Co-owner Greg Spadaccini standing outside of The Heights Country Club at 5128 N Florida Ave. Credit: Photos by @fotosetbyjames

Two Tampa entrepreneurs recently transformed their love of golf into a community-driven social hub and practice space.

Greg Spadaccini, who owns and operates Seminole Heights outdoor cafe Spaddy’s, teamed up with his childhood friend Paul Verrusio for a new project that’s located right around the corner from the beloved coffee shop at 5128 N Florida Ave.

“Two years ago, I was playing golf with a buddy and I got a hole in one at Rogers Park, and it just re-sparked my love for the game of golf,” Spadaccini—who was once on his college’s golf team and had aspirations to go pro—tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “Since then, I’ve just been diving deep into the game again. So I figured, let’s open up an indoor golf simulator here in Seminole Heights.”

The Heights Country Club—a tongue-in-cheek name that’s meant to poke fun at the loftiness and exclusiveness of the sport—is a fully-automated, semi-private social club where members can enjoy its state-of-the-art golf simulator. Other amenities include a pool table, darts and access to a lounge area.

The simulator not only replicates 18 holes at a range of famous courses for experienced golfers, but also features a beginner-level software called Challenge 36 that helps novices learn the game from scratch. The new “country club” also provides all necessary equipment like clubs, balls, and tees, although members are encouraged to bring their own, too.

And no, there’s no dress code.

“Historically speaking, the access to play golf has been very challenging. It’s been limited for the upper class, essentially. While this might not be the solution because we are semi-private, we’re still trying to make golf more accessible for the community,” Spadaccini explains. “We’re going to be offering both private and group lessons, league nights, family-friendly events—things of that nature.”

Other ways Spadaccini and his partner plan to utilize the Seminole Heights space include movie nights and collaborative tasting events with local restaurants, in addition to renting it out for private events.

Currently, the golf simulator-based social hub is accepting new members on an unlimited basis for $299 a month, which allows folks to access the facility 24/7. Memberships can be purchased directly on heights.golf.

The Heights Country Club also offers a $200/month “Player’s Card” for ten hours of golf simulator reservations and a $150/month “Hacker’s Pass” for five hours.

“My goal and vision with this project is to create a community that are all neighborhood folks that want to have a good time together and can pretty much help each other in whatever aspect—whether it’s golf, family or business,” Spadaccini tells CL.

Head to @heights.cc on Instagram for the latest news on The Heights Country Club, its tiered membership system, and upcoming events.