How Golf #Franchise Hits 160+ Units Without Staff

Why It Matters

By removing staffing expenses and automating access, the franchise achieves ultra‑low overhead, enabling rapid, cost‑effective expansion that reshapes the economics of recreational franchising.

Key Takeaways

• Eliminating staff cuts costs, making rent primary expense.
• Developed proprietary software to automate member access and bookings.
• Integrated APIs link door systems with reservation platform for seamless entry.
• Automation reduces operator touchpoints, enabling 24/7 member support.
• Scalable tech model supports rapid expansion beyond 160 locations.

Summary

The video explains how a golf‑simulator franchise grew to over 160 locations by stripping out traditional staffing and relying on technology. By treating rent as the primary fixed cost and eliminating hourly wages, the business can operate profitably with minimal overhead. Key to this model is the development of custom software that automates member onboarding, booking, and door access. The founder hired a developer to build an API‑driven platform that links reservation data directly to electronic locks, allowing members to enter at any hour without human intervention. A early pain point highlighted was the manual distribution of entry codes, which required the operator to contact each new member. Once the API was in place, the system automatically generates and sends access credentials when a tee time is booked, delivering a seamless, 24/7 experience. The result is a highly scalable operation: low labor costs, consistent member experience, and the ability to replicate the model quickly across markets. This approach demonstrates how tech‑first strategies can disrupt traditional recreation businesses and accelerate franchise growth.

Original Description

Most businesses solve staffing problems by adding people. The Back Nine Golf solved it by removing the need for them entirely.

Brady Carlsen, Co-Founder and COO of The Back Nine Golf, built a 160-location indoor golf simulator franchise that runs 24/7 with no employees on site. The model works well today, but the early execution didn't.

In the beginning, when a new member signed up, Brady had to personally send a door code. Every signup. Every time. It was manual, repeatable, and fully dependent on his availability.

Instead of managing the bottleneck, he engineered past it. He built proprietary software that connects directly to the door system. Now, the moment a member books a tee time, access is granted automatically.

No follow up. No friction. No human required at 1 AM.

The business stopped scaling with his availability and started scaling with demand.

Where in your operation are you still the manual step between a customer and their outcome? That answer is often more valuable than another hire.

#RevOps #Operations #Automation #Franchising #Leadership