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Golf Lounge 18 lands Texas alcohol permit for Tech Ridge location

Golf Lounge 18 lands Texas alcohol permit for Tech Ridge location

Built World Austin, TX local

First Texas outpost of the indoor golf simulator chain moves toward a 2027 opening

4 days ago: Texas alcohol permit issued

Overview

Updated 2 hours ago

Golf Lounge 18, a Connecticut-based indoor golf simulator chain, cleared a licensing step for its first Texas location in North Austin. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission issued a mixed beverage permit for the Tech Ridge venue on September 16.

The $500,000 build-out of an 11,600-square-foot space, with TrackMan simulator bays, a bar and kitchen, is slated to wrap by February 2027. It sits near Dell, GM and 3M campuses.

Why it matters

The venue brings a full-service bar and 450-course golf simulators to busy North Austin, adding a new after-work entertainment option for nearby office workers.

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Key Indicators

$500K
Build-out investment
Estimated construction cost for the interior renovation, per the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing.
11,600 sq ft
Facility size
Leased space at Shops at Tech Ridge, per the state filing.
14
Locations nationwide
Count including the Austin venue, per Hoodline; another report lists 11 existing locations.
450+
Courses on simulators
Golf courses playable via the TrackMan simulated bays.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

December 2025 September 2026

4 events Latest: 4 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Texas alcohol permit issued

    Latest Regulatory

    Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission issues a mixed beverage permit for the venue.

  2. State registers Austin build-out

    Regulatory

    TDLR filing logs $500,000 construction estimate for the 11,600-square-foot interior.

  3. Golf Lounge 18 signs Tech Ridge lease

    Business

    Chain leases 12,000 square feet at Shops at Tech Ridge, per Weitzman.

  4. Franchise partners named for Austin outpost

    Business

    Samuel Manaway and Tom Adair announced to own and operate the Tech Ridge venue.

Scenarios

1

Golf Lounge 18 opens at Tech Ridge in 2027

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Company announcements and local real estate coverage

The build-out wraps on schedule in February 2027. After final city inspections and staff training, the venue opens to the public by mid-2027 with simulator bays, a bar and a kitchen.

2

Build-out delays push the opening to late 2027 or 2028

Possible Resolves by Jul 1, 2027

Discussed by: TDLR construction filings and retail market watchers

Supply chain or contractor issues stretch the renovation past the February 2027 target. The opening slips into late 2027 or 2028, leaving the space empty through much of the year.

3

Tech Ridge location never opens

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Retail market analysts

The project stalls in construction or permitting. The franchise partners exit, and the space is re-leased to another tenant, leaving Golf Lounge 18 without a Texas presence.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

May 2005 – March 2021

Topgolf's U.S. expansion (2005-2021)

Topgolf opened its first U.S. venue near Washington, D.C., in 2005, five years after launching in the UK. The format — driving range bays with food, drinks and games — drew crowds of casual golfers and non-golfers alike.

Then

The concept spread across the country, with dozens of venues opening in the following decade.

Now

Topgolf merged with Callaway in 2021, becoming the dominant brand in off-course golf entertainment.

Why this matters now

Topgolf proved that people will pay for a social, entertainment-driven golf experience without playing a round. Golf Lounge 18 is bringing the same logic indoors with simulators.

2017-2023

Five Iron Golf's urban expansion (2017-2023)

Five Iron Golf launched in New York in 2017 as a simulator-based indoor golf venue. It expanded to multiple major U.S. cities, tapping urban professionals who wanted golf without traveling to a course.

Then

The chain grew steadily, adding food, drink and events to attract non-golfers.

Now

It demonstrated that simulator venues can thrive in dense city markets.

Why this matters now

Golf Lounge 18 follows the same playbook — simulators plus a full-service bar and kitchen — but is testing the model in a suburban retail center near tech offices.

2000s-present

South Korea's indoor golf boom (2000s-present)

South Korea developed a massive indoor golf culture in the 2000s. Thousands of screen-golf venues with simulator bays spread across the country, along with homegrown technology from companies like Golfzon.

Then

The market showed that dedicated indoor simulator venues can sustain large numbers of players year-round.

Now

Korean screen-golf became a template for off-course golf entertainment worldwide.

Why this matters now

The technology and business model that powered Korea's screen-golf boom are now reaching U.S. markets through chains like Golf Lounge 18.

Sources

(5)

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