Tampa Bay is a golfer's paradise, with hundreds of courses easily within reach of area duffers. The summer months, however, are more of a fairway inferno, with high temperatures and humidity cramping all but the most devoted golfer's style. Indoor golf has yet to sweep the state, probably because no one has found a way to cram an entire golf course under one roof. While we wait for the Japanese to crack the problem, there is an interesting substitute available at Tampa's Pro Golf Superstore.
Upon entering the 13,000-square-foot pro shop on S.R. 60 near Brandon, the first thing that hit me was the sound of someone swinging a golf club. Comfortable, cooled air sliced by a rapidly moving club; the satisfying ping of titanium on the hard outer shell of the ball. But then, immediately following the ping, something went awry. Instead of the usual chatter and congratulations from other golfers there was a sudden, head-rattling THWACK!
In addition to the usual golf clothing and accessories (clubs, balls, bags), Pro Golf has a hitting area and two golf simulators. The sims, made by a company called Full Swing Golf, use a system of lasers to track a golf ball as it leaves the face of the club. The ball is hit off a green mat like the ones found at any driving range into a big screen about five feet away. A few seconds after impact, statistics are displayed tracking everything from distance and carry to the speed of the ball and the launch angle.
Now, here's the bad news. While Pro Golf once allowed heat-averse golfers to play a virtual round in the climate-controlled comfort of the store, the simulators are now used only for club demonstrations. Sales guy Jeff Hernandez tells me the wear and tear on the screens was just too much, and Pro Golf had to replace them every six months. (The store now gets about a year's use from each screen.) Of course, if you have an extra thousand bucks lying around, Pro Golf sells a system for home use that's very similar to the one in the store (this one made by P3 ProSwing). This system tracks the speed of the club head and doesn't even require a ball, making it much safer for use in the living room.
Pro Golf Superstore of Tampa, 9239 S.R. 60, Tampa, 813-621-7775.
This article appears in May 10-16, 2006.