing like that?”

“So this explains why my slice always comes back…”

And also: “I’ve never known this outside.”

So much data. So many insights. Carry, club path, smash factor. Golfers often become measurably addicted before they even realize it.

Teams, companies and ‘I’ve never played golf before
Group bookings have also turned out to be a big success:

• Ladies’ and men’s teams from nearby golf clubs

• Corporate outings

• Groups of friends

That last category is pure gold. Non-golfers walking in with “I’ve never even held a club” and an hour later they’re fully engaged in games, challenges and friendly bets. Golf as a low-threshold game suddenly becomes a lot of fun.

The future: all-in vitality
What I’m most excited about? The next step. Letting my gym and golf center work even more closely together and offering golfers in the region an all-in vitality package: fitness, yoga, golf and of course good hospitality to talk about that one perfect shot (or that dramatic miss).

Three months of Balanss Indoor Golf have taught me one thing above all: I didn’t exactly know what I was getting into, but I’m incredibly glad I did.

To be continued.

Marcel Nillesen

Balanss Indoor Golf, Rutten (Noordoostpolder)
www.balanssindoorgolf.nl