Ever wish you could work on your golf game in the dead of winter? This year, you’ll be able to at Swing Away Sports Club.
At 7247 Madison St., Swing Away Sports Club is expected to open in January to offer darts and simulated golf lessons, leagues and rentals. The space is designed for those who want to learn how to play golf or darts, people who hope to perfect their game, and those who just want to have a good time with their friends.
“We really want it to be a neighborhood place that people feel comfortable at,” said Lance Pruett, who owns Swing Away with his wife, Jill Williamson — the majority owner and a veteran. “I hope that it will be a place that feels like a club. You come here, you do your golf, you do your darts, and you see the same people from week to week. It feels like it’s something that belongs to them.”
Forest Park residents Pruett and Williamson decided to open Swing Away after Pruett retired from two decades as a rugby coach — often for underrepresented groups in the sport, like people of color, women and gay men. Pruett said he was looking for another opportunity, has seen how popular indoor golf is, and noticed there was a lack of places to practice golf in and around Forest Park.
“My experience with sports wasn’t always a good one. It’s always been my goal to help people have positive experiences through sport, and particularly groups that have not always had the best opportunities,” Pruett said. “My rugby coaching was always about creating a positive, nurturing environment for people to feel comfortable doing something that they’ve never done before. I’m translating those experiences over to the golf world and the darts world, hoping to create a place where people enjoy themselves.”
Williamson has also played rugby and said her father golfed at or near par well into his 80s.
“Despite that, I have never, in my 20-plus years as an attorney, felt comfortable joining a firm or client golf event,” Williamson said. She added that she’s excited to offer introductory golf lessons in a friendly, supportive environment. “We want it to be a place where serious golfers can come and practice, but people like me, who haven’t been comfortable in the golf space, can get comfortable and get out there.”
Pruett and Williamson plan to hire instructors for golf lessons and said they’re currently in talks with a PGA pro and a third-party program with coaches. The two golf simulator bays available at Swing Away offer extensive data for golf instructors to use.
Next to several dart boards, Pruett and Williamson plan to put a snack bar, where they hope to sell alcohol down the road, plus tables and chairs for larger groups of customers. They also want to work with local bars and restaurants to cater small events at Swing Away.
Williamson said Swing Away could even serve as a place to host the popular fundraising event of golf outings, which typically occur in the summer. Local organizations that want to fundraise in the winter could have people sign up for a tournament at Swing Away, where they golf a round whenever they’re available.
Swing Away is located where a gym used to be. The owners had to do little construction, hiring a contractor to tear down a wall and building barn doors themselves to open up the space more. Because Swing Away is at street level inside a residential building, Pruett said the business will hang sound mitigation coverings on the walls and ceilings if it’s too noisy, though they don’t expect to be loud enough to disturb residents.
“We love Forest Park,” said Williamson, who has lived in the village with Pruett for nearly four years. “We knew that we might not be able to find the space that we needed in Forest Park, but we were really hoping that we would, and we’re really happy that we did.” She added, “We would have opened wherever the best spot was, but it’s definitely an added bonus that we’ll be able to see our neighbors and our community in our business.”
Swing Away’s hours are tentatively set to 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 7247 Madison St. They are offering 20% off gift cards until they open with promo code PREOPEN20 at https://www.swingawaysports.club/
