Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Garrison
Hi Shawn, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Scramblers Golf, originally Sticks Golf Range, came to fruition in 2021 because I wanted to have 24/7 access to a golf simulator but had insufficient space at home. After some discussions with my business partner and wife, I put four golf simulators in a small space looked for a few other like-minded golf junkies to join the club.
However, it soon became apparent that there was a demand for access to not only 24/7 golf simulators but also an affordable private club in the Charleston, SC area. Membership quickly grew by word of mouth and was capped out in the first 7 months. After some revamping of our business model, upgrades to our simulators, and bringing on great partners and staff, we felt like we had a business that truly serves golfers in the area.
Today, Scramblers membership is full of individuals who love the game of golf and the community feel offered by the club. Scramblers is working on expanding its locations first within South Carolina and then throughout the Southeast to bring access, community, and game improvement for all those who love the game of golf.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has been far from easy. We have made plenty of mistakes along the way. One example is that we scheduled the Grand Opening of our second location before we were ready. The freshly installed sims had not been tested and our booking software wasn’t working properly. We managed to make it though and had a successful launch but learned lots of lessons. I don’t think that part goes away. We continue to learn from every location we open and from all of our members. I think our willingness to learn, to be nimble and make changes as necessary, and find ways to better communicate with our members will allow us to continue to grow into the absolute best experience for golfer’s in our space. Our Scramblers’ members have become like family.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Scramblers Golf Club?
Scramblers, originally known at Sticks, was the first Private Indoor Golf Club in Charleston. We have a focus on Access, Community, and Game Improvement.
Access. For us this means two things: affordability & availability. While Scramblers Golf Clubs are private, it is very affordable and joining the club is very easy. Members have 24/7 access to our the clubs. We also cap the number of members to ensure that tee times are readily available for members.
Community. Members can compete regularly in tournaments. Often these tournaments are open to members and their guests. We also have Scramblers league nights where members get to meet and golf with each other.
Game Improvement. Lastly, Scramblers is about improving your golf game. Members have access to golf clinics and lessons. When practicing, golfers get detailed data about every swing and each bay is outfitted with replay cameras for instant feedback.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I think some of our success can be attributed to understanding what our members really want out of their experience, the ability to be nimble and innovative, and a focus on cost savings. For example, some others in indoor golf, want to have bigger lounge areas for members in between shots. We found that this ‘extra’ lounge space didn’t provide any actual value to the customer. As such, our clubs can be smaller and we can have a more affordable membership price point. We are constantly evaluation each area of our business and communicating with our members to make sure we are providing the service that they actually want.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://scramblersgolf.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scramblersgolfclub/
