- Another Nine was founded to remove barriers to golf through affordable, weather-independent simulator access available 24/7.
- The company differentiates itself with private simulator suites that appeal to beginners and casual golfers who may feel intimidated by traditional golf environments.
- After opening its first location in 2024, Another Nine has signed 71 franchise agreements across 16 states and plans significant expansion throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
Another Nine co-founders Ethan Grob and Brett Jewell started their business with the goal of increasing accessibility to the game of golf, a sport that’s traditionally notorious for high up-front costs.
From 2019 to 2025, the participation base has grown by 41%, with the sport approaching 50 million total participants, according to the National Golf Foundation. However, the rise in overall participation has led to a corresponding increase in 18-hole public playing fees, which have risen by around 29% over the same period.
“I think there are a lot of people that need the permission to play, because they feel like outsiders in this game, that’s very gatekept, it’s kind of an old rich man’s club,” Jewell said. “Golf is changing, and I think we can be part of the movement to make it more diverse and accessible for people.”
The rise in prices has prompted some prospective and beginner golfers to seek more affordable alternatives, with golf simulators the main beneficiaries. Several golf simulator businesses have popped up throughout Greater Cincinnati over the past few years. As the sport has grown, simulated golf has also experienced a rise in popularity, with the global market projected to surpass $4 billion by the early 2030s.
Another Nine is a rapidly growing indoor golf simulator franchise with 71 signed franchise agreements spread across 16 states. Grob and Jewell opened their first location in Cincinnati’s Columbia-Tusculum neighborhood back in March 2024.
The franchise has over two dozen planned locations across Greater Cincinnati, with its first Northern Kentucky site expected to be in Florence. Currently, Another Nine is headquartered in Covington’s SparkHaus, which grants it proximity to entrepreneurial resources as it scales.
Prior to founding Another Nine, Grob and Jewell, then amateur weekend golfers, felt that golf simulators were the best way to bring the game to more people because they’re generally cheaper, more accessible, and not weather-dependent.
“We could create something more appealing and better, and something for the average everyday person that just wants to play more often,” Jewell said. “We like to say we’ve never met a golfer that wanted to play less. Everyone wants to play more, and there are all these kinds of systemic and infrastructural barriers to play golf to the extent that most everyday people that don’t belong to a club or aren’t retired have to deal with.”
Many golf simulator-based businesses are centered around bars, restaurants, and large social gatherings. Another Nine differentiates itself from its competitors by using private simulator suites, giving golfers a dedicated space where they can practice and socialize without the fear of feeling self-conscious. Another Nine allows 24/7 access, letting customers play on their own schedule.
Another Nine targets potential locations in mixed-use developments, retail centers and other high-traffic areas that can complement nearby businesses without directly competing with them. Due to its low overhead and small commercial footprint, the franchise has proven to be highly scalable.
“We don’t need to be in the heart of downtown, or right on whatever Main Street happens to be for that area, but we do like to be in well-trafficked locations, so that we’re visible, and it’s not tucked away in some kind of industrial area,” Grob said.
Grob and Jewell’s ultimate goal is for Another Nine to be the preferred destination for indoor golf in the United States.
“We’ve been successful if we can visit a community for the first time and see the logo and see an owner that’s active in the community, that’s representing what Another Nine is, that is what success looks like to us now,” Grob said.
