Cameron and Courtney Kearley said playing golf has been a part of their lives since they were young.
Cameron said he has golfed regularly in the summer with his family since he was five.
So when a new retail space became available near the family insurance firm, he said the love of the sport started a “joking” conversation about putting golf simulators there.
But one year later, that conversation became reality for the four Kearley children when they launched the Bogey Club Jan. 31.
“It’s a bit of a passion project,” Courtney said. “It was fun to jump into it … We really sat down to say that’s something we can do together as siblings — to create something on our own.”
The business at 17705 Leslie St., unit 5, features two projector screens with high-end golf simulators, along with a bar and lounge area. Golfers hit their balls toward the screen and play a complete game on virtual versions of courses around the world.
Starting a business in a pandemic is challenging, Courtney said, but she added she has a good working relationship with her siblings.
“People think we’re crazy, maybe, for starting a business together,” she said, adding they already know how to work cooperatively. “What’s great about it is we all have different strengths and weaknesses we already know."
She further said their business doesn't impact their personal lives.
“It’s not like it's all-consuming. We’re still able to go together to Leafs games or go to dinner, not have work consuming our life,” she said.
The business concept is to give golfers the chance to get into the game indoors, regardless of snow or poor weather. The family said they have been pleasantly surprised by just how many players have come through their doors in their first month of their "soft" launch.
“You could really see that the passion for golf is definitely ingrained in the community here,” Cameron said. “Everybody’s hungry to golf, and we saw a lot of that in the opening month.”
Keith Burgess, who visited March 11, said it was his first chance to golf since last year.
“A little bit surreal, but pretty interesting,” he said. “You stay warmer and you also get to play different courses that you’d probably never even see.”
The younger Kearley generation runs the business, and has hired a full-time slate of staff. But Courtney said they can still always ask their entrepreneurial parents for advice — they are the children of Newmarket insurance firm president Steve Kearley.
“A lot of this we’ve been doing on our own," she said. "Just being able to have that support system of knowing we can go to them and get advice from them is invaluable."
The siblings are planning to host events and tournaments to ensure customers still come by once golf courses open up.
“We wanted to have the experience less like a practice facility and more like an entertainment venue,” Cameron said. “More of the love of golf rather than the frustration of golf. We want to make sure you’re having a great time.”
You can book through thebogeyclub.com.
