Kai Laird stands out front of the entrance of his upcoming Tee Box facility, which is taking part of Regency’s former food court. (BizSense file photo)
Add a golf simulator venue to the growing list of sports and entertainment options at Regency.
Tee Box, a Utah-based chain of high-tech simulator-powered indoor golf facilities, is opening its first Richmond-area location in the western Henrico mall.
Local franchisee Kai Laird is behind the Tee Box outpost, which will take over part of Regency’s former food court on the ground level facing Qui.
Laird, who also owns sports psychology practice The Performance Pursuit, is outfitting the nearly 5,000-square-foot space with four hitting bays, a putting green, a golf-focused gym and other amenities.
Construction on the space is underway and Laird said the facility is expected to open in June.
Buying into the Tee Box franchise is the latest step in Laird’s career, which has largely been tethered to his love of sports.
A native of Trinidad and Tobago, he moved to Virginia about a decade ago, and worked initially as executive director of the Williamsburg Indoor Sports Complex. He also started Performance Pursuit, helping athletes in a variety of sports manage the mental side of their game.
Looking to continue his entrepreneurial streak, he became interested in the idea of an indoor golf simulator franchise, a field that has exploded with new competitors in recent years.
“I came across Tee Box early last year. I was looking to find a business that aligns with my passions. I’ve been an athlete my entire life and got into golf during Covid,” said Laird.
The Richmond market has become a landing spot for the indoor golf trend, with more than a handful of out-of-town chains and local players setting up shop here.
Back Nine, another Utah-based chain, has two local locations in the works. There’s also X-Golf in Midlothian and local concepts such as Indoor Golf RVA, Tee It Up and GreenClub.
A rendering of Tee Box Regency’s hitting bay area. (Courtesy Kai Laird/Tee Box)
While each offers hitting bays equipped with simulators that analyze customers swings as they hit a ball into a screen showing virtual versions of real-life golf courses, Laird sees Tee Box standing out among the pack.
One of the Regency’s venue’s main differentiators is a 1,000-square-foot gym that Laird will equip with workout gear designed to help golfers strengthen their golf muscles.
Tee Box’s four hitting bays will be powered by the latest Trackman simulators, which Laird said now incorporate AI tools for swing analysis. There will also be a putting green with six cups that taps into the simulator as well.
The Tee Box app will analyze data and make workout recommendations to improve swing mechanics in the on-site gym. The app also uses that same data to make recommendations on the best clubs a golfer should use, with club fittings offered in-house as part of the membership.
Tee Box at Regency will be open 24/7, with a self-serve setup allowing members to access the facility through the app. Laird will also employ a golf pro for lessons, club fittings and club sales.
And if anyone gets the yips, Laird said he’ll likely also make his sports psychology offerings available to his members.
Memberships at Tee Box Regency will cost $399 a month with a required annual commitment. The facility will be capped at 200 members.
Laird said there’s a good reason for that annual commitment.
“You’re not looking to be a member for just a month because you’re not going to gain a lot of benefit from it. We’re trying to prioritize space to people who are committed to the game,” he said.
He’s currently running a “founding member” special for $249 a month with an annual commitment.
A rendering of the gym at Tee Box, which is an offering not seen at many other indoor golf facilities.
After buying into the Tee Box franchise last April, Laird said he and his wife moved to Richmond and looked at multiple locations around the region before choosing Regency. He said he was attracted by the presence of sports-related and non-traditional tenants that have come to the mall in recent years as part of its reinvention at the hands of owners Thalhimer Realty Partners and Rebkee.
“The part about Regency that really stuck out was the fact that they have a lot of parking, but most importantly, you have a lot of other business doing really well in that ecosystem that are sports-related. It’s definitely growing into more of a premium experience,” Laird said, emphasizing the presence of NOVA Aquatics and Performance Pickleball RVA.
“Just kind of seeing the synergy of other performance related business was just a good indicator that we’d be able compliment the offerings at Regency,” he said.
Among the other non-traditional uses added to the mall of late are Monster Mini Golf and virtual reality venue Pelagos VR. There’s also soon to be more than 600 residences on the mall property, with the second phase of apartments under construction.
Cross Creek Builders is the general contractor handling the build-out of Tee Box’s space. Spectrum Designs is the architect. Fulton Bank is Laird’s lender on the project, which he said will cost him around $1 million all-in.
Thalhimer’s Connie Jordan Nielsen, Nicki Jassy, Annie O’Connor and Katie Siegel handled lease negotiations.
The Regency venue will be the first Tee Box location in Virginia and one of the brand’s first on the East Coast. The bulk of the growing chain’s current locations are in Utah, Idaho, Texas and California, while many of its upcoming spots are in Florida.
As for joining a competitive indoor golf field in the Richmond area, Laird said he’s confident in Tee Box’s ability to make a name for itself locally.
“I’m not super worried. I chose Tee Box because they do stand alone in terms of what they offer,” he said. “We can take anybody and make them a better golfer.”
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