Picture a lazy afternoon sitting around with friends. Maybe you are spending a day at the beach or enjoying a backyard barbecue or just visiting a local watering hole. You are shooting the breeze and start tossing out ideas for a friendly business venture. “What if we opened up a taco stand on the Key? Or maybe a bookstore or surf shop or dance studio?”
How many ideas that spring up among friends actually go anywhere?
Well, for Will Tompkins and his business partners Tony Gambirazio and Felipe Porro, their vision to open a golf simulator studio on Key Biscayne became a reality last year.
“All three of us wanted to get better at golf,” offers Will. “We have many friends who play golf and we wanted a place to practice and hang out.” One thing led to another. They visited a show at the convention center to explore the latest simulation technologies and found a space to rent near the Post Office in the L’Esplanade Mall on Crandon Boulevard. Last Spring, they opened GOLFOS LAB as Key Biscayne’s first upscale, climate-controlled golf studio.
Courtesy of GOLFOS Lab
The studio features two bays with state-of-the-art golf simulators that allow for virtual play at a number of different courses. Cameras record a player’s swing from multiple angles and capture data regarding the ball’s speed, angle and trajectory. Software then displays the ball’s projected pathway on the screen.
Members can reserve timeslots, and 24-hour access to the facility is available via keypad. Complimentary beverages, Wi-Fi and use of the comfortable lounge area and full kitchen are all included. Those who are so inclined can bring along a laptop and get some work done while enjoying the amenities.
Will admits that he and his partners envision the studio as a fun place to visit with friends while also improving one’s golf skills. “We thought it could be like a cool hangout. It’s like having a man cave that we can’t fit in any of our houses or apartments.”
Of course, the facility is open to all genders, and members are free to bring a guest. Youth under 18 are welcome to participate with adult supervision. Lessons are available for both members and non-members of all skill levels, and sixty-minute sessions include a comprehensive swing evaluation with video review and personalized practice plans provided.
When he’s not working on improving his golf swing, Will works as a General Contractor for Tompkins Construction, specializing in new construction and renovation of commercial and residential properties on Key Biscayne. His wife, Jamie McCaughan Tompkins, is a Real Estate Agent who grew up on Key Biscayne. The two met on a golf course near his hometown in upstate New York. After spending a few snowy winters in Boston, they decided to move to the Key, a decision he now laughs off as “a no-brainer.” Will and Jamie are the proud parents of daughters Isabella and Victoria and enjoy all that life on the Key has to offer.
For the last edition of The Lighter Side, click here.