24/7 Golf Sim Facility Guide: Build an Unmanned Venue for 5K
What is a 24/7 golf simulator facility and how much does it cost to build one? A 24/7 golf simulator facility is an unstaffed, automated indoor golf venue that operates around the clock. Customers book bays through an app, receive a digital door code, and access the facility without human interaction. A four-bay facility costs $85,000 to $200,000 to build — roughly 40-60% less than a traditional staffed sim bar because the model eliminates most of the hospitality buildout. The technology stack requires automated access control (smart locks, app-based entry), cloud-based booking software with payment integration, and camera coverage for liability and security. The economics work because the marginal cost of keeping the door unlocked from 10 PM to 8 AM is near zero, and late-night demand is price-insensitive. Operators report $100 to $200 per night in pure incremental revenue from off-peak hours.
A guy I know in Cincinnati opened a 24/7 sim facility last year. Four bays, TrackMan units, a smart lock on the door, and a booking app that handles everything. He goes in once a week to clean the place and check the cameras. The rest of the time, the business runs itself.
Three years ago, this model did not exist. Now there are chains building 75-plus locations on this exact premise. The 24/7 golf sim model solves the two things that kill sim businesses — labor cost and limited hours — by eliminating both. It does not work for every market or every operator. But for the ones it works for, the unit economics are better than anything in the staffed model.
The Model
A 24/7 facility has no front desk, no bartender, no set hours. Customers book a bay through an app or website, pay online, receive a time-limited door code, and let themselves in. The bay is theirs for the duration. When the session ends, they leave and the door locks behind them.
The model comes in two flavors.
Private suite model. Individual rooms with one bay each. Customers have the space to themselves. This is what Another Nine, Golf Envy, and Scratx operate. The privacy premium lets you charge $50 to $80 per hour in markets where a shared bay at a staffed facility goes for $40 to $60.
Open bay model. Multiple bays in a shared space with automated lighting and climate control. Lower buildout cost per bay but lower revenue per square foot because customers share the space. Less common in the 24/7 space because the privacy advantage is a core part of the value proposition.
The private suite model is winning. Customers pay a premium for the guarantee that they will not be paired with strangers or listen to someone else’s music. The solo golfer practicing at 11 PM does not want a social experience. They want to hit balls in peace.
What It Costs to Build
The 24/7 model is cheaper to build than a traditional sim facility because it eliminates the hospitality buildout. No bar, no kitchen, no dining area, no host stand, no POS system for food. The buildout is entirely about the sim bays, the access control, and the monitoring.
A four-bay 24/7 facility breaks down like this:
| Component | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Simulator equipment (4 bays) | $60,000-$120,000 | TrackMan iO, Uneekor, or Full Swing |
| Impact screens and enclosures (4x) | $12,000-$24,000 | Commercial-grade, Kevlar-reinforced seams |
| Commercial hitting mats (4x) | $3,000-$8,000 | Replace every 12-18 months |
| Projectors (4x) | $4,000-$12,000 | 3,000+ lumens for ambient light |
| Commercial PCs (4x) | $4,000-$8,000 | |
| Smart lock and access control | $1,000-$3,000 | App-integrated, time-limited codes |
| Security cameras | $2,000-$5,000 | Cloud-connected, 30-day retention |
| Booking software (annual) | $2,000-$6,000 | Birrdi, VTee, or custom integration |
| Electrical and HVAC | $5,000-$15,000 | Supplemental HVAC for projector heat |
| Flooring, walls, acoustic treatment | $8,000-$20,000 | Sound isolation between bays |
| Signage and branding | $2,000-$5,000 | |
| Tenant improvements | $10,000-$30,000 | Paint, lighting, ceiling remediation |
| Total | $111,000-$246,000 |
A lean operator building in an existing retail space with decent ceilings can do it for $85,000 to $120,000. A premium build with Golfzon TwoVision suites and high-end finishes runs $200,000 to $250,000. Either way, the buildout cost is 40 to 60 percent less than a staffed sim bar with the same number of bays.
The working capital requirement is also lower. You do not need a payroll float for bartenders and front desk staff. You do not need a food inventory. The monthly operating costs are rent, utilities, booking software, cleaning, and equipment maintenance. A four-bay facility can run on $4,000 to $8,000 per month in operating expenses.
The Technology Stack
The 24/7 model depends on three things working together reliably. If any of them fails, the model breaks.
Access control. The door lock integrates with the booking system. When a customer books and pays, the system generates a time-limited code valid for their session window. The code expires when the session ends. The lock logs every entry and exit. The most common systems are built on smart lock platforms like August, Yale, or Schlage, integrated through a booking platform’s API. Some operators use dedicated access control systems from companies like Brivo or Kisi, which offer more granular permissions and audit trails.
Booking software. The booking platform handles discovery, availability, payment, confirmation, and code generation in a single flow. If the platform cannot generate a door code automatically, it does not work for this model. Birrdi, VTee, and Golf O’Clock all support this integration. The key feature is real-time inventory management — when a bay is booked, it disappears from availability immediately. Double-booking kills the customer experience in an unstaffed facility because there is no one at the front desk to resolve it.
Camera coverage. Every bay, every hallway, every entry point. Cloud-connected cameras with 30-day retention. The cameras serve three purposes: liability protection (a customer claims they slipped), security (someone stays past their session), and remote monitoring (the operator can check in from their phone). The cost has dropped to where a 4-8 camera system with cloud storage runs $2,000 to $5,000 installed.
The operators who succeed in this model test the technology stack under real conditions before they open. They book a session themselves at 3 AM. They check that the door code works, the lights turn on, the sim boots up, the projector fires, and the camera recorded the whole thing. The ones who skip this step discover the broken piece at 3 AM when a paying customer is locked out.
The Revenue Math
The 24/7 model generates revenue from three distinct periods.
Peak hours (5 PM to 10 PM, weekends). Standard sim facility pricing. $50 to $70 per hour. This is the same revenue a staffed facility would earn. The operator simply has no labor cost during these hours.
Off-peak daytime (8 AM to 5 PM, weekdays). Lower demand, lower pricing. $30 to $45 per hour. The audience is remote workers, retirees, and people with flexible schedules. Utilization is typically 10 to 20 percent during these hours.
Late-night premium (10 PM to 8 AM). The 24/7 model’s unique revenue advantage. The golfer who wants to play at 11 PM has no other options. Pricing runs $50 to $80 per hour — often higher than peak evening rates because the demand is inelastic. Utilization is 5 to 15 percent during these hours, but the revenue is pure margin because the facility would be empty and dark otherwise.
A single bay at $55 per hour blended rate with 20 percent utilization (1,752 hours per year) generates $96,360 in annual revenue. At a 15 percent utilization rate, it generates $72,270. Multiply by four bays and the facility generates $289,000 to $385,000 in annual bay revenue.
The operating expenses for a four-bay 24/7 facility run $48,000 to $96,000 per year. The operator margin at 20 percent utilization is $193,000 to $241,000 annually before rent.
Rent is the variable that sinks the math. A 24/7 facility needs 1,500 to 2,500 square feet. At $20 per square foot in a secondary market, that is $30,000 to $50,000 per year. At $40 per square foot in a primary market, the rent alone is $60,000 to $100,000. The model works in markets where the rent is at or below $25 per square foot. Above that, the revenue per square foot does not support the overhead.
The Operators Doing It Right
Another Nine is the biggest player in the space. Based in Cincinnati, they have sold 75-plus franchise territories in their first year of franchising. The model is private suites with TrackMan, no membership required, book by the hour. Their first franchise location opened in Cornelius, North Carolina in June 2026. The franchise fee is $49,500 with a total investment of $334,000 to $824,000 per location. The royalty is 7 percent with a 1 percent marketing fee.
Golf Envy is California-based with a premium positioning. They use GOLFZON systems including the moving floor plates. The model is 24-hour membership access with no food and beverage and minimal staffing. They are expanding to the UK. The entire buildout is optimized for the unstaffed model.
Scratx in Miami operates on Brickell Key with app-based access and time-of-day pricing. Peak hours are weekdays 5 to 11 PM and weekends 10 AM to 11 PM. Late-night is premium because there is no competition. The pricing model is tuned to behavior — the most expensive slots are the ones no other facility serves.
Tempo Golf in Mississauga, Ontario opened in March 2026 as a fully unattended venue with four bays, two VIP rooms, auto tee-up system, and intelligent putting platform. Self-service around the clock.
The Limitations
The 24/7 model has real constraints. It works in dense suburban markets with high disposable income and limited late-night entertainment options. It does not work in markets where the rent is above $25 per square foot. It does not work in markets where the demand for late-night golf is unproven.
The model requires a certain level of customer self-selection. The people who book a 24/7 facility at 11 PM are serious enough about golf to seek it out. They know how to operate a simulator. If your customer base needs hand-holding, the unstaffed model fails.
The technology stack will break. Smart locks fail. Booking platforms have outages. Cameras go offline. The operator needs to be able to diagnose and fix these issues remotely, or have a maintenance contract that covers them. The operators who treat the technology as a set-it-and-forget-it system are the ones who get locked out of their own facility at midnight with a customer on the phone.
The saturation question is real. Another Nine has sold 75 territories. If every territory builds a 4-bay facility, that is 300 bays of 24/7 capacity coming online. The demand for late-night golf is finite. At some point, the marginal 24/7 facility in a market with five others will discover that the 2 AM golfer pool is actually 12 people, not 50.
Who Should Build This
The 24/7 model is for operators who want a lower-cost entry point into the sim business, who are comfortable with technology, and who do not want to manage a hospitality staff. The 24/7 model is for operators who want a business that generates revenue while they sleep.
The 24/7 facility is also a complementary asset to a staffed facility. Several operators run a staffed location during the day and convert to unassisted access after hours. The same sim bays that hosted league play at 7 PM are available for solo practice at 11 PM. The model extends the revenue window without extending the labor window.
The 24/7 model works best in markets where the total addressable audience is 50,000 to 200,000 people with at least 10 percent golf participation. Below that, the utilization math does not support the investment. Above that, the market can support multiple facilities and the first mover advantage matters.
For a detailed comparison of the 24/7 model against the traditional sim bar, see the Golf Sim Lounge vs Sports Bar Simulators analysis. For the full breakdown of what it costs to open any sim facility, see the Startup Costs by Bay Count. For the franchise option comparison, see the Franchise Fee Comparison.