Family-owned DriveSouth Indoor Golf changing Prattville landscaape
Prattville is best known in the golf community as one of the top stops along Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Now, DriveSouth, an indoor range, is making waves.
The RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill, a sprawling 54-hole complex with three distinct 18-hole golf courses, is one of the Trail’s most visited sites. But Bobby and Elyse Rogers saw something missing in the local golf community in a town that is just a long par 5 away from Montgomery, the state’s capital city,
Prattville had no indoor golf facility.
So, the enterprising couple took a leap of faith in April 2025 and opened DriveSouth Indoor Golf,facility featuring TrackMan simulators, hoping to attract a diverse customer base,
Credit Elyse, who caught the golf bug while pregnant with the couple’s second child, as the inspiration for the idea.
“We would go out to the course and I would ride in the cart,” she said. “One day I told Bobby I wanted to take a crack at the ball. By the end of the week, I had my own golf clubs and fell in love with the game.”
In addition to being a full-time mom to two small children, she also had a career. And that left little time to play a weekend round.
“I only made it outdoors like a handful of times that first year,” but I was addicted and I wanted to get better,” she said.
From there, the idea to open an indoor facility, was born. Indoor simulator facilities have become one of the fastest growing industries in the golf spectrum. Players can practice year-round or play 18-hole rounds on the world’s best courses in an hour in a controlled environment. No rain, mud, bugs or humidity.
DriveSouth caters to all types of players and ages. The Rogers wanted to make sure it was family-friendly, so it’s not uncommon to see entire families playing on a simulator in the middle of the afternoon or an individual hitting balls at 5 a.m.
“We just envision this as a place where we can grow the game,” Bobby said. “We understand it probably just as much as anybody that everybody’s life is different. It’s hard to get out and play a five-hour round. A lot of people in this area work factory jobs and they’re on second or third shift. And those people have a hard time getting out to play. That’s why we are accessible 24 hours a day.”
Four Trackman bays available 24/7
DriveSouth features four TrackMan bays. It’s open to the public and also offers a variety of membership plans that allow 24/7 access. It hosts a variety of special events, such as ladies’ nights.
“Where we’re at now is what I would describe as truly a staple of the community,” Bobby said. “I think the coolest thing is we somewhat changed the culture of downtown Prattville. It’s got a great culture already, but I don’t think in the 80 or 100 years it has been around that anybody imagined seeing people walking by with golf clubs all day.”
While owning and operating DriveSouth, Bobby developed “Roundd”, the facility’s technology platform.
“It draws on the needs we’ve encountered firsthand as club owners,” Elyse said. “The club, the software and now the Cup all reflect our desire to make golf easier to fit into people’s lives.”
The couple stress that DriveSouth isn’t a competitor to traditional golf. Instead, it’s an alternative opportunity for golfers to practice, compete and build confidence for their outdoor rounds throughout the year. They see it as a complement to the course in every season, rather than simply a backup for bad weather.”
An indoor-outdoor golf tournament
‘A year and a half after opening, Bobby and Elyse came up with another idea – to host a tournament that incorporated their indoor facility and the RTJ Golf Trail’s Judge course that is just a few miles away. The couple believe that the DriveSouth Cup is the first event of its kind in that regard.
Two indoor qualifying rounds on the Judge will be held at DriveSouth Indoor Golf any time between Oct. 25-Nov. 8. The final round will be held Nov. 11 on the Judge at Capitol Hill. Flights will be established by averaging the two qualifying rounds. A Flight Night event will reveal which teams are in which flight as competition shifts from DriveSouth to the actualJudge course at Capitol Hill.
Cost for the tournament is $400 per team or $200 per individual. Players who sign up individually will be paired with another individual with a similar skill level. Players can sign up at DriveSouth Indoor Golf or on the facility’s website (https://drivesouthbama.com/).
According to the Rogerses, the DriveSouth Cup features more than $10,000 in total prize value. Tournament partners include:
- Bettinardi, which will provide putters for players to use during the indoor rounds and will be onsite for Flight Night on Nov. 8.
- Texas Roadhouse is sponsoring Flight Night Food.
- Pepsi/Buffalo Rock is sponsoring refreshments for Flight Night and the outdoor championship.
- Srixon will be at the range with demo clubs and is providing every player with a sleeve of balls.
- TrackMan will be onsite for the Longest Drive competition, capturing players’ swings and data.
For more information about DriveSouth, call (334) 301-4937 or email info@drivesouthbama.com.
Featured image courtesy of DriveSouth Indoor Golf
Gregg Dewalt is the editor of Alabama Golf News
Have a story idea or a news item to report to Alabama Golf News? Email gregg@alabamagolfnews.com
