The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
TEEING UP A WINNER
Indoor golf leagues a success at SportsVille
SportsVille, 37500 Center Ridge Road in North Ridgeville, completely revamped its indoor golf simulator section in 2023.
Jumping from two simulators to five brand-new machines, the multi-sports facility started open leagues last winter for those looking to get swings in during the colder months.
The results have been exceptionally positive, according to SportsVille founder Mohamad Khatoun.
After spending nearly a full year getting the new golf simulation bays ready for the winter, Khatoun said he and the SportsVille staff were thrilled with the response.
“We have three different options we’re going to be doing,” he said. “The estimate is probably going to be over 100 (participants) per league.
“We’re going to probably do an open league (next year), and a Monday league and a Wednesday league.”
The winter leagues and simulation bay idea was the brainchild of Khatoun’s wife, Lisa.
As an engineer with a background in IT and computers, he was tasked with getting the technology up and running before leagues began last winter.
“It was an open league, where there were probably like 40 people that signed up,” Lisa Khatoun said.
Customers were allowed to play their round at any time during the week, rather than having to meet up at a set time.
All scores were saved in the database of the SportsVille simulators and shared between league members.
“It was a 10-week tournament, and at the end of the 10 weeks, when the playoffs happened, we did the playoffs outside on the Toptracer range,” Mohamad Khatoun said. “(This was) the first indoor league with the new indoor simulators.
“We also had other leagues that came and did their own (on our simulators).”
The new simulators gave SportsVille the option to stay open full time throughout the winter, rather than having to close the driving range, Mohamad Khatoun said.
The simulator leagues made up a good chunk of the revenue that the business lost from such a wet winter, he said.
“It ended up working great,” Mohamad Khatoun said. “Besides getting everybody going
in the winter, it got everybody going when the rain came.
“We actually had a waiting list.”
The future is bright for the indoor leagues at SportsVille, Mohamad Khatoun said.
Signups for this year’s winter leagues already are through the roof, he said, with months to go until those leagues actually start.
“It was very successful,” Mohamad Khatoun said. “We expect at least about 100 people for the next (indoor) league, and it’s going to be more than one league.
“We started late this year. (It was) December by the time we got the indoor golf going.”
Those looking to sign up for leagues at SportsVille, or to bring their league, business or other events to the center, can visit www.sportsvilleohio.com or email info@sportsvilleohio.com.