Bigshots Golf Center A Hole-in-one For St. George

Popular activities in St. George include golfing on lush, green golf courses, eating at delicious restaurants, and spending quality time with family and friends. The combination of these things is exactly what Larry R. Christensen and Randy Douglas hoped for when they envisioned bringing BigShots Golf to St. George. Adapting the business models from other golf entertainment centers, Christensen knew the community would benefit from a similar center.

“St. George is one of the fastest growing cities in the country and is visited by millions of people every year,” he says. “We felt that a BigShots Golf venue would be a welcome addition to the area, would be well received by residents and tourists, and would provide fun for ages 5 to 105!”

Located in the Desert Color Community near the I-15 and Southern Parkway exchange, BigShots Golf St. George opened its doors in August 2022. The center touts a golf training center, a nine-hole putting course, a 17,000 square foot yard with artificial turf for indoor/outdoor games and entertainment, and a driving range. It also includes Anthem, a restaurant with a full bar, an upstairs sports bar, and a large corporate event center.

Bringing a BigShots golf center to St. George was not easy. The greatest struggles were finding the right location and the right investors to finance the business. There were countless setbacks, but the pair did not give up and reached out for assistance from the SBDC. Len Erickson and Jeff Mather of the St. George SBDC at Dixie Technical College provided a feasibility study and got them in contact with investors.

In order to purchase the real estate for the center, the team needed more capital. Financial support and assistance acquiring the land came from Colina Real Estate and David Hanks, a private investor. Matt Gertge became the general contractor and a partner on the team. However, just as development of the center began, the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down, including the rapidly growing St. George community. The supply chain breakdown made it difficult for builders to acquire supplies and resulted in missing the target opening of the center by five months. Despite the setbacks, Christensen, Douglas and the rest of the BigShots team persevered, and eventually the completed golf venue was open to the public.

The collaboration with the St. George SBDC was vital to the development of BigShots Golf. Douglas urges all future small business owners to develop a team with complementary talents and to take advantage of organizations such as the SBDC.

“These organizations are confidential with generally no cost,” Douglas says. “They can provide key insights on potential markets, trends, and competitive information as well as guidance on where to obtain financial resources,” Douglas says.

Though BigShots Golf St. George has seen success, the relationship with SBDC is still ongoing to make the center even better and expand into other Utah markets where territory rights have been secured.

The partnership between SBDC and the BigShots Golf team has provided a way for families and individuals to enjoy golfing, great food, and excellent customer service.

“Our management team and each employee are trained by the best country club management company in the world,” Christensen says. “No matter the age or golfing experience, BigShots Golf St. George strives to provide a memorable experience and outstanding customer service to everyone who walks through our doors.”