By Alan Watson, President, GOLF+ Dothan and PCB
The temperature has dropped. Significantly. Winter is upon us even if winter is barely a month or so in Florida. Still, we can’t get out on the course as much as usual due to cold and windy weather conditions. So what do you do to stay in golf shape? What do you do to get your fix? How do you see your friends and keep your swing swinging?
One answer is to bundle up and brave the elements. Of course, it is more difficult to swing when you’re wearing three layers on top and gloves on both hands. Nonetheless, it is golf.
Another answer is to visit a simulator facility for some indoor golf. I think this is a great idea for several reasons. One is that you will be able to stay warm and you won’t have to wear extra layers. Another great reason to play indoor golf is that you can experience courses that are far away and or are financially out of reach for many golfers. Seriously, greens fees at some high-end popular destination courses can run between $450-750 per round. So paying $50-100 to play them on a simulator seems like a bargain! But my number one reason to play indoor golf when the weather is poor outdoors is the time savings. That’s right. You can play indoor golf in about an hour per person per 18 holes. And if you need any more incentive, well, there is also the added bonus of getting some good data about your game like club distances and such which most, if not all, indoor facilities can give you. And if that’s not enough – it’s much easier to enjoy a meal and a drink while you golf indoors than walking or riding in a bumpy cart while you spill mustard on your pants while attempting to eat a hot dog mid round.
Here are some options that are local to us here in the panhandle of Florida:
The Trophy Room in Santa Rosa Beach, FL offers memberships to their amazing Trackman suites and a beautiful clubhouse-style experience. Par & Pour in Enterprise, Alabama, has incredible Golfzon simulators and a full bar for a fun round with friends in a sports bar environment. Over in Freeport, Florida, Birdie A Golf has five Trugolf Simulators as well as a lively environment with food and drinks.
My own facility, GOLF+ in PCB and Dothan, features GC Quad from Foresight Sports with its top-of-the-line data capture and fun playing experience that can be rented by the hour as well.
While indoor golf may not hold all the answers, it surely satisfies several requirements for having a good time with friends and staying loose when it is too cold to brave the course outside. Indoor golf gives us so many opportunities to see and play courses we might not otherwise get to. We can still hang out with our family and friends and enjoy the sports that we love. And we can support other local businesses beyond the golf course when it is so cold and windy that even they don’t want to be open.
I recommend and encourage everyone to try indoor golf at least once this winter and see what is out there in the world of top quality indoor golf in our area. Have some fun! Who knows you might find a new love for the game – without three layers on!
