CJ & CODY
Our Story
Just two guys wanting a better golf simulator to play on during the long Minnesota winters…
It all started in December of 2021.
I (CJ) had run outdoor golf leagues for years, and both Cody and I played every Wednesday night during the summer. As neighbors and friends, when winter rolled around and golf season disappeared into six feet of Minnesota sadness, we kept the Wednesday tradition alive with what we called “bourbon nights.” Because apparently that’s what golfers do when there’s snow on the ground.
One night, after visiting an indoor golf simulator, we looked at each other and said, “There has to be a better option for the Lakeville area.” Cody had actually considered opening a simulator place before COVID, but like most people during COVID, he had bigger things to worry about…like whether toilet paper had become currency.
The next week, I brought it up again. Cody was still casually thinking about it, but as an avid golfer with absolutely no ability to let an idea go, I became borderline obsessed. We found out a mutual acquaintance of Cody’s had opened a golf simulator. Suddenly the idea came back to life.
So we started touring golf simulator businesses around the Twin Cities. Every place we visited made us think, “This doesn’t look THAT hard.”
Spoiler alert: it was.
After doing our due diligence (and probably not enough sleep), we decided to take the leap. We formed the LLC in January and immediately began looking for space. Then came the challenge of choosing the technology. After visiting several venues, we landed on GolfZon because it felt the most immersive and realistic — basically the closest thing to real golf without losing balls in the woods or blaming your driver for everything.
Our goal was simple: create the best golf experience possible, paired with great food, cold drinks, and a place people actually wanted to hang out in.
We finally opened in the fall of 2022. And honestly, for an IT professional and a commodity broker pretending to know how to open an entertainment business…we think we did pretty okay.
Then came Stillwater…
Through a mutual connection, an opportunity presented itself. The owner of the Stillwater Bowl had some old golf simulators and didn’t know what to do with them. And when we say old…we mean OLD. The software was literally running on Windows 98. We half expected the startup sound to start with the old modem sounds (you know if you know).
After more planning, due diligence, and several conversations that started with “Are we really doing this again?”, we realized it was actually a great opportunity. We saw a chance to bring the Stillwater golf community a fun place to play, hang out, and survive the long Minnesota winters without completely losing their golf swing — or sanity.
So, in February of 2026, The Links of Stillwater officially opened its doors.
Turns out, with enough vision, determination, and updated operating systems…anything is possible.
The Rebrand…
With the addition of Stillwater, we decided it was time for a rebrand. Apparently having multiple locations means you’re supposed to look professional or something.
So now we proudly introduce:
The Links of Lakeville
&
The Links of Stillwater
We also purchased the URL: thelinks.golf — because somehow “.golf” is a real thing, and honestly, it felt meant to be.
Over the next few months, we’ll continue rolling out the rebrand, updating things, and pretending we fully know what we’re doing.
More to come!
CJ & Cody