Justin Johnson's passion for the game of golf started at a young age, picking up clubs for the first time at 4 years old. Justin's father always told him that business deals were made on the golf course, and he needed to learn the game if he planned to work in the oil and gas or pharmaceutical industries.

"That kind of drove me, and I'm a very independent person, so I like the concept of what you practice is what your game will be," Johnson said. "That's where my drive for golf came. I'm obsessed with it now."

Since opening Choice Tee Golf and Putt Putt in 2008, Johnson has helped beginning golfers foster their own passion for the sport. After graduating from college with a background in marketing, Johnson said he and his father, Chuck Johnson, had an idea to start a Par 3 golf course, which evolved into a driving range concept.

"It was just kind of a dream," he said. "My dad and I partnered up and decided to come up with an idea. We kind of wanted a driving range with a country club feel instead of a bucket of balls in the middle of a field."

The Johnsons came across the automated driving range design, technology that is popular in Japan and Australia, Johnson said. The pair purchased the rights from the largest provider of the technology, Range Automation, he said, which allows Choice Tee to be the only provider of the system for 10 years across the state of Texas.

Although the driving range makes up the majority of Choice Tee's business, Johnson said the mini golf course brings in about 40–50 customers on the weekends.

"The concept was dad or mom could come hit golf balls [and] kids could come play miniature golf," Johnson said. "It actually ended up working really well, that actually kids like golf, so they'll hit range balls and then play miniature golf."

Johnson is also the golf pro on staff, providing lessons to golfers of all ages. As the vast majority of his students are beginners, Johnson said he focuses on form, structure and setup.

"We strive ourselves on making sure the golfer's comfortable and not going, 'Here's Tiger Woods' swing. Here's Rory [McIlroy's] swing,'" he said. "We modify the swing toward their body caliber and what their body will be able to do on the course so they don't hurt themselves."

Local schools, including Spring and Klein Collins high schools and York Junior High, even practice at Choice Tee.

The business has helped young golfers make their golf teams at the high school level and has even seen some students go on to play in college, Johnson said. A 4-year old student recently brought in a trophy to show Johnson after she won her first tournament.

"It's very rewarding to see people actually come back and say, 'Hey, your lessons helped me out or impacted me,'" he said.

Since opening six years ago, Johnson said the business has seen steady growth. Despite TopGolf Houston North opening just down Cypresswood Drive, he said business has seen a boost in sales because of the golf entertainment chain.

"[TopGolf] has definitely brought the awareness to golf around Spring, so it's brought more awareness about us to other golfers who are going there and didn't know we existed," he said.

708 E. Cypresswood Drive

Spring 281-350-4900

www.choiceteegolf.com