By Gabbie Burton
Contributing Writer

I’m sure at one point or another our current frozen and snowy winter season has had us all wishing for long days back in the summer sun. Those of us who enjoy outdoor activities feel a particular sting through these winter months, being denied the sports and hobbies we love. 

For my fellow golfers out there, winter used to mean no golf, but fortunately for us that is changing.

Indoor golf simulators have become the answer to golfers’ winter blues by providing the scratch to their never-ending golf itch. As a new golfer myself, I fortunately happen to work at a golf course that has indoor golf simulators, but I also know they are hard to find in our pocket of Chester County so, when I found out about The Cypress Club indoor golf simulator in Kennett Square, I knew I had to give it a try.

Last Sunday, I finally got my chance.

“It was definitely a market that was lacking,” said owner David Turnbull. “Even just the golf courses around here, there’s not a ton of options public wise and not up this way.”

As a golfer himself, Turnbull saw the gap in the market and took the opportunity to fill it. Turnbull, 24, shared that his mom owns Studio22 Pilates and Wellness located on the same strip on Cypress Street and is how he found out about the open space where his club now calls home.

The club officially opened this past Halloween and has two private bays featuring Trackman Golf Simulators. The club, which is unmanned, is fully automated through the Trackman app on members’ phones. Members book their time and then receive a code through the app which opens the door to the club and welcomes them to their BYOB private simulator bay featuring a TV, fridge with complimentary drinks, lounge seating and information to book lessons with a PGA professional upon request.

“I feel like I take some pride in keeping it upscale and nice and super tidy,” Turnbull said. “Any requests the members give, I really try to cater to them in any way I can to make them happy, because without them, it's nothing.”

Turnbull, who graduated from Avon Grove High School in 2019, grew up in the area playing the now closed Chisel Creek course in Landenberg and working as a server and bartender at Kennett Country Club. He shared that giving back to his community through events and volunteering is important to him; he hosted a closest to the pin competition that raised funding for the Kennett Area Community Service Food Cupboard.

Turnbull attended West Chester University for business management before graduating in 2023 and beginning his finance career in Wilmington, where he still works. The Cypress Club is his first business, but he shared that he doesn’t feel overwhelmed by balancing his two jobs.

“I didn’t know if it was going to become an issue or not and it hasn’t,” he said. “It’s 14 hour days every day, but this doesn’t feel like too much of a job. I really enjoy it. I love it, I love taking care of the members and I enjoy making sure they’re happy.”

At first sight, it is easy to see why the nearly 80 members of The Cypress Club enjoy the space. From the grass green walls, framed posters from PGA tournaments and ample seating, the space felt comfortable and even luxurious. The place has become so popular that there is now a member waiting list.

After my conversation with Turnbull, it was my turn to give the simulator a try.

The Cypress Club features ceiling mounted Trackman iO launch monitors, a first for me. The monitors track every little detail of your swing from club speed, attack angle, spin rate and they even show a small video of the club face at impact after every ball you hit. As a beginner golfer myself, these numbers don’t always mean much to me but being able to see every hit is useful information in improving my game.

Each course on the simulator looks like their real-life counterpart and is designed to play as it would as well. I chose to play the simulated Aronimink Golf Club in nearby Newtown Square, home of this year’s PGA Tour Championship. 

I played the front nine holes, enjoying the course despite earning one par, three bogeys, one double bogey, as well as four holes I will not include in this report. After the challenge of Aronimink, I decided to practice some swings on the range setting and work on mistakes made in my round. After seeing every detail of my swing in real time, I was able to make adjustments and improve my shots as my session went on. I focused on closing my club face at impact for my driver, hybrid and irons and after my two hours were up, I felt confident with the adjustments I made and saw improvement in my shots.

My night at the Cypress Club provided me with some much-needed practice time to relax in a private space, focus on my game and learn more about my swing. As I know well, the opportunity to practice your golf game through the cold winter months is never one to be missed and now thanks to Turnbull and his indoor simulators, more local golfers will also get that opportunity.

“I really do enjoy it, and I love giving a space to people that they enjoy as well,” Turnbull said. “If people are happy, that’s the most important thing.”

To contact Contributing Writer Gabbie Burton, email [email protected].

The Cypress Club Kennett is located at 660 East Cypress Street in Kennett Square. To learn more, visit http://thecypressclubkennett.com or call (484) 999-1942.