CitySwing Brings Golf to the People in Washington, D.C.

Access to golf these days can be transformational to one’s life. 

From an afternoon range session to a full 36-hole all-day golf-a-thon – we golfers know there is a subtle yet profound beauty and power behind hitting that little white ball as far and straight as you can.  It makes us feel something no other sport can.  It gives us a community no other game can galvanize and can spark a newfound passion that leads us down a path we never thought was possible.

In Washington, D.C., CitySwing Founder and CEO Tari Cash lives out this narrative everyday. 

Tari was introduced to the game as a teenager growing up in the suburbs of Boston.  “My dad took up the game later in life and, one year for Father’s Day, my mom, brother, and myself all decided to surprise my dad by playing 18 holes with him after we had taken group lessons,” says Tari.  “My dad jokes and says it was quite the memorable Father’s Day experience because we all played so slow – that was the start of my golf journey.”

Fast forward to after graduating from college, Tari found herself working in the financial services industry in an investment banking training program on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  She recalls some of the times she went and visited Chelsea Piers along with some of her coworkers and how she was one of the very few women who knew how to hit a golf ball. 

“This actually allowed me to stand out amongst my coworkers pretty quickly,” explains Tari.  “It was sort of in this moment that I realized golf had some pretty powerful benefits and the best part is I actually enjoy playing the game, too!”

After serving in the financial sector and building her career with brands like Penske Automotive Group, Tesla Motors and Under Armour, the Harvard Business School graduate began to unveil a unique perspective. This was fueled by inspired ambitions thanks in part to working alongside visionaries like Elon Musk and Kevin Plank. 

For Tari, one common denominator continuously became a secret weapon to form strategic relationships in the industries she worked in – the game of golf. 

“When I was working for Under Armour, that was when I started to play a lot more golf and realized, ‘Okay, there is something going on here,’” says Tari. “I was able to show up authentically as myself.”

From there, Tari was driven by her passion for finding that feeling of comfort and belonging and replicating this impression for others like herself.  “I realized that feeling can be translated to building a golf business where I can marry my entrepreneurial spirit, my authentic self, and really create a stake in this industry that hasn’t been filled yet,” she says.

After moving to Washington, D.C., Tari took the leap of faith and started CitySwing as a pop-up golf simulator in and around the District. Tari understood the assignment from the get-go: create a space where non-golfers, and particularly individuals who have felt like they’ve been left out of the game, can come as themselves and learn how to play golf.

“I wanted to send very explicit signals that we are not your traditional golf business,” says Tari. “But I also knew we needed to balance what we were creating visually with these welcoming spaces by equipping our customers with the right tools to actually get better at the game – that’s when I knew I had to start bringing the right people onboard.” 

Enter PGA of America Golf Professional Demarkis Cooper.  

Growing up in a military household just outside of Washington, D.C., Demarkis and his family grew up with a love for all sports.  Contrary to Tari’s story, Demarkis likes to say that he found the game of golf.  “A few of our family friends were big golfers, so my dad and I were always interested in taking up the game together,” says Demarkis.  His mother took things a step further and signed Demarkis and his father up for group lessons to learn the game together.  

While Demarkis admits he jumped into competitive golf way too early, he stuck with the game because he welcomed the challenge it presented.  He decided in high school that golf would be his ultimate path and pursued it wholeheartedly. This was quickly followed by enrolling in the PGA Golf Management Program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.  

After graduating in 2018, Demarkis had some decisions to make about his career path. “I knew after my internships, I didn’t want to pursue a traditional green-grass route – I wanted something that was different,” notes Demarkis.  “That was when I got introduced to Tari, who was just getting CitySwing off the ground – the stars aligned to find something as exciting as CitySwing.  To have this opportunity right out of the gate was a dream start to my career.”  

Tari emphasizes that Demarkis was essential for the CitySwing business.  She says while her perspective was a little newer to the golf industry, Demarkis brought that unique lens to our operation which allowed all guests to feel authentically welcomed to a CitySwing location – no matter where they were on their golf journey.

Six years later, now with an incredible 24 full-time employees – CitySwing has seen tremendous growth in and around the District and now reaches more individuals who are looking to give the game of golf a try.  The CitySwing Brand has now expanded to two brick-and-mortar studios with food and beverage, a mobile Golf Truck, and a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a steadfast mission to make golf fun and accessible for all, especially for individuals who are underrepresented and underserved in the game. 

Part of that growth is due to CitySwing receiving one of the very first PGA Places To Play Legacy Grants – as part of the 2022 KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club.  As one of the four pillars of the PGA of America REACH Foundation – the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America – PGA Places To Play is helping create affordable access to the game for golfers of all backgrounds and abilities.  Tari says the CitySwing Golf Truck is the connection to PGA Places To Play, and without it, CitySwing would not be what it is today.  “The PGA of America took such a bold stance when they supported the creation of the golf truck,” says Tari. “It shows they are recognizing that if we want to increase the number of people interested in golf, then we have to be okay with them getting into the sport in non-traditional ways.”

Tari, Demarkis, and their team make it a point to say “Welcome!” to every guest that walks into a CitySwing location – whether it’s a corporate happy hour at one of their studios or a soccer game tailgate activation with the Golf Truck.  On the non-profit side, the CitySwing Foundation continues to form connection points that otherwise would not be available – bolstering exposure even more so for certain communities to the game.

“The truck is really on the front lines of going to where the people are and showing up in unexpected ways,” says Demarkis.  “It serves all functions of our business from the LLC to the non-profit side and it’s always bringing the game to new audiences.”  Thanks to their creative business strategy, the CitySwing team fully understands that golf cannot be learned all in one sitting, so their continued use of the golf truck allows them to feed new clients to other aspects of their business.

“We are always trying to find new and exciting ways to show people what the game of golf can do and the power it holds,” notes Tari.  “Everyone goes through their own version of a golf journey, and we want to play a part in that while also proving not every part of that journey has to take place on a golf course.”

For Demarkis, as a PGA of America Golf Professional, he gravitated toward the CitySwing team’s prioritization of creating a space for everyone to enjoy the game.  “If I’m being honest, my passion and interest to marry the technology world with the golf world became most interesting to me.”  Demarkis says he draws on a lot of inspiration from an uncle who was also a successful entrepreneur, who encouraged him to always look up and see where things are going in an industry, “He always told me to make sure I’m meeting the puck where it’s going to be.”  As his role has shifted – from Brand Ambassador, to Chief of Staff, and now the Director of Sales – he says he’s touched just about every aspect of CitySwing.  “That’s the thing about working in a small business or a start-up,” notes Demarkis.  “Our team has morphed and alongside how we’ve scaled the rest of the business.”  This is especially true in golf as the landscape is ever-changing – and CitySwing is certainly at the helm of this continued change.

The impact being led by Tari, Demarkis, and the CitySwing staff is groundbreaking, but the team feels these last six years are only scratching the surface.  Tari says there is still a long way to go in the golf industry to get more women and underrepresented communities into the game. “I have a particular affinity for women and people of color using the game in the same way I used it when I was starting off in my career,” says Tari.  “It’s so exciting hearing from women who come back to our locations and say, ‘I played with the sales team’ or ‘I got that promotion.’  I feel so honored and proud of our team when we can provide those connections for people.”

As for the dream – it’s quite clear that nothing makes Tari happier than when their CitySwing community accomplishes a goal after they’ve worked with a CitySwing Instructor.  But the team’s vision doesn't stop there.  Tari believes many cities deserve a CitySwing experience and this is just the beginning. “It’s all about the invitation.  There’s a treasure chest of opportunities for people on the other side of picking up a golf club – if we can continue to invite creativity in this space and elevate the standard of how people find the game of golf, CitySwing will continue to serve its purpose.”