24/7 Golf Sim Boom: The Unmanned Facility Revolution
The 24/7 unmanned golf simulator facility is the fastest-growing segment in the indoor golf industry. What started as a pandemic-era experiment — a few key-coded bays in suburban strip malls — has become a structural shift in how golfers access simulators outside their homes.
Back Nine Golf is opening 20 locations a month. Another Nine has 50+ locations in development. The model works because it solves the two biggest problems with traditional indoor golf venues: hours and cost.
What Is a 24/7 Unmanned Golf Simulator Facility?
A 24/7 unmanned golf simulator facility is an indoor golf venue that operates around the clock with no staff on site. Members or guests book bays through a mobile app, receive a digital door code, and access the facility at any hour. Private simulator bays equipped with TrackMan or Full Swing simulators provide the same experience as a staffed venue — but at half the price and with unlimited time flexibility.
The model is simple: lower overhead (no staff, no food and beverage) means lower prices and longer hours. A typical 24/7 bay rents for $35-50/hour compared to $50-80/hour at staffed venues. For the full business model breakdown, see our 24/7 golf sim facilities guide.
The Market Numbers
The indoor golf venue market has grown from approximately 1,800 locations in 2022 to 3,849 in July 2026, according to GolfSim.co’s inaugural industry report. About 80% are independent operators, but the fastest-growing segment is franchise-backed 24/7 concepts.
Back Nine Golf leads the pack with the most aggressive expansion:
- 20 new locations per month as of mid-2026
- Total investment per location: $276,000 to $603,000
- Average annual revenue per location: ~$192,000
- Average monthly revenue per bay: ~$16,238
Another Nine, the next largest 24/7 operator, is in a similar growth phase with locations ranging from $310,000 to $824,000 in total investment. For a detailed comparison of all major franchise models, see our golf simulator franchise comparison and franchise cost guide.
Why the 24/7 Model Works
Three factors are driving the 24/7 boom:
1. No Staff Overhead
Labor is the single largest expense for any traditional indoor golf venue. Eliminating it cuts operating costs by 40-60%. The cost savings flow directly to the customer in lower hourly rates and to the operator in healthier margins.
2. Unlimited Operating Hours
A staffed venue is open 14-16 hours a day maximum. A 24/7 facility generates revenue 24 hours a day. The 2 AM shift worker, the 5 AM early riser, the night-owl golfer — these are all paying customers that a staffed venue cannot serve.
3. Lower Capital Requirements
A 24/7 facility costs $276,000-$824,000 to open, compared to $1.7 million to $4.3 million for a full-service concept like Five Iron Golf. The lower capital barrier means more operators can enter the market, which drives competition and further innovation.
Technology Behind the Boom
The 24/7 model depends on three technology layers:
Access control: Proprietary platforms like A9OS (Another Nine) handle member management, digital door codes, and bay scheduling entirely through a mobile app.
Simulator hardware: Most 24/7 facilities use TrackMan 4 or Full Swing KIT launch monitors. These systems are reliable enough for unattended operation and provide the accuracy that serious golfers expect.
Remote monitoring: Cameras, environmental sensors, and automated cleaning systems let a single operator manage multiple locations remotely.
What This Means for Home Sim Buyers
The 24/7 facility boom is good news for home golf simulator buyers for three reasons:
- Try before you buy: You can test different launch monitors and sim software at a local 24/7 venue before building your own setup. See our best launch monitors 2026 guide for comparison shopping once you know what you want.
- Practice between rounds: If your home sim is in the garage and it’s 20 degrees outside, a heated 24/7 bay is your backup plan.
- Community access: Not everyone has space for a home sim. 24/7 facilities make sim golf accessible to apartment dwellers, renters, and anyone without a spare room.
The Future: Saturation or Expansion?
At 20 locations per month, Back Nine will reach 500+ locations by 2028. The question is whether demand can keep pace with supply.
The Golf Sim Arena analysis suggests the US market can support 8,000-10,000 indoor golf venues before saturation. At the current growth rate, that ceiling is 3-5 years away. For operators considering entry, the window is narrowing.
The long-term winners will likely be operators who combine the 24/7 unmanned model with occasional staffed events — the best of both worlds. For more on the future of indoor golf, see our 24/7 golf sim facilities what-they-mean analysis and 24/7 facility trend deep dive.
Key Takeaways
- The 24/7 unmanned model is the fastest-growing segment in indoor golf
- Back Nine Golf opens 20 locations per month at $276K-$603K per location
- No staff overhead means lower prices ($35-50/hr vs $50-80/hr at staffed venues)
- 3,849 indoor golf venues exist in the US as of July 2026, with room for 8,000-10,000
- Technology (access control, sim hardware, remote monitoring) makes the model possible
- Home sim buyers benefit from try-before-you-buy access at local 24/7 facilities