AUSTIN, Texas — More than a decade ago, West Texas native Mac Todd was living in Austin, where he was putting in more than 100 hours a week working three different golf jobs.
His dream was simple: to create, as he likes to call it, “the ideal human experience in golf.” So, Todd founded Urban Golf Performance, also known as UGP, back in 2013.
Since then, Todd and his UGP team have opened four locations across California. Most recently, just six weeks ago, they opened their first Texas location in Austin.
Right off West 35th Street sits a sleek, black building seemingly fit for "Architectural Digest." Inside, there’s a state-of-the-art golf facility – the first of its kind here in Central Texas.
“What normally is only available for tour [professional] players is now available for any player,” Leo Rooney, UGP’s chief operating officer, said. “We can have a novice golfer training next to Beau Hossler or Collin Morikawa. It happens often.”
Much like everyone else who works at UGP, Rooney eats, drinks and sleeps golf.
“Our goal is to not only improve your game, fitness and health but also create an experience that’s truly memorable,” Rooney told KVUE.
UGP’s approach is simple.
“We have a whole team here, and we look at all aspects of golf performance,” Rooney said. “We do golf coaching, golf fitness, golf recovery, club fitting, club building, mental coaching, and then we have a tour department where we travel with PGA Tour players and LGPA Tour players.”
The facility is equipped with high-level coaches, four private bathrooms with showers, contrast therapy (cold plunge and infrared sauna), a fully equipped, golf-specific training area and four indoor golf bays.
As for what happens if you visit UGP? First, they check out your swing.
“We sit down, and we’re very serious about your history in the game,” Rooney said. “What you want to achieve, set those goals. Then we’ll look at your swing and see what we are working with.”
Then, they evaluate both your health and physical fitness.
Once UGP fully diagnoses your golf game and physical health, the team creates an individualized golf and fitness program best fit for you.
“This is what we live for,” Rooney said. “We’re very passionate about what we do. I have my dream job – get to work with golf every day. Fitness, health – can’t get much better.”
Right now, about 25 pro golfers work with UGP, including UT graduate Beau Hossler and two-time major champion Collin Morikawa, who is also a partner with the business.
UGP also has major plans to expand to several other major cities in the U.S., including a location in Dallas sometime soon.