When colder weather settles over Johnson County and local fairways go dormant, many golfers stick their clubs in the garage and count the weeks until spring.
Vance Tran, a golfer himself, is betting there’s a better way.
If all goes according to plan, this summer he’ll open Par IQ — an indoor golf simulator lounge in Mission offering a place to take a swing all year long.
Par IQ is coming to 6500 Martway St.
The golf lounge will take up a space on the eastern end of the Mission West shopping center.
There, it will operate near Los Gallitos Fresh Mexican Grill at the shopping center.
50 States Bird Feeders, a gardening store, previously occupied the space.
Par IQ will offer indoor rounds, soft-serve, and more
Tran has a lot of work ahead of him to get the former space ready. He needs to renovate the old gardening store from floor to ceiling, even take out one of the interior walls.
But when it’s finished, the Mission space will offer three 15-foot wide private bays with high-tech golf simulators.
“It’s made to be accurate,” he said. “Pros can come and swing, kids can come and swing — the golf simulators are pretty much for anything.”
When they’re not practicing their swings, customers will have the option to enjoy refreshments (free to customers) like coffee, sodas and soft-serve ice cream in Par IQ’s lounge — which they can enjoy on the lounge’s couches while taking breaks between rounds.
In terms of ability levels, Tran said the facility will cater to both seasoned golfers and novices alike.
Though Par IQ will offer memberships, players can also reserve bays on a walk-in basis if they’re available.
Par IQ will offer 24/7 golfing practice
A rendering of the new Par IQ golf simulator lounge in Mission. Image courtesy Vance Tran / Par IQ.
The venue will be open to members, who will be able to swing the sticks outside of traditional business hours.
As someone who has wished for more time to practice his own swing, Tran said, the concept hit home for him.
“I just love golf, and during the winter, I wished there was an easier way to keep my skills up to date,” he said.
Before starting Par IQ, Tran worked in the heavy equipment industry, selling bulldozers and other machinery to construction companies and dealerships.
In that sense, the Par IQ concept will be new to him as a business owner — and it will be relatively new to this part of Johnson County. Though there are country clubs nearby in Mission Hills and Prairie Village, Par IQ will bring a new option to Mission for golfers after those country clubs close up shop for the day.
As the build-out begins, details like membership tiers and pricing are still being finalized. Tran expects to have those numbers pinned down soon.
For now, though, he’s focused on turning the empty Mission space into a place where golf and community can intersect.
“I just think it’s a new niche, and it’s just something fun to get into,” he said. “You can bring your friends, and it’s just a good hangout spot.”
Want more local business news? Hy-Vee planning to open new Olathe convenience store