Three friends from Bloomington have formed a business partnership to bring a new golf simulator to Springfield.
Lee McFarland, Ryan Tarter and Sam Napolitano are new franchisees for X-Golf, a California-based company with more than 130 locations across the U.S.
McFarland said the trio all enjoy playing golf and have patronized the X-Golf in Bloomington, where they live. He said he and Tarter, who is his brother-in-law, have connections in Petersburg, while Napolitano played soccer at University of Illinois Springfield and has family in the area.
“Springfield is a nice community with a lot of opportunity,” McFarland said of their decision to bring X-Golf to the capital city.
Tarter is also the vice president of Tarter Construction Services and is serving as the general contractor for the renovation of the space at 3201 S. Veterans Parkway. The 9,000-square-foot suite in Southwest Plaza previously housed David’s Bridal.
“It will have eight simulator bays, which is larger than most,” McFarland said. “Our goal is to offer everything from casual play to professional golf lessons to league play.”
McFarland said he hopes that high school golf teams will utilize the facility during the wintertime. The facility will also host tournaments, private events and corporate functions.
He said renovations will include the addition of a full bar and kitchen, describing it as “an upscale setting.” McFarland said the facility will have around 15 local staff once it opens, in addition to the owners.
“All three of us will be very hands-on, and we’ve hired a manager who has experience with X-Golf,” McFarland said. “He will be moving to Springfield closer to when we open up.”
Renovations are currently underway, and the goal is to have the facility open by the end of January.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to bring X-Golf to Springfield,” McFarland said. “We look forward to serving the community and we hope that we bring joy to the golfers there.”