Andrew and Kelly Kessler, owners of Ride-A-Kart, installed a new year-round state-of-the-art indoor golf simulator.
“It’s the same technology that the PGA uses,” said Andrew. “If you ever watch a PGA tournament, Trackman does all of their ball flight information. It’s a very well recognized system,” said Andrew.
The simulator will provide visitors and residents with a year-round attraction.
“We know that winters in Estes are getting busier and busier. People are looking for more and more things to do. Having an option like this in the winter is something that we hope that people will be attracted to,” Andrew said.
Situated in a large room with an astroturf floor the simulator has a large screen which covers one of the walls and displays virtual golf courses from around the world in addition to other online games.
“The screen is 13 and a half feet wide. The bay is 14 and a half feet wide, so it’s a very large bay,” said Andrew.
The way the Trackman simulator works is both simple yet quite sophisticated. The golfer places the ball in the middle of the floor then swings with a club as if they were teeing off on an outdoor course. When the ball hits the projector screen, a monitor on the ceiling uses optically enhanced radar to track the movement and speed of the ball. Data points are then displayed on the screen, such as how far the ball has been hit, the club speed, and the ball speed.
According to Andrew, the system is extremely accurate. “It tracks the ball flight. It only needs 18 inches of ball flight, in order to take all the data points, to track your ball.”
A touch screen computer allows golfers to seamlessly navigate the Trackman application. They can select virtual courses to play on, and online games to compete in. Users can also change parameters, such as wind speed, difficulty and club speed.
The simulator also allows users to play against other users online. Once signed in, a user can join a virtual game of golf with another user at a different Trackman simulator.
Players can also compete in the same bay by taking turns striking golf balls just as they would in a real game. The simulator keeps track of who is in the lead and displays this information on a leaderboard.
“You have practice mode, and all these different types of practice options. You have on course practice, test center and shot analysis. If you’re with a group of friends, and you want to play a round of golf with them, you can select courses,” said Andrew.
Golfers can pick from 328 real-world golf courses and 54 tour venues including Real Club Valderrama in Sotogrande, Spain, Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla and the Old Course at St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland.
The layout of these virtual golf courses is remarkably accurate to the actual courses. Trackman uses drone flyovers of golf courses, to capture as many details as possible, from the greens to the bunkers, to the foliage.
“If you play St. Andrews, the 17th hole you have to hit over the building, like you do in real life,” said Andrew.
In addition to golf courses, the simulator offers online games that allow serious golfers to practice their swing and aim. The experience is also fun for the non-golfer who just wants to use the simulator for fun.
Golfers can change things up by playing different types of games such as a bullseye game where golfers engage in target practice. Golfers can opt to play on a fantasy Jurassic styled course with dinosaurs or on an old wild west course or opt for a long drive game where the goal is to hit the golf ball as far possible. Distance records can then be posted on an international leaderboard which allows golfers to compare their score with other Trackman users across the world.
The simulator space, which also includes a large screen TV and speakers, is well suited for parties.
“In the winter, you also have access to the arcade. If you rent out the simulator, you’re also going to have that space. If it’s adults with kids, to keep the kids entertained, you’ve got arcade games for them to play,” Andrew said.
The Trackman simulator rents for $50 an hour. And for the frequent golfer, Andrew plans on offering a punch pass system which would provide a discounted rate.
“They’re going to be able to schedule their time in here. It can be one person. It can be a whole group of people. But they get this area for that amount of time,” Andrew said.
Other activities at Ride-A-Kart are a go-kart racetrack, a miniature railroad, bumper boats, batting cages, a bungee trampoline, bumper cars, an arcade room, a water balloon area, and an 18-hole mini golf course which is one of Ride-A-Kart’s biggest attractions featuring interactive water holes, a waterfall, and a cave.