Golf Is Leaving the Golf Course: Parma Small Business Outback Golf Club Brings the Game to Northeast Ohio Backyards, Tailgates and Family Gatherings
With off-course golf participation reaching record levels nationally, the Ohio-built portable six-hole game lets families and friends keep playing long after local courses close for the season
Parma, Ohio, USA - October 15, 2026 - Golf has never been more popular in the United States, and a growing share of it is happening away from the traditional course. According to the National Golf Foundation, total U.S. golf participation reached an all-time high of 48.1 million people in 2025. Of those, 37.9 million took part in off-course formats such as driving ranges, simulators and golf entertainment venues, and roughly two-thirds of newcomers first encountered the sport somewhere other than a traditional course.
Outback Golf Club LLC, a small business built in Northeast Ohio, is part of that shift. The company makes a portable golf game that lets players build their own six-hole course in a backyard, park, beach or tailgate lot, using their own clubs.
The kit includes ground hoops that serve as holes, flags, tee markers, a turf mat and lightweight foam balls designed for open spaces where a real golf ball would be impractical. Players choose the distance, angle and obstacles for each hole, so no two courses play the same.
"Golf has always been a game about friends, a little friendly trash talk and a nice afternoon outside," said a spokesperson for Outback Golf Club. "We wanted to take that feeling and put it anywhere people already gather. You don't need a tee time, a membership or a long drive. You just need a little space and a few people who want to play."
The timing matters in Northeast Ohio, where the outdoor golf season is shorter than in warmer parts of the country. As local courses wind down for the year, fall weekends, football tailgates and Thanksgiving gatherings offer new places to play. Because the game uses foam balls and portable targets, it can be set up and taken down in minutes.
The company says the game also works as an easy entry point for people who have never played. Kids, grandparents and casual players can compete alongside experienced golfers, with holes designed to suit everyone's skill level.
"Some of our favorite moments are when someone who swears they don't golf ends up winning the round," the spokesperson said. "That's the whole idea. It brings families and friends together, and it gets new people excited about the game."
Beyond backyards, Outback Golf Club sees the game as a fit for community events, fundraisers, corporate outings and youth activities, and plans to introduce organized events and course design challenges in the future.
The company is proud to design and build its product in Northeast Ohio and to grow as part of the region's small business community.
More information is available at playoutbackgolf.com.
About Outback Golf Club LLC
Outback Golf Club LLC is a Parma, Ohio-based small business that creates a portable six-hole golf game for backyards, parks, beaches and tailgates. Built in Northeast Ohio, the game lets players design their own course and play with their own clubs. The company's mission is to make golf fun, social and accessible anywhere people gather.