Issue Sixteen · The Feature

Built for the Golfer

Born in South Africa and chasing a spot on the PGA Tour Champions, Morné Bekker opened Flyaway Sim Golf in Henderson for one kind of player: the golfer who wants to get better.

By Benjamin Olivares

Morné Bekker, Owner and Coach, Flyaway Sim Golf

Live the Good Life in Las Vegas, Issue 16

Morné Bekker has been playing golf since he was 7 years old.

Born and raised in South Africa, he grew up in the game, played competitively, and went on to play professional golf. He also built a career in the corporate world, where he ran successful sales teams in information technology.

In 2019, he and his wife moved to the United States and settled in Las Vegas when her company offered her a transfer. The move came with a head start. Her brother had lived in Las Vegas since 2009, and the couple had visited many times for business and family.

"It's never smooth sailing," he says. "But at least we had familiarity, and we settled into the community pretty quickly. That was a big help."

Chasing the Tour

Even after the move, Morné stayed in the corporate world. But he had always planned to give senior tour golf a real shot. When he turned 50, he knew the moment had come.

"It was time," he says. In 2022, he went back to golf full time to pursue his PGA Tour Champions card, and that same year he returned to full-time coaching.

"I still play really, really good golf. But it is hard to get your tour card."Morné Bekker

Earning that card, he says, is "quite a feat."

A Space Built for the Golfer

In 2025, Morné opened Flyaway Sim Golf in Henderson, and he built it differently on purpose.

"A lot of the golf simulation spaces around the valley are restaurants and bars with simulator golf included," he says. "Think Topgolf, or places like Five Iron. I'm not like that."

"My space is catered to the golfer, to help people improve their game and have a bunch of fun doing it."Morné Bekker

That focus drove every decision. Each bay runs on Trackman iO units, which are optimized for indoor golf, from a company with a reputation as the best in the market for tracking technology. And there are three extra-large bays, designed so players never feel boxed in.

"I wanted people to feel comfortable and not claustrophobic," he says. "They get the whole immersive experience, with ample space around them to swing freely, and not feel like they're going to hit the roof or the back wall."

More Than a Bay

Flyaway Sim Golf sits on Raiders Way, just below the Raiders practice facility and across from Henderson Executive Airport. Members have 24/7 access to the facility, and public booking hours are listed on the Flyaway Sim Golf website.

Members also get something extra. Morné's coaching app is in beta, and members will receive it free of charge. The free version is packed with knowledge, drills, and Trackman parameters. A paid version will add his personal review of a player's swing data, with commentary on their swing.

Why Golf Got Expensive

Ask Morné about the state of golf in the valley, and he points to a frustration many local golfers share. Courses have closed over the last several years, and no new ones are being built.

"And yet people are still coming into the valley, and we've seen big population growth," he says. "So there's a big demand for golf, and golf in the greater Las Vegas Valley has become pretty expensive for us locals."

That squeeze, along with the desert climate, is a big reason indoor facilities like his are becoming so popular.

From Green to Desert

The weather took less adjusting than you might think. "Except for two months of the year, July and August, which are really brutal, the rest of the year is really good," he says. "Our winters get pretty cold at night, but they're still relatively mild, and you can do basically all outdoor activities year round. That's a big bonus."

The landscape is another story. Johannesburg, he says, is beautifully green, with massive trees, green grass, and lots of flowers. The desert rock and sand still feel a little strange. "But you get used to it," he says. "You adjust and carry on."

Then there is the local habit of buying decorative rock for the front yard. "You're paying money for a rock," he says. "But it's a special rock."

What He'd Change About Las Vegas

After about eight years as a genuine local, Morné has one gripe. "The Strip, to me, has just become absolutely unaffordable," he says. "It's no longer the old Vegas. It's all about corporate performance and corporate money, and the real care about the individual has disappeared a bit."

"If we could get that back, that would put Vegas back on the map," he says. "We've got great sports teams, great facilities, and great hotels."

"That personal service element, I think, is just missing."Morné Bekker

Where He Eats

South Africans love their steaks, and Morné is no exception. His go-to is Smith and Wollensky at the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian, where a very good friend of his is the managing partner and general manager. "You can't go wrong with that," he says.

He does have one rival at home. "I must say, I cook some pretty mean lamb chops myself," he says. "Hard to beat those."

Continue reading

See every issue

Join the Community

Swap dining recommendations, share local events, and connect with thousands of people who love this city in the Live the Good Life in Las Vegas Facebook group.

Live the Good Life in Las Vegas

Interviews by Benjamin Olivares.

HomeThe MagazineFacebook GroupFacebook PageInstagram

Site built by BSN4PROS