A Country Club Where the Sun Never Shines

After spending almost three decades on his feet as a commodities trader at the New York Mercantile Exchange, Tom Schiff suffered so much back pain that he was set to give up golf in 2009. Following months of rehabilitation and therapy, he was able to return to the sport he took up when he was 10 years old. The turnaround inspired him to start Golf & Body NYC, a gym in Midtown Manhattan that Schiff likes to call a country club.

The year-old facility draws most of its 130 members from the financial industry, although there are a few celebrities in the mix, including Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon. The 25,000-square-foot space sits in the shadow of the Empire State Building, but once golfers get off the elevator on the third floor, they can pretend they’re at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic or California’s Pebble Beach, 2 of the 30 courses featured in seven high-definition video golf simulators. The hitting bays, some of which are surrounded by plush sofas and chairs, are equipped with TrackMan golf radar and video analysis software to help players improve their swing. There are also three putting and chipping greens.