Golfzon Plans First U.S. Indoor Golf City Venue in Chicago

Golfzon has more than 6,500 commercial indoor golf simulator locations in South Korea, where the company holds about three-quarters of the market for off-course golf. Sean Pyun, the CEO of Golfzon in North America, said the current U.S. golf simulator market is similar to what South Korea experienced just over a decade ago.

Pyun joined Golfzon in 2024 after 16 years with the LPGA Tour, including six years as chief business officer in Asia. He said the company's U.S. business grew more than 90 percent in 2025. "In this competitive U.S. market, innovation is very fast," Pyun said.

" Early perceptions of indoor golf in South Korea viewed simulators as a "gimmicky video game," according to Pyun. Those views changed in the early 2010s. Indoor golf is now a mainstream entertainment option in South Korea, where twice as many rounds are played at Golfzon locations as at traditional outdoor golf courses.

Pyun said the entire South Korean golf market expanded after indoor golf gained popularity. Traditional golfer numbers grew, as did sales of equipment and apparel and revenues at physical golf facilities. He said the same pattern is beginning in the United States.

80 percent of Golfzon's current U.S. business is commercial, with the remaining 20 percent residential. The company initially focused on major metro areas such as New York and Chicago, where golf courses close in winter. It is now seeing strong adoption in Arizona, Las Vegas and Texas, where indoor play appeals during hot summer months.

Golf courses are increasingly taking notice. "You're seeing a lot more golf courses now realizing, 'Hey, wait a second, we shouldn't be too comfortable keeping our doors closed for four months without any revenue,'" Pyun said. He added that conversations with golf courses have increased from five two years ago to 50 to 100 today.