Aiming to build on his success since taking over the Fairways Indoor Golf Arena in Coatbridge, the University of Stirling graduate is expected to open two new similar facilities in the Central Belt early next month.
In tandem with avid businessman and golfer Chris Gallagher and experienced golf club manager Richard McLuckie, Rushford is opening Fairways Golf Studios at Abbotsford Business Park in Falkirk and Maxim Park, located in Euro Central between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Both facilities have been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but, at a time when the appetite for different types of golf continues to grow, Rushford is excited about the new offerings.
“I basically used the free time last year due to the initial Covid-19 shutdown to drive my business in a new direction with more stores and new, smaller indoor facilities,” said Rushford, who has graduated with an Honors BA in Sports and Business Management and an MSC in Sports Management in Stirling.
“The intention is to develop indoor centers across the country, with the goal of having a professional store within 10 miles of all indoor locations.
“At the two sites, we will have seven professionals who will offer coaching. We will also offer an extensive junior coaching program.
“Basically, we want to engage with all the local golf clubs to allow their members to play golf for 12 months of the year, allowing club professionals in the area to have the opportunity to coach at the facilities. “
Falkirk’s facility will have four simulation bays and Maxim’s will have three, each powered by Trackman 4 technology.
“We will be marked as a Trackman Performance Center,” Rushford added. “Each facility will also have a separate putting studio to allow customers to work on their full game.
“In addition to simulator play, the focus will be on training. We see our facilities as performance centers.
Rushford, who also operates a Fairways Professional Shops which includes stores in Sandyhills GC, Bishopbriggs GC and Dalziel Park GC, believes the Scottish weather, especially at this time of year, is another ‘big factor’ in demand. indoor golf.
“I think it suits people in terms of time constraints as well,” said the man who won the Scottish University Order of Merit in 2010 and was the captain of the Stirling team at the Scottish titles, British and European the following year. “We can get people playing at St Andrews in an hour on a Saturday morning.
“I also think people are looking for technology a lot. Youtube etc has become so popular and people want to try out what they see in the videos. Trackman also allows players to play live against players around the world.