Golf and entertainment venue Five Iron Golf partnered with local entrepreneur Carlton Blood and Lawrence Group architects to design the first of several Five Iron Golf locations as they make their Missouri debut.
Officially opened on June 2, the St. Louis area Five Iron Golf is located at 8015 Forsyth Blvd. on the ground floor of Emerson Tower, less than 10 miles from Downtown St. Louis. Set in a street-level retail space in the heart of Clayton, Missouri’s central business district, Lawrence Group approached the design for Five Iron Golf’s first Missouri location with a distinct, site-specific lens.
With 32 locations and counting across 13 states and five countries, including locations in Dubai and Australia, Five Iron Golf offers state-of-the-art golf simulators, locally crafted food and drink menus, table games like ping pong and shuffleboard, lounge and bar areas and widescreen televisions for a dynamic, entertaining and inclusive way to play golf or just socialize.
Designing Five Iron Golf in Clayton required integrating high-tech golf simulators and lively social spaces within an existing, 8,300-square-foot shell space. A full glass storefront wall limited placement options for the simulators, which need lighting control and acoustic separation. Additionally, the layout of the ten simulators needed to offer options for group events that felt intimate and flexible, requiring thoughtful zoning to balance serious play with casual entertainment.
Unique to this location, the simulators are arranged in flexible groupings that support private events, reinforcing the venue’s focus on social connection, adaptability and experience-driven design.
The Clayton location is owned by Kirkwood-native Carlton Blood who has a three-site deal with Five Iron Golf for the Missouri franchising territory. Two other locations are planned in the St. Louis area, although their locations have yet to be announced.
Cobalt Construction Consulting was the franchisee owner’s representative on the project, with Pinnacle Contracting serving as the general contractor.
