By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
I recently collaborated with Colorado PGA Section Professional Dustin Miller on a piece for our PGA Magazine Golf Shop Owners Monthly digital publication. As important as it is to that platform, Miller’s story is also very applicable to this publication. Although not an outdoor driving range, Miller’s business is bringing in new golfers, getting occasional golfers to play more and helping core golfers stay fresh year-round, even when the Colorado winter has other plans.
Miller, the 2010 Colorado PGA Section Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities, opened his business, The Swing Bays, in 2022 with six Trackman bays, an indoor putting green and food and beverage service. Since then, he has put together a team of golf professionals whose expertise ranges from teaching to custom club fitting, club repair and even golf fitness. As mentioned above, the Swing Bays team has implemented programming that serves many levels of golfers, and they have built The Swing Bays to a level where franchising the business is not only conceivable but happening. Miller is proud to share his concepts, philosophies and growth of the game initiatives.
Located in Parker, Colorado, the original Swing Bays is not just an indoor simulator studio and bar.
“We take pride in our programming, leagues, memberships, special events and great golf amenities,” Miller boasts, “from the best golf technology in Trackman to the expertise offered in our coaching and other golf services.”
As a former green grass PGA of America Head Golf Professional and full-time teaching professional, Miller set out to establish a one-stop shop for all things golf in his state-of-the-art indoor environment. With custom club fitting carts from the biggest names in golf equipment and a full-service golf shop with popular brands like Johnnie-O, G/Fore, Travis Matthew, LINKSOUL and FootJoy, The Swing Bays is a full-service golf center that local golfers enjoy year-round.
“Even when it warms up outside, they still enjoy visiting The Swing Bays to get their numbers, work on some aspect of their swing or get custom fit for new clubs,” Miller explains. “Also, since the pandemic, the social aspect of the game has become as important to many golfers as the results on their scorecard. We serve that purpose with leagues, couples nights and special themed events.”
From the beginning, The Swing Bays has been about more than just golf to Dustin Miller. It’s about building a community, delivering exceptional service and creating a place where customers and staff feel valued. Whether it’s their members, public golfers, employees or golf students, The Swing Bays’ community is proud of what he and his team have created.
“With the success we’ve had in three short years, I have decided to franchise what we have here in Parker, Colorado,” Miller says proudly. “Not only am I looking to expand in the Denver area, but I am working with a Scottsdale, Arizona company called Fransmart to get connected with entrepreneurs who understand my inspiration and share in the excitement I have for what we have built. As we take this next step in franchising, our core values remain the same: exceptional instruction, golf fitness, a strong sense of community and an unmatched customer experience.”
Miller already has franchisees in Raleigh, North Carolina – Phil and Nancy Gugliotta – who will be opening their first location this fall and will follow with four other locations over the next few years. As The Swing Bays grows on the East Coast, Miller has aspirations of sharing The Swing Bays golf experience with golfers across the country.
“As a golf coach at heart, I am proud of the young golfers who I have helped find success in high school, college and beyond,” he adds. “The Swing Bays is the ideal golf training facility for these highly skilled golfers, as well as for those players who have just entered the game in recent years. It’s time to piggyback on that success in Colorado and take The Swing Bays to the masses.
For more information on The Swing Bays, log on to its website today!
