New Business: Birdie’s Athletic Club

Instead of charging per hour— where every session feels like a ticking clock—he flipped it into a membership. Unlimited access. No pressure. No rush. No decision fatigue halfway through a round about whether it’s worth another $30 to keep going.

The Gym

The golf side solves the improvement. The gym solves everything else.

Ty didn’t want a side room with a few weights. He built a full facility because he knows fitness is what keeps people showing up year-round.

“The gym is very important,” he said. “It’s not a couple pieces of equipment—it’s a full build-out.”

That decision ties directly back to his background.

Before this, before simulators, before Birdies, Ty spent over a decade in the fitness industry—building gyms, sourcing equipment, and understanding how people actually use spaces, not just how they look on paper.

That experience shows up everywhere.

In the layout. The pricing. The pacing of how the business is growing.

And especially in one key decision: he capped it.

A Business Designed Not to Feel Busy

Most gyms sell volume. Ty did the opposite.

He limited memberships on purpose—so when people walk in, it doesn’t feel crowded. Even at capacity.

“I think people will be shocked,” he said, “when we hit capacity and they come in and there’s still very few people here.”

That’s not an accident

It’s the result of understanding how usage actually works in a 24-hour facility—and designing around behavior, not assumptions.

Built By Hand

Walk through the space and there’s another detail you start to notice. Almost everything—he built himself including the simulator bays, the framing, the flooring and the finishes. Even parts of the bathrooms.

“This is what I really enjoy,” he said. “The building process.”

That’s not just a personality trait—it’s a business advantage

By doing the work himself, Ty kept costs low. And by keeping costs low.

The business grew from there.

The Real Strategy

What makes Ty different is why he builds businesses. From early on, he was thinking beyond the business itself

“My ultimate passion was real estate,” he said.

The gym was the vehicle. A way to acquire commercial property, control the space, and build equity while operating a business inside it.

He started with house hacking, buying a duplex, living in one unit, renovating the other. Then moving. Then doing it again.

Now, he’s applying that same model here by leasing the current space with an option to purchase.

“I’m attempting to acquire the buildings as time goes on,” he said. Ty doesn’t actually want to run a gym. At least not in the traditional sense.

“It’s not really my goal to manage a gym,” he said.

What he enjoys is the process with the build, the concept, and the early stage growth.

Once it’s running?

He’s already thinking about what’s next.

That mindset shows up in everything he does.

He’s flipped houses. Built out commercial spaces. Sourced gym equipment for over a decade. Started side businesses just to test ideas.

He even has a gutter cleaning company.

“It’s just fun,” he said. “It’s fun to try to acquire new customers.”

This Might Be Bigger Than Fargo

For a long time, Ty thought this would stay local.

He thought he would maybe build one location, get it right, and maybe expand to Grand Forks and West Fargo.

Then he started posting online and started getting serious attention from outside of the metro with one video reaching 150,000 views.

“I have people reaching out from all over,” he said. “They’re asking about the concept and how to open one. So, down the line, franchising might be an option.”