Dillon Pool was an active golfer in both high school and college, playing competitively on his schools teams. After graduating and spending some time away from golfing, Dillon wanted to start playing and make it fun again. Dillon knew that there weren't any golf simulators in Amarillo, so he took this idea and ran with it! West Texas Golf Lounge opened in 2023 providing an indoor golf simulator experience that can't be found elsewhere in Amarillo!
Dillon came to the SBDC in 2020 looking for guidance and assistance to launch his idea of creating a unique experience for customers that utilized his passion for the sport of golf. Dillon worked closely with SBDC Business Consultant Shane Groff who helped him write a business plan, complete financial projections, and create a marketing strategy for West Texas Golf Lounge.
We caught up with Dillon to learn more about what West Texas Golf Lounge is up to and what advice he has for other small businesses.
Year started: West Texas Golf Lounge opened its doors very recently in May of 2023!
How did West Texas Golf Lounge get its start: At first, it started as a ‘good idea’. Then I went through with a full concept since our area doesn’t have anything like this. I knew with my passion for the sport of golf and the lack of competition in our area, this would be a big hit that I wanted to pursue.
Favorite memory in the business: So far in our short time open, my favorite memory has been seeing everyone enjoy playing on the trackman.
Most rewarding part of running a small business: The most rewarding part has been being able to provide for my employees and hopefully in the future, provide for many more people along the way.
Hardest part of running a small business: The hardest part of owning a business is the pressure of making ends meet. Being a newly opened business, this has been something that has been heavy on us in these beginning phases.
How does the business get to positively impact your community: West Texas Golf Lounge gets to positively impact the community by being the only business providing this particular service in our area.
Biggest challenge in the business: The biggest challenge in the business is keeping the customers happy. Each person’s experience at West Texas Golf Lounge is so unique, it’s important to make sure each person’s needs are being met and that they are satisfied when they leave.
What makes West Texas Golf Lounge different from your competition: West Texas Golf lounge doesn’t have any direct competition in the area. This is a huge advantage for our business as we can be open rain or shine and still provide the same unique experience in the Texas Panhandle.
Best tip for others in business: My best tip for others in business is to make sure you balance family time and work time. Both of these are important
What is your favorite thing about the Panhandle? Growing up here, it has to be the people. But from the business side, I love the weather. Bad weather helps a business like mine!
Keep up with West Texas Golf Lounge on their website and Facebook!