Community invited to try out new golfing experience

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. —  SWM Indoor Golf, the area’s first indoor golf center boasts 2,700 square feet of golf simulators located at 600 Langley Avenue in St. Joseph, Michigan. The establishment hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony last week.

The premiere indoor golf center will officially open their doors to the public following the opening ceremony. Golfers of all levels will be able to participate in a series of free challenges for prizes including closest-to-pin, long drive, putting, and bunker shot.

Local entrepreneurs, Richard Askren and Michael Alexander, both from Coloma, Michigan, and avid golfers and gamers developed the idea several years ago; wanting to create a facility where the local golf community could play their game all year long.

“Golf is such a popular sport, and with so many great courses in our area, we wanted to develop a space where golfers of all skill levels could hone their game throughout the year, and not have to risk losing momentum due to our sometimes long and cold winters,” said Askren. “SWM Indoor Golf will feature four state-of-the-art golf simulators where golfers of all ages can play a round of golf or work on their swing on the virtual driving range,” added Askren.

Askren and Alexander took their idea to the Women’s Business Center at Cornerstone Alliance and worked with the team to launch their start-up.

“We could not have done this without the Women’s Business Center,” Alexander said. “We knew that our idea was a good one, but weren’t completely certain on how to implement the logistics to make it happen; they were such a great resource, and this experience would have been much more difficult without their expertise and guidance,” said Askren.

Plans for leagues and lessons are in the works, along with renting a portable golf simulator to use off site.   Rates can be found on their website at www.smindoorgolf.com. Golfers are now able to reserve time on the simulators to play a round of virtual golf or practice their swing.

“It’s always great to work with innovative entrepreneurs who have a passion,” said Margaret Adams, Women’s Business Center Manager at Cornerstone Alliance. “Michael and Richard knew what they wanted to do, and were very diligent in making certain they had everything needed to launch this premiere business. All businesses start with an idea; we simply offer the resources and expertise to turn these ideas into a viable and successful business.”

To learn more about SWM Indoor Golf, visit their website at www.smindoorgolf.com or their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SWMIndoorGolf. Hours of operation will be Sunday through Thursday, 9 am to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

About the Cornerstone

Alliance Small Business Services

Cornerstone Alliance Small Business Services (CASBS) provides technical, business, and financial assistance to small businesses with emphasis on income disadvantaged and women owned businesses. The Women’s Business Center at Cornerstone Alliance and Microloan Program are funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

About Cornerstone Alliance

Cornerstone Alliance is a non-profit, investor-governed, economic development organization primarily focused on increasing employment opportunities, private sector capital investments and the local tax base in Michigan’s Great Southwest; with specialized business services offered in economically distressed areas.