Local golfers who want to play the game without worrying about weather, simulate sites around the world and practice without the pressures of an outdoor course have a new option in Chardon.
Located in a shopping plaza at 425 Water St., Unit 305, the Back Nine features four bays with large screens where visitors can play or practice on simulated golf courses. When not virtually hitting the links, they can also eat, drink, watch TV and socialize.
Franchise owner Tim Freeman said that there are two 18-foot bays up front and two 14-foot bays toward the back. Each bay includes a playing area where visitors can hit a ball toward a large display.
He said that those displays simulate 18-hole games on more than 60 courses. That selection includes the Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, which hosted the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year.
“As that tournament was unfolding, our members had access to play the same course, but ours is on a simulator, theirs is live,” Freeman said.
The facility includes a couple of dining tables and other seating areas near the bays. The Back Nine does not sell food or drinks, but he said that visitors can bring their own.
Freeman described how the environment is different from an outdoor course.
“You have this for as long as you want to be here,” he said. “You don’t have a bunch of people behind you saying, ‘Hurry up.’ So there’s no pressure. You don’t have to worry about how you look. And more importantly, you can take your time if you want to.”
Chardon Back Nine franchise owner Tim Freeman poses next to a wall with the company’s logo on Feb. 3. (Bryson Durst — The News-Herald)
John Evans plays golf in a simulator bay at the Back Nine indoor golf center in Chardon on Feb. 3. (Bryson Durst — The News-Herald)
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Chardon Back Nine franchise owner Tim Freeman poses next to a wall with the company’s logo on Feb. 3. (Bryson Durst — The News-Herald)
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Freeman added that the Back Nine also provides a temperature-controlled environment without rain, snow or excessive heat. Golfers can also warm up at the center for an hour or two before heading out to an outdoor course.
“More importantly, I have found a lot of people under 50 don’t have the time, four hours, to play 18 holes,” he said. “In here, you can play 18 holes in an hour. Young people are gravitating to this a lot more than I had anticipated. That’s why we’re doing better than I expected.”
Freeman added that the majority of his customers are under 50 years old, which he did not initially expect.
He described the Back Nine as a 24/7 operation. Members can book tee times around the clock and will receive a specialized code to enter. Nonmembers can book during public tee times, which appear to run from about 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the company’s website.
Nonmembers have to be out by 9 p.m. because of insurance regulations, Freeman added. Members can stay as long as they want.
As of early February, renting a bay at the Chardon Back Nine costs $55 an hour for a group of up to three nonmembers, while it costs $80 per hour for a group of up to four nonmembers.
Chairs line what franchise owner Tim Freeman described as work or overflow seating near the two front bays at the Back Nine indoor golf center in Chardon on Feb. 3. (Bryson Durst — The News-Herald)
Chairs, a table and a TV are set up near the entrance to the Back Nine indoor golf center in Chardon on Feb. 3. (Bryson Durst — The News-Herald)
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Chairs line what franchise owner Tim Freeman described as work or overflow seating near the two front bays at the Back Nine indoor golf center in Chardon on Feb. 3. (Bryson Durst — The News-Herald)
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Multiple monthly membership tiers are available and can be found on the Back Nine’s website. Freeman recommends membership to “hardcore golfers” who will use the center for more than three hours a month.
He said that he will accept up to 150 paid members. After that, people interested in becoming members will have to join a waiting list.
“Members are signing up almost to the tune of one new member a day,” Freeman said.
Potential members can book a one-hour session, which includes 55 minutes of golf and a five-minute membership discussion with him.
Freeman said that he began working on plans for the Chardon Back Nine in October 2023. He saw a Facebook post about opening a franchise. Being about two years away from retirement, he wanted to find something to do.
He was drawn by the fact that he would not need to hire employees. He would also be able to participate in the entertainment business without creating or staffing a food and beverage program.
Freeman said that the facility is locally owned and operated. He also turned to local suppliers for the design work.
He added that he built the facility with “high-end fixtures.” He also designed it to be rented potentially as an event space.
Freeman plans to add more to the site’s dining area in the future. Otherwise, he plans to maintain the Chardon site, keep it in good shape and add members.
“Am I considering another opportunity with the Back Nine? Yes,” he said. “I don’t know where yet, to what degree, but I will do this again. I’d love to have three of them.”
More information is available at thebackninegolf.com/chardonoh. Freeman said that people can bring their own clubs or use the center’s complimentary clubs.