Indoor Golf’s Big Leap: From Korean Trend to U. S. Boom

Golfzon now runs more than 6, 500 indoor golf simulator sites across South Korea, owning a large share of the country’s off‑course market. Years ago, many Koreans saw simulators as just a fancy video game, but that view has flipped. Today the company reports twice as many rounds inside its centers than on traditional courses, showing how popular indoor golf has become. In the United States, Golfzon’s CEO Sean Pyun says the market feels like South Korea did a decade ago—full of fresh chances. He notes that U. S. growth outpaced expectations, with a 90 % rise last year alone. “Competition moves fast here, faster than in Korea, ” he says, and sees this speed as a benefit for the whole sport. Pyun’s background includes 16 years with the LPGA Tour, where he helped secure Golfzon as a corporate sponsor. During that time he heard equipment makers worry that indoor golf might hurt the traditional game: would players buy clubs, visit real courses, or lose balls? Yet since the early 2000s, South Korean golfers and related businesses have all grown, proving indoor play can boost overall interest. In the U. S. , many still view simulators as a backup for bad weather or late evenings, but that is shifting. Pyun predicts more people—especially those who never held a club—will try indoor golf because it’s convenient and close to home. He expects this trend could double or triple the U. S. golf market over the next decade, mirroring Korea’s earlier transformation.The company moved its global team to America this year and now focuses on expanding commercial venues, lessons, fittings, and even home setups. While major cities like New York and Chicago were initial targets, places with harsh summers such as Arizona and Texas are also seeing high demand. Golf courses that once stayed closed for months now worry about losing members to indoor centers, prompting more conversations between course owners and Golfzon. Golfzon recently teamed with Pebble Beach to install simulators at Spanish Bay, turning a daytime practice area into an evening entertainment spot. Their flagship project, Golfzon City, showcases 18 full‑hole simulators in a venue the size of a large Walmart. Players move from screen to synthetic green, completing each hole before heading to the next bay. The first U. S. location will open in Chicago, with plans for Nashville and other cities. Two versions already operate in China, drawing huge crowds. Pyun stresses that real courses can’t be replaced; they remain essential for the sport’s heritage. However, he believes indoor formats will introduce many new players who eventually seek out real greens—from local courses to world‑famous resorts. The National Golf Foundation reports a 154 % jump in simulator participation since 2019, with over 9. 2 million Americans using them in 2025, more than half of whom have never played on a real course. Indoor golf is set to keep feeding fresh talent into the game, expanding opportunities for everyone involved. Pyun is confident that this trend will sustain growth and bring new business to the broader golf industry.