Marc Podell joins Eric and Sawana to introduce The Back Nine, a members-based indoor golf simulator club opening in the Safeway shopping center in Anthem, Arizona. Marc explains why he spent a decade searching for the right franchise before landing on this fast-growing concept, and why a proven model beat building software, courses, and marketing from scratch. The club runs on a 24/7, app-controlled entry system, so members can practice any hour, holiday, or weather. Its Full Swing technology, the same system used by the televised TGL league, delivers lag-free feedback on club path, face angle, and swing speed across roughly 250 recognizable courses.
Marc chose Anthem over three other territories for its tight, community feel, and plans to cap membership at 160 to keep the four bays available. He shares how a chance Cabo connection with 150 mutual friends led him to Eric, plus his 2008 World Series of Poker run and a local charity poker night. A soft launch precedes the grand opening and a $10,000 hole-in-one challenge.
Key takeaways
- The Back Nine is a members-based indoor golf simulator club opening in Anthem's Safeway shopping center, with four bays and 24/7 app-controlled member access.
- It uses Full Swing technology, the same tracking used by the televised TGL league, giving lag-free feedback on club path, face angle, and swing speed.
- Marc Podell searched for the right franchise for about 10 years, choosing a proven model so the software, roughly 250 courses, website, and marketing came ready to run.
- Membership is capped at 160 to keep bays available, with public hourly tee times also offered; Marc chose Anthem over three other territories for its close-knit community.
- A soft launch precedes a grand opening on Saturday, June 6th, headlined by a $10,000 hole-in-one challenge open to the public.
- Marc placed 100th out of 7,700 players in the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event, and a local charity poker night raised $11,000 for Phoenix Children's.
Related: Eric and Sawana's Eye on Anthem