LaunchPad Golf, a Canada-based brand of indoor golf entertainment venues, made its entry into the U.S. market with an Oct. 4 opening at Prior Lake, bringing a new spot for year-round golfing to Minnesota.

LaunchPad Golf’s two-story, 25,000-square-foot property is called The Meadows. It features 40 heated golf suites and a 160,000-square-foot driving range with radar technology for ball tracking. Plus, it has a bar on each floor and a full-service restaurant. 

The suites offer “immersive play for all skill levels and a lively, family-friendly atmosphere” through virtual courses, practice sessions, and competitive gaming, according to a joint press release from LaunchPad Golf and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC), the tribal government body operating the Prior Lake branch. The Meadows Golf Course and Mystic Lake Casino, also owned and operated by SMSC, are neighbors to LaunchPad.

LaunchPad’s Prior Lake location adds to the brand’s two branches in Canada—as well as to the broader golf entertainment sector, which took off with TopGolf. TopGolf was founded in England in 2000 and made its way to the United States in 2005. Jesse Galvon, the vice president of marketing and business development at LaunchPad, sees TopGolf as the Coca-Cola of the golf entertainment business—in other words, the brand synonymous with this relatively new concept. “[TopGolf has] created this industry, and now there is a ton [of activity],” Galvon says. “It’s an industry and a demographic that’s growing.”

Thad Hellman, economic development administrator at SMSC, points to a market desire for golf offered in an approachable entertainment format. “I do believe that we’ve seen an incredible growth in participation in golf over the last several years.” Off-course options appear to have surged in popularity. The National Golf Foundation in April 2025 reported the total number of simulator and screen-golf users more than doubled between 2015 and 2024, from 3.8 million to 8.1 million users, per a U.S. survey conducted late 2024.

Other notable national brands include Atomic Golf, Bigshots Golf, and Drive Shack, plus indoor, virtual options like Five Iron Golf and X-Golf. And now: LaunchPad Golf, which has seen a growing customer base over time, Galvon says, reflected in increasing annual visits. (He did not disclose specific numbers.)

On a busy Friday night, Galvon says he has seen a much wider range of attendees at LaunchPad than he’s seen playing actual golf, with ages ranging from 3 to 93. In the same way, Hellman sees LaunchPad Golf—and other driving ranges oriented around social and casual entertainment—as the golf version of bowling. “A lot of people who go to bowling alleys aren’t particularly good at it, but it’s still a really fun time and a great social event,” Hellman says. “It’s a great venue for people who don’t even intend to use the suites.”

Hellman notes this type of venue introduces non-golfers or amateur golfers to the game. An annual survey conducted by LaunchPad found that about 30% of customers considered themselves competitive or experienced golfers, while the remainder were new to golf or inexperienced. “Golf courses tend to be intimidating places,” Hellman says. Galvon notes the suites take away the pressure more-expert golfers might put on novices to play faster.

Another draw is price. Golf for many is an expensive and inaccessible sport, says Galvon, an experienced golfer. He estimates a round at a quality golf course costs more than $100 per individual. Compared to that, an hour at a LaunchPad suite costs between $40 and $60, and each suite can host up to six people at a time, so an individual may pay $8 to $10 for one hour.

Galvon says expansion is in the works for LaunchPad across North America and internationally. The next location is set to open in Perth, Australia, in summer 2026, with five more locations under development across Canada.

As for the new location in Prior Lake, which is employing 100 to 120 for operations, Hellman says it brings a lot to the table for the tribe and the community—and complements the entertainment that’s already in the area, like Mystic Lake Casino and Meadows Golf Course.

“We definitely saw synergies with that,”  Hellman says. “The folks who really love the experience of playing the Meadows can come over here and get another experience during the off-season.”