Back when Michael Williamson was running three different technology companies in the Atlanta area, golf was a luxury he struggled to find time for. Did he ever see it as a potential business opportunity? “Not at all,” Williamson admits.
Then he met fellow tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist David Cummings. The result is Intown Golf Club, a high-end indoor sport and social experience they compare to New York City’s exclusive Links Club or a golfer’s version of Soho House New York. The flagship location has thrived in Atlanta, and there’s also one in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The latest Intown outpost is set to open in Radnor, Pennsylvania, sometime this fall. It will offer 10 Trackman simulator bays, along with a great room, a pro shop, merchandise, member tournaments, lessons, locker rooms, a steam room, and a full bar and restaurant with a menu conceived by Federico Castellucci III, one of the top restaurateurs in the South. “The trend of private clubs is growing for a few reasons,” Williamson notes. “One is that COVID created an environment where more people are now working from home—either partially or completely. Another reason is that traditional restaurants are packed. At our club, you can get a predictable experience. Our staff knows what members like and can execute a high-end experience for them.”
Intown’s first two locations are in more urban settings. But since Radnor is close to several outdoor clubs and a critical mass of golfers, it was an obvious choice. A simulated golf experience isn’t the same as being on the course, and Intown acknowledges that. Even so, its bays allow members to play at 150 different courses from around the world—and in much less time than it takes to complete a full round. “You can spend 45 minutes to an hour to get your golf fix,” Williamson says.
INTOWN GOLF’S 10 SIMULATOR BAYS ALLOW MEMBERS TO PLAY AT 150 DIFFERENT COURSES FROM AROUND THE WORLD—AND IN MUCH LESS TIME THAN IT TAKES TO COMPLETE A FULL ROUND.
For Radnor, the plan is to recruit a base of 100 members to start, then ask them to refer friends and associates who fit the club’s profile. The goal is to hit about 300, the number at the Atlanta and Charlotte properties. “We’ve never done any marketing, but we have huge waiting lists,” says. Williamson.
It’s likely that some members will have affiliations with one or more of the area’s established clubs. Others may be younger golfers unable to gain immediate membership at country clubs and such. And there are those who just want a place to congregate and socialize. “We have a diverse membership across age, profession and background,” says Williamson.
It’s unlikely that the Intown model is seen as a potential threat to the area’s many golf and country clubs. Still, Williamson’s first-rate food-and-beverage program is an acknowledged attempt to outdo private clubs’ offerings. “A lot of traditional country clubs offer food, but they do it just to check a box,” he says. “We want to lead with that.”
The established clubs are aware of Intown, and at least one is putting a positive spin on the new concept. “Anytime there’s more opportunity to play golf, it’s a good thing,” says Chris Wilkinson, director of golf and COO at Llanerch Country Club in Havertown, Pennsylvania. “Because of the long waiting lists for full golf membership at clubs in the area, it will be interesting to see if a place like Intown can capitalize on that and offer a club experience to those who don’t want to wait so long.”
Meanwhile, Williamson’s expansion plan includes locations in Nashville, Tennessee, Houston, Dallas, and Washington, D.C. “We’ve been overwhelmed by how much people love it,” he says.
Visit intowngolfclub.com/philadelphia.
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