New Swing Studios in Burbank offers members a handsome studio to practice, play or simply chill.

SCGA Members Richard Flores and Rich Ceja have been friends and golf partners for some 35 years, using the game to blow off steam from their demanding professional lives. Their new business venture, Swing Studios, hard by the Hollywood Burbank Airport, offers a simulated indoor golf club membership that, they say, fulfills a long-held desire to “build the place they wish existed.”

A handsomely appointed industrial space, the perfectly climate-controlled studio allows members
to book one- or two-hour blocks in advance, with the entire space reserved for that one member or group to do with as they please: hit golf balls in the state-of-the–art Trackman-equipped bay, practice putting on the augmented-reality PuttView green (10 on the Stimpmeter with subtle breaks) or just crack a cold one and cue up the playlist while watching weekend football.

How two golf-mad homies decided to invest the princely sum needed to open such a business, and how they’ve managed to do so without sacrificing their sanity (or their friendship!) is a compelling story in itself. Flores is a retired veteran of the Beverly Hills Police Department and Ceja has been a successful film post-production hand for decades. Both are still active in their respective fields — Flores as a security consultant, and Ceja in the Hollywood trenches making screen magic. 

But it takes a long-jump leap of faith to go from kicking it on the local munis to competing in the fast-growing field of golf simulator businesses. Blame their love of the game and the need to lead with their obvious passion and friendship. They are easy to root for. 

“This is one of those things that after we’d been friends for 35 years and played way too much golf, just seemed like a fantastic idea,” Ceja said of the venture. “The only question then was: Let me see if I can convince the wife!” 

Flores picked up the thread. “We really want people to come in and have a safe place, a temperature-controlled environment and a choice whether they want the TV on, music playing or whatever makes them comfortable. We want them to be able to get better at golf and that’s our main focus — it’s not pushing hamburgers and pizza and beer, or getting them in and out with a high turnover rate. We want people to relax, have a great time and get excited about golf.” 

Although there is a social element to the business (members can bring along up to three other people
to their scheduled sessions), Swing Studios is not just a between-beers bar-and-lounge diversion. It’s a serious data-mining operation for golfers who like to play by the numbers.
Ball speed, clubhead speed, distance, sidespin, launch angle, club path and face angle — all that and more are readily available courtesy of Trackman’s AI-aided analysis tools. Dual radar technology synced with high-speed cameras make that possible.

“Focus is easier when the entire facility is yours,” Ceja said. “You’re in the privacy of your own space, so if you want to bring a client, if you want to bring your family, your little ones, you’re not going to be interrupted. You set up a tee time on your app and then get a notification 15 minutes prior. Then just come up to the door and punch in a code that allows you access 24/7. Hey, we’d like to see airline pilots swing by during a layover to take the edge off and have a little fun — even at 3 a.m.!”

And of course, being able to hone your skills while playing over 550 courses is another major draw. The projected images of Pebble Beach, for example, are beautifully rendered
and one can even select more or less challenging conditions to test your true mettle.

“If you want to play Bandon Dunes with the wind cranked up to 35 miles per hour, that’s up to you,” Flores said with a smile. 

Coffee and water are available free of charge for members, and a vending machine will offer snacks and energy drinks. Swing Studios also has a symbiotic arrangement with the Dog Haus restaurant a few doors down to deliver beer and foodstuffs via their handy-dandy app. And you can bring your own pro for lessons, or Rich and Richard can help you find one.

“We’ll also supply sleeves of balls, gloves or whatever items you need before you hit the course, so you don’t have to make a run to the pro shop and pay those exorbitant prices,” Flores said. “We’ve also invited coaches and players from the Burbank Unified School District to practice here. Our one big dream is that someday in the future there will be some young pro out there and they’ll ask him, ‘Hey, how did you get your start?’ ‘Well, I got bit by the bug at Swing Studios, this little place in Burbank that my parents took me to.’ That would be worth it all.”