By Audrey Hanes, Photography by Melissa Donner

As the Greensborough Village area of Jonesboro grows to include more entertaining options for the community, the launch of Divots Golf Lounge has been a welcome addition. Owners Brock and Mandy Bullard launched the new indoor golf entertainment venue in April, putting a new spin on one of Jonesboro’s favorite pastimes.

The Bullards opened Divots Golf Lounge on April 1, creating an environment that is accessible to non-golfers looking to have a great time, beginners looking to get into the game privately and experienced golfers looking for technology to improve their game. The 8,000-square-foot, six-bay venue – with room to expand – also features a chip and putt area and plenty of posh lounge furniture for relaxing.

“I have always loved golf, and Mandy started playing Topgolf when she could, so we decided we wanted to do something in golf,” said Brock. “Mandy has always wanted to start some sort of business, and as indoor golf has grown in popularity, we began the journey to explore this as a business opportunity. Plus, with my knowledge and passion for the game, it was a good fit for what we enjoyed. They’re huge up north, so when a friend of ours opened one, we went up and saw what it was about and played it and really liked the fit. As we really started to dive into beginning a business plan for Divots, we started to come up with a name for our business, (so) we turned to social media. We wanted something we could have the original of, from website link to Instagram handle and so on.”

The name Divot, which is the name of the couple’s 11-year-old calico cat, seemed like the perfect fit. There is a large portrait of her behind the receptionist desk at the entrance of the golf lounge.

“Cody McPherson, who (is co-owner of) Crumbl and Potbelly, helped us a lot with finding local connections in Jonesboro to get started,” said Brock. “We never could have imagined we would be able to capture the location we have if it wasn’t for Cody helping us get in contact with Gary Harpole. From there we ventured downtown to talk to Gary and the Halsey Thrasher team, and they agreed it was exactly what was needed in the Greensborough Village area.

“(As it is for) most new business owners, finding the right lending was scary; thankfully, we had a connection with Bryan Wagner, the senior vice president of commercial banking and business development at Armor Bank, who is a huge golf enthusiast and loved our idea. He walked us through the process of finding the right lender for first-time business owners like us.”

Brock, who is originally from Blytheville, earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management and business from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kans., where he also played golf on a college scholarship. After gaining experience in the golf realm at Jonesboro Country Club, the Ridges at Village Creek and the PGA Agronomy team at TPC Southwind, he currently works at Nucor Yamato Steel in addition to his role at Divots. He and Mandy, who is originally from Houston, Mo., also lived in Wynne and Jonesboro before settling down in Manila with their 6-year-old son, Barrett.

The couple had a very specific ambiance they wanted to create with their establishment.

“I wanted to create a modernized country club aesthetic, like this is what country clubs in the future could look like,” said Mandy, who serves as the day-to-day manager of Divots. “I took inspiration from the Master’s green and many other locations around Jonesboro to create an upper class feel. There are so many great, beautifully decorated and unique restaurants and storefronts here locally, we wanted to have that same feel.”

Whether it’s a child who has never picked up a club or an experienced adult looking to work on their drives, Divots is user- and family-friendly. 
“You don’t have to be able to golf,” said Brock. “People that don’t golf almost enjoy it more. It’s easy, it’s in the air conditioning and it’s a good place to learn. When you hit a ball, it’s captured by multiple cameras and sensors that allow you to view a slow-motion replay, so you get to see what your club is doing to the ball and visualize any changes you need to make for the result you’re looking for.

Being able to use your own clubs and a regular golf ball is what sets us apart from many other businesses like ours. That’s a big deal to many of our golfers, because they can actually dial in with their customized clubs or be able to try any ball they want to see if they like something better for their game and can go out and apply it on the course.”

The state-of-the-art technology that allows for the highest-tech indoor golf experience, along with the screens that are rated for up to 250 miles per hour, are thanks to TruGolf Apogee and E6 connect out of Centerville, Utah. All the equipment is designed and manufactured in the U.S., which was a staple for the Bullards when they decided on Divots’ business plan.

Each bay is rented by the hour. Renters can look at a binder and choose from a long list of popular courses from around the world, such as Pebble Beach in California and Oslo in Norway. They can also choose courses based on who designed it, if it was awarded any type of accolade or if it has hosted any professional tournaments. There are game options for golfers looking to have a bit of fun, including High Score (a Topgolf twin), Ice Trolls, Carnival, Longest Drive – Vegas and Closest to the Pin. For those who need it, club rental is available for just $5.

“Golf got so popular during COVID and the Masters this year that people realize it’s a sport for everyone,” said Brock. “You’ll see a lot of it on YouTube and TikTok, people who are average golfers or just learning are more fun to watch. It’s more relatable to watch people out there playing and having a good time – watching that has really turned into a big thing, and we want that here. You can come and – depending on the day – pay $40 plus tax for up to five people for an hour while playing some of the best courses in the world. We are bringing world class courses at a good price to Jonesboro. You can go on the range and hit balls all day long, but in here you get a lot of feedback.”

In the near future, the business owners have plans to add four more bays for a total of 10 simulator bays, along with a multi-sport option in one or more of the bays that will allow customers to play sports like frisbee golf, baseball, dodgeball and football. They also have an important software update from E6 Apex coming by the end of 2024 that will allow golfers to choose any course in the world, even local courses in Jonesboro.

Divots is open to the public, but for those looking to visit regularly, there are three different levels of memberships available that start at 10 hours of play for $125 a month on up to 25 hours of play for $250 a month. Members can access the bays whenever they like, even after-hours or before Divots is open, and the putting green is a perk reserved for members only. Simulator leagues and tournaments are also offered, and many Divots golfers participate in competitions with prizes as part of a national league called PinSeeker.

The Bullards say that Arkansas State University and its athletic programs have already played a huge role in Divots’ successful launch.

“We partnered with the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce and A-State right away,” said Brock. “The college is a big reason this is such a good fit here. Their men’s and women’s golf teams have both boasted very successful years, and we wanted to give them a place to practice and have some fun. A-State football and basketball teams have brought some aspiring recruits and hosted some fun parties here.”

Divots is available for birthday parties and private parties of up to 120 people. Several children’s birthday parties have already been held at the venue, which goes to promote the sport for younger golfers, one of the Bullards’ reasons for opening Divots.  

“We have a lot of people bringing kids in, because they can learn in here and they’re not losing balls,” said Brock. “Divots is such a good place for kids to learn how to play because they can see what they are doing and get better and be in the AC. We hired all local high school or college golfers, so that’s been beneficial for them, too. We want to get more kids playing golf. Hopefully this coming winter we can get more kids involved, because the junior golf scene here is so large.

“Really, Jonesboro is such a rich golf community, and it’s only getting better. There are a lot of great golfers in this area. This is the perfect place to practice year-round.”

Mandy said that because Jonesboro has so many amazing restaurant options, they didn’t want to compete. They do have Dippin’ Dots and some concessions available, but they encourage their customers to DoorDash from area eateries like The Social and JTown’s Grill.

“We hope we are giving Jonesboro something else to do,” said Brock. “It’s a fun game, and we want to get more people interested in golf. If you own your own business, the best deals are made with a handshake on the golf course, and this is a perfect place to learn. We are so excited to be here. It’s been a really exhilarating process, and we’re happy to be a part of this extremely fast-growing community.”

Divots Golf Lounge, located at 928 Chancery Lane, is currently open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information or to book online, visit divotsgolflounge.com or find the business on social media.