Golf all year with indoor, virtual options
There’s no need to wait for green grass or sunshine to get into the swing of things for the upcoming golf season. Indoor golf facilities can help you get a grip on the game all year around.
Perry Indoor Golf
Golfers can choose from 125 different virtual golf courses from across the country to play nine or 18 holes in a temperature-controlled environment at Perry Indoor Golf in Weston. The golf simulator also has a computerized driving range available for practice shots.
“I get a lot of people that are trying to keep their swing going through the winter,” said owner Beau Perry. “I have people that use the golf simulation and the shooting range. We try to accommodate everyone.”
In its third season of operation, the indoor golf facility located inside of Dale’s Weston Lanes is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
“The best thing about being at Dale’s Weston Lanes is that here you have a full bar and grill and you can have food and a beverage while you golf,” Perry said.
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Golfers use the facility individually, or in couples or groups of four to stay in shape during the off season or to practice and improve their game.
Golf pro Buck Welsh of Mosinee gives lessons at Perry Indoor Golf throughout the year on the simulator. A member of the PGA since 1984, Welsh has been a golf instructor for more than 25 years.
“The nicest thing about the golf simulator is that if the weather is bad you can still go indoors and work with people,” said Welsh, who coached junior golf and the Wausau East Golf Team for more than 16 years. “It keeps you in practice. Some people may come in for lessons because they are going on spring vacation or on a golfing trip or they are just anticipating the upcoming golf season and want to brush up on their skills.”
The golf simulator and driving range provide players with feedback on technical aspects of the game. The program analyzes information on ball speed, ball contact, flight pattern and other data to help improve their game.
“You can actually in some ways help students a little more indoors because you get the feedback from the simulator,” Welsh said. “And the students aren’t so concerned about where their ball is going.”
SentryWorld Golf Course
SentryWorld Golf Course in Stevens Point recently added an indoor golf simulator along with a seven-stall driving range to accommodate players year-round.
“It’s really nice to have a place to be able to swing throughout the winter,” said Joe Wood assistant director of golf at SentryWorld. “The simulator has a realistic feel to it just like you are really playing on the course. It has really helped my game.”
Using the indoor simulator golfers can play on 20 famous golf courses around the world, including the Hazeltine National, Oakmont, Schaumburg National, the Innsbrook Resort Island Course, Conway Farms and Abu Dhabi. The course at SentryWorld is in the process of being added to the play list.
The simulator allows players to complete a course in about an hour. A foursome can play a course in three to four hours depending on the course. Cost to rent the simulator is $40 per hour.
SentryWorld has golf pros available for lessons on site for both the indoor facility and outdoor course.
Premier Sports Academy
Open for more than two years, Premier Sports Academy in Weston, a sports complex specializing in team sports, added a golf simulator in June 2015.
“At this time of year people, are getting ready to go out on the course and they are getting their equipment fine tuned,” said facility coordinator Matt Steingraber. “In summertime, we have a lot of people that hit the shooting range indoors.”
The PGA-certified simulator features 40 courses, such as St. Andrews, Pebble Beach, Scottsdale and Myrtle Beach. Whistling Straits Golf Course in Kohler is expected to be added to the line-up later this year.
The indoor facility occasionally holds championships and tournaments on the golf simulator and is anticipating starting a golf league.
With the growing popularity of the golf simulator, Steingraber recommends making a reservation for the machine at least a week in advance, especially on the weekends. Cost to rent the simulator is $30 for the first hour, $45 for two hours and $65 for three hours.
Open seven days a week, the 17,000-square-foot sports complex has batting cages, and offers training in baseball, softball, football, soccer and lacrosse in addition to golf.
Goal Line Golf & Hockey Shop
The technology of the golf simulators is used at Goal Line Golf & Hockey Shop in Schofield to test golf equipment throughout the year. The computerized simulator registers information such as ball distance, launch angle and the back and side spin of the ball using various clubs.
“We use it as a club fitting tool,” said Randy Damrow, co-owner of Goal Line. “It’s going to tell you the direction the ball is curving in the air, the height and how far to the left or right of center the ball is traveling. It’s a great tool to compare one club to another.”
Early spring is a busy time of year for the shop, which carries most major golf manufacturers, provides trade-ins and will custom order clubs and accessories.
“Our machine is meant to be a fitting tool and not for entertainment,” Damrow said. “People bring their clubs in and compare them with the new technology to make adjustments if they need to and hopefully enhance their game.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Perry Indoor Golf, 5902 Schofield Ave., inside Dales’ Weston Lanes, Weston. Phone 715-581-1052 or 715-359-8488 or visit www.perryindoorgolf.webs.com or Perry Indoor Golf on Facebook.
SentryWorld Golf Course, 601 Michigan Avenue North, Stevens Point. Phone 715-345-1600 or visit www.sentryworld.com.
Premier Sports Academy, 8706 Progress Way, Weston. Phone 715-298-9770 or visit www.premiersportsacademcy.org or Premier Sports Weston on Facebook.
Goal Line Golf & Hockey Shop, 1430 Grand Ave., Schofield. Phone 715-355-1790 or visit www.goallinegolf.com.