The People Behind the Glow
About the Founders
Out West Glow Golf is a family business built on a simple belief: the best moments in life happen when people play together.
Fastest Putter in the West
Jeff Schmidt
Well howdy there! I'm Jeff, and I've been chasing little white balls through windmills and around obstacles since I was knee-high to a tumbleweed. Some folks collect stamps, some folks collect coins — me? I collect hole-in-ones and stories from indoor mini-golf courses across this great nation.
By day, I'm a tech wizard out in Goodyear, Arizona, wrangling software systems and seeing the big picture like an eagle spotting a jackrabbit from a mile up. I've been described as a "creative thinker who connects individual systems," which is fancy talk for "I can figure out how to make things work better." I've also done my share of public speaking at events like SQL Saturday, so I'm comfortable talking to a crowd — whether it's about databases or why the 7th hole is playing particularly tricky today.
But my true passion? That's mini-golf, pure and simple. Alisa and I have turned countless date nights into putting competitions (she's won exactly 4 times out of hundreds — but who's counting?), and every family vacation becomes a course reconnaissance mission. I've played more different courses than most folks have had hot dinners, and I've learned a thing or three about what makes a course truly special.
Now I'm fixing to bring all that experience to Out West Glow Golf, where we're creating an indoor mini-golf experience plus VR escape and shooting games for those who want to step into another world. It's the kind of place where families can make memories and friends can settle their differences the old-fashioned way — with a friendly competition. So come on down and see if you can out-putt the Fastest Putter in the West. Spoiler alert: you probably can't, but it'll be fun watching you try!
Wanted in Three Counties for Too Much Fun
Alisa Schmidt
Howdy, partners! I'm Alisa, and if you're looking for someone who knows how to wrangle a project like a cowboy wrangles cattle, you've found your gal.
While Jeff's been busy dreaming up windmills and obstacle courses, I've been sharpening my skills as a team lead for technical projects. I've coordinated more complex initiatives than a saloon piano player has fingers, and I've managed resources with the precision of a sharpshooter. My background in technical project management means I can oversee everything from the first sketch on a napkin to the grand opening celebration and beyond.
But don't let the fancy talk fool you — I know how to have a good time. Jeff and I have been playing mini-golf together since our early courting days. Now, I won't claim to be the champion — Jeff's beaten me more times than I can count. In fact, out of hundreds of games, I've won exactly 4 times. But those 4 victories? Sweeter than sarsaparilla on a hot summer day. We've scouted courses from coast to coast, and I've got a mental list longer than a desert horizon of what works and what doesn't in the mini-golf world.
At Out West Glow Golf, I'm the one making sure everything runs smoother than a well-oiled six-shooter. From designing the indoor course layout to managing VR experiences and day-to-day operations, I'm all about creating the kind of experience that keeps families coming back for more. After all, our mission is to strengthen relationships through fun competitive activities — and I take that mission seriously, even if I do it with a smile on my face and a twinkle in my eye.
So come on down and see why I'm wanted in three counties for too much fun. I promise the only thing you'll be arrested for is having too good a time!
Our Mission
Strengthen relationships of family and friends by providing fun competitive activities
— Jeff & Alisa Schmidt
The Trail Behind Us
How We Got Here
This isn't their first rodeo in the entertainment business. Back in 2017, Jeff and Alisa started Sherwood Adventure — a mobile entertainment company where folks get to shoot each other with bows and arrows like a proper backyard Robin Hood situation. It's still running, still growing every year. Along the way they learned a thing or two about entertaining folks and keeping customers happy.
The dream of opening their own indoor mini-golf place had been rattling around Jeff's head for years — black light mini-golf, VR escape games, a shooting arena, the whole shebang. After years of playing other people's courses and running their own entertainment business, they figured it was time to build something of their own.
Why? Because families and friends need places to actually do stuff together. Not sit around staring at phones, but compete, laugh, and make memories. That's the heart of it. So here they are. It's been a long trail to get here, but they reckon it'll be worth the ride.
Built Different
What We Stand For
Community First
We're local. We live here. We're building Out West Glow Golf for the families and friends of the Goodyear community — not as a chain, but as a neighbor.
Genuinely Fun
Not "entertainment center" fun. Real, competitive, laugh-till-it-hurts fun — the kind that turns a Wednesday night into a story you tell for years.
Authentically Western
The Sonoran Desert is stunning. We designed our space to celebrate that — a western theme that feels genuine, not like a costume. Because this is where we live.