Soul of 78: Will Pullins
Owner, Drive-By Golf Center
Words by Nick Norris | Photos by Al Blanton
In January 2020, former state trooper Will Pullins decided to take a chance on a local business with his friend Shane Tyree. The business was a driving range, an interesting endeavor for Will. He’d never considered himself much of a golfer but that was no matter—Shane was. And despite not being one to often grace the green, Will saw the potential of what Drive by Golf Center could do for Jasper.
“We just thought the area could use something different,” Will explains. “There are not many places in Jasper that people can go and just hang out. We wanted to provide people a place to do that, while turning the driving range into a nicer, more appealing version of itself.”
The timing, however, could not have proven to be more chaotic. Two months after Will began work on the driving range, the COVID-19 pandemic led to mass lockdowns around the world and greatly impacted small businesses. Will feared his dreams were on the verge of crumbling before they could be made into reality. Fortunately, this was not the case.
“We did not have a ton invested at the time, but there was still an investment made that we did not want to lose,” Will says. “We didn’t know what to expect, but it actually worked out. People were stuck at home with nothing to do, so many came to hit golf balls at the range, just to get out of the house.”
In the year and a half since opening under new management, Drive by Golf Center has undergone some noticeable changes, with even more on the horizon.
“We started selling higher quality products in the golf shop and added an area for guests to play corn hole,” Will says. “I think we’ve greatly improved the look of the place, too. We’re working on putting together a birthday party package and some other interesting things that hopefully guests will enjoy.”
As for Will, he seems to greatly appreciate his new career choice. Though initially somewhat skeptical, he has come to value the freedom that comes with owning a business.
“It’s a large workload,” Will admits, “but when compared to being a trooper, it is much less stressful. I also feel like we’re supplying the community with something that many appreciate. I’m just going to keep trying to improve it and hopefully in time we’ll prove to be a place for people of all ages to come and hang out.”
Judging by the progress made in just a little over a year by its dedicated owners and staff, it’s a safe bet that Drive by Golf Center will become exactly that and more. 78