Chasing Aces is officially open and provides a fun, family-friendly experience that has never been offered in our area before. 

This Family Entertainment Center focuses on sports entertainment and offers a variety of experiences from golf driving ranges, a putting course, a par 3 golf-course, and for those who are baseball fans, a batting experience too. They also have a full-service bar and kitchen for great food and shareable apps for the whole group. 

Owner John Dudley is a native to Northwest Louisiana and also owns a legacy business that has kept him connected to the community. After being in that business for 30 years, and owning it for the last 15, he’s stepped into a new adventure – Partnership with PENN Entertainment, which owns Margaritaville Resort and Casino, to bring something new to the riverfront of the Louisiana Boardwalk.  

“The uniqueness of Chasing Aces is what we’re doing. These sports have been predominantly a male-driven sport, and we’ve created an environment that’s accessible to all and inviting to all,” Dudley explained. “So, in our first month here, we’ve really seen that our mix here is 50% male and female. That means we’ve created an environment that’s acceptable and inviting to all demographics.”

Like the demographics of guests, each experience is different and has its own space within the property. Upstairs, you’ll find the swinging bays for golf as well as the homerun dugout baseball and softball entertainment option. This allows the player to select any Major League Baseball park and truly immerse themselves in the experience. 

Outside you’ll find the putting course where you’re able to give back to local non-profits such as The Gingerbread House, Shriners Hospital, Heart for Hope, and many more.

“That has a prize pole on every hole that allows the participant to make a donation to a charity and to be a recipient of a prize if they hit a hole in one,” Dudley said.  

Any major city has a putting course that’s always packed, but Chasing Aces is so much more than an entertainment bay. They truly want to connect to the community and grow the sport by way of their upcoming academy that will offer lessons.  

“Our goal is to grow the sport that we love, and we’ve created steps to be able to do that,” he explained. “The Academy can take a person who has never picked up a golf club before to get them hitting, swinging, and comfortable in a laid-back environment in group sessions.”

The Academy features head instructor, Ladies Professional Golf Association Player, Meredith Duncan, as well as 3 other Professional Golf Association instructors to assist. They aspire to open a Junior Academy next summer to help kids as well. 

Another step in the direction of growing the sport of golf, the Chasing Aces team is moving towards establishing two programs with the local school systems to try and have every student in Bossier and Caddo Parish come enjoy the facility through the school year. 

From student and local outreach, to nonprofit donations, they all make an impact in the local community by doing good while using new, groundbreaking technology, like their all-in-one app to assist during play.  

“One of the advantages of being in a town like Bossier-Shreveport is that this is the biggest small town you’re ever going to get in,” he said. “I’m able to launch some core technologies that the rest of the world is not going to see for a little while that gives me a little bit of breathing room to test what I need to do before getting into a larger market. I’m very fortunate to have that going for me.”

Through this entire process of opening Chasing Aces, Dudley has made it known that he has a heart for the community and businesses he builds will always be centered around community because they are the ones that will support you. 

“I’ve had this vision and I get to see this vision come true. So, I think my favorite part is watching these families come in and see something in their community that they’ve wanted for a long time and putting a smile on a kid’s face,” he said.

Recently, he was able to see and receive a heartfelt thank you firsthand from the son of a friend. Although he had never met the kid, he received a hug and a thank you for opening up this facility. That makes it worth it for him. 

With the growth, he will be taking over operations for Chasing Aces in Florida in August. There is a plan for national expansion with several different locations identified. Dudley is also looking forward to continued growth with Penn Entertainment, but the community will remain at the heart of it all.

“What I’m doing is worth it, and it makes me realize that we’re trying to do something good for the community. I’ve got to make a business out of it, but while making a business, you can be a good community partner,” Dudley said. “You can give back and you can make a difference. That’s what I want to do with my life is every person I touch, make a difference in their life in a positive way. That’s my goal. That’s what makes me happy.”