Golf is having a moment on San Antonio's North Loop 1604 corridor, and two national chains are racing to cash in. Golf Galaxy is set to debut a newly remodeled store at 1211 N. Loop 1604 W. on September 11, while just up the road, Utah-based franchise The Back Nine is breaking ground on a 24/7 indoor simulator venue at 9910 W. Loop 1604 N. — marking the brand's first location inside San Antonio city limits.
The Golf Galaxy relaunch, first reported by CultureMap San Antonio, represents Dick's Sporting Goods reworking a store that has operated at The Vineyard shopping center since May 2017, when Dick's converted 36 former Golfsmith locations nationwide after acquiring those assets out of bankruptcy, according to PR Newswire. Pittsburgh-based GGC National Contractors handled the commercial buildout, which according to GGC National Contractors incorporates interactive TrackMan hitting bays and specialized fitting spaces. The revamped store, described by Dick's as its first Golf Galaxy on the north side of San Antonio, will include a putting green, a golf services desk, and instruction from a PGA professional, per the seed reporting.
Shoppers will also find clubs, bags, and apparel from brands including Ping, Callaway, and TaylorMade on the shelves. Golf Galaxy is running opening giveaways from September 11 through September 13, including discounts, mystery gift cards for the first 100 guests in line on opening day, and a chance to win a $10,000 grand prize.
The Vineyard's High-Traffic Retail Setting
The Golf Galaxy sits within The Vineyard, a 567,800-square-foot retail center at Loop 1604 and Blanco Road anchored by Super Target, Whole Foods Market, and LA Fitness, according to CBRE. The center sits directly across from an H-E-B Plus! in what CBRE describes as a high-income trade area, positioning the store amid some of North San Antonio's busiest retail traffic.
North Loop 1604 has carried this kind of golf-entertainment energy for over a decade. The corridor became a destination for tech-driven golf back in 2015, when Topgolf opened a 100-plus bay facility at 5539 North Loop 1604 W., according to the San Antonio Express-News.
The Back Nine Brings 24/7 Access to City Limits
While Golf Galaxy leans into staffed, fitting-focused retail, The Back Nine is scaling in the opposite direction. The franchise offers membership tiers with 24/7 access, guest privileges, and unlimited tee times, along with the option for non-members to book simulator sessions without joining. Founded in 2019 in St. George, Utah, by CEO Will Bangerter and franchising since 2022, the brand expanded from 35 open locations in mid-2025 to more than 170 franchise units sold across 29 states, according to Asset Franchise.
The Back Nine already has locations in Boerne and Seguin, having opened its Hill Country venue at 230 W. Bandera Road in Boerne's Boerne Oaks Shopping Center on July 25, near an H-E-B, as Community Impact reported. The West Loop 1604 site will be its first inside San Antonio's city limits, and Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filings indicate the work is expected to be completed by February 2027.
Inside, patrons will find indoor golf simulator bays powered by Full Swing technology, which uses high-speed dual-tracking cameras and infrared sensors to measure ball flight, club data, and swing analytics with essentially no lag. Full Swing is the official simulator partner of the PGA Tour and TGL, a technical detail Hoodline previously reported on golf simulator bays heading to another Texas retail strip. The Back Nine's simulators also let members play virtual rounds at courses including Pebble Beach Golf Links, TPC Sawgrass, Torrey Pines, St. Andrews, and Spyglass Hill, plus games designed for younger players. The venue plans to host tournaments, private events, camps, clinics, and corporate outings.
Why Off-Course Golf Is Booming Nationwide
The dueling debuts reflect a broader shift in how Americans are playing golf. A record 48.1 million people aged 6 and older played golf in 2025, with 19 million participating exclusively through off-course venues like indoor simulators and driving ranges, according to National Golf Foundation participation data reported by Athlon Sports. Total U.S. golf participation across on-course and off-course formats grew 41% between 2019 and 2025, approaching 50 million total participants nationwide, per a separate National Golf Foundation report.
That growth is happening alongside, not instead of, San Antonio's traditional green-grass options. The city maintains eight municipal courses through the Alamo City Golf Trail, including the 1916 Brackenridge Park Golf Course, home to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, with municipal memberships starting under $60 annually, per the Express-News. Whether Golf Galaxy's relaunch signals a fuller shift toward Dick's newer store concepts, and whether The Back Nine's February 2027 completion target holds, remain open questions as both projects move forward on North Loop 1604.
