Five Iron Golf launches tournaments, with real money on the line
Customers can compete against other golfers in real time at locations across the U.S.
June 3, 2026
Visitors to Five Iron Golf can now win some money while they swing, eat and sip.
The golf-based eatertainment chain has launched a tournament system that allows customers to compete against other Five Iron patrons around the U.S., with real money on the line.
There are almost a dozen different games and formats, including nine- and 18-hole rounds and skill games. Some are free to enter, while paid buy-ins top out at $100. Customers can reserve a simulator bay and then enter a tournament via the Five Iron app. Each tournament is time-based, and could run for an hour to a month. One contest takes about 30 minutes to an hour to complete.
This month, players can compete across 20 tournaments to see who can get their ball closest to the pin. The top 10% to 15% will get a piece of the $20,000 prize pool.
And they needn’t be scratch golfers to participate. A handicapping system ensures that customers are competing against others with a similar skill level. Players can see how they measure up on a live leaderboard.
The tournaments add a new element to Five Iron, which already covers a number of different occasions. There are lessons, club fittings and memberships for serious golfers, as well as games for all ages and skill levels. Customers play on indoor simulators where they hit a real ball into a screen powered by Trackman technology. Food and drinks are also available.
The tournaments are designed to add even more gamification at Five Iron by tapping into the growing popularity of online poker, gambling apps and prediction markets. Jared Solomon, co-founder and CEO, said the idea is simply to keep customers entertained. Actual revenue derived from the tournaments is expected to be minimal.
“We do take a small entry fee, but success for us is more people playing, staying longer and having fun,” he said.
Five Iron has been developing tournaments for three years and said the program is the first of its kind. Since it began testing it in October, more than a thousand players have logged almost 20,000 entries, and 65% have returned within the same month to compete again.
Tournaments are live now in 15 markets, 11 states and Washington, D.C., with a full U.S. rollout expected later this summer.
Founded in 2017 in New York City, Five Iron has grown quickly and now has more than 100 locations worldwide. Sales rose 26.8% last year and unit count increased by 35.7%, according to Technomic data.
It’s part of a bumper crop of sports-based eatertainment concepts where customers can play golf, baseball, pickleball or darts while also drinking and dining. Five Iron’s membership model and focus on serious golfers makes it somewhat unique.
In March, it closed a Series E funding round led by Coral Tree Partners. The amount was not disclosed.
About the Author
Joe Guszkowski
Senior editor, Restaurant Business
Joe Guszkowski is a senior editor with Restaurant Business covering technology and casual-dining chains.
Content Spotlight
The Technomic Top 500: Another tough year for chain restaurants
Top 500 chain restaurant sales slowed again in 2025 as consumers cut back on dining, but sectors like coffee, beverages and snacks and chicken thrived
Featured
May 28, 2026
May 21, 2026
Recent News
Content Spotlight
Get to know Rick Cardenas, the Darden CEO who started there as a busser
The executive shares his advice, along with his most-binged TV show, favorite sports team, and most-used app
Source: This story originated with Nation's Restaurant News.
View Original Article →