Want to play golf in the Modesto summer without breaking a sweat? New indoor golf site opens
With the satisfying thwack of a well-hit drive, a ball flies onto the fairway of Pebble Beach. The player then steps back, settles into a lounge chair, pours a pint from a pitcher of beer and watches the next player tee up in air-conditioned comfort.
No, they haven’t figured out a way to climate-control an entire golf course yet. But you can have the next best thing at Modesto’s new Swing Center Indoor Golf. The new business in northwest Modesto, close to the Costco on Pelandale Avenue, offers indoor play through golf simulators, which allow players to pick real or imagined courses and hit real balls into a virtual screen.
While the concept of virtual golf isn’t new, Swing Center is Modesto and Stanislaus County’s first full-service, dedicated site to offer the experience. Modesto-raised husband-and-wife owners Brian and Valerie Harvey opened their venture Aug. 1 after more than a year of renovation to the former Aaron Brothers framing shop space.
The result is a totally transformed 6,500-square-foot interior that includes six golf simulator bays, a pro shop and snack bar. The sleek space looks and functions a bit like a posh bowling alley, with table and seating areas at each 15-foot bay.
Golf is, of course, the main event, and Swing Center aims to appeal to both the experienced player looking to improve and the newbie looking for some fun — or any combination of the sort. The bays accommodate up to eight players each, and they rent for $55 per hour during the day weekdays, and $65 for nights and weekends — regardless of the number of participants.
Players have a plethora of options to pick from once their session starts. The Harveys use the aboutGolf simulator system, which is partnered with the PGA and Ryder Cup to include its professional courses in its virtual offerings. Players can choose from famed courses worldwide, including California’s Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay, Scotland’s St. Andrews and some 80 others.
Brian Harvey estimates that playing a full round for one player on a simulator takes about 45 minutes. But you don’t have to play a complete 18 holes, or even 9 holes, to enjoy Swing Center. The shop’s software also offers range practice and a host of games like Fore (a golf version of the two-person basketball game Horse), darts and cornhole, all adapted for golf.
Swing Center also offers $79 monthly memberships, which allow members to play for $25 an hour anytime and include discounted rates for guests. Players can bring their own clubs or rent a bag (which can be shared by a group) for an additional $10 per session.
The Harveys said they have more than 50 memberships since opening earlier this month and are attracting a mix of curious beginners and seasoned players. The golfers include members of the Gregori High girls team, who sometimes practice on site.
Serious players also can improve their game thanks to lessons from the shop’s resident pro, Courtney Burdick, and a high-tech video swing analysis system. A PGA golf professional since 2008, Burdick has worked at Bay Area and Valley clubs and offers lessons for $140, including video analysis. Customers also can add swing video to their regular rental session for $20.
The accompanying pro shop offers general club and grip repair and in the next six months hopes to add full fitting and custom build options. In about a month, the Harveys will launch their first tournament and begin league play, again kind of like bowling leagues.
While it’s easy to see the advantages of indoor golf during a typically sweltering Central Valley summer, Brian Harvey said he hopes his business helps amp up the social appeal of golfing as well.
“It’s more of an intimate feel, the bays have seating in front of each one. You can also hop back and forth between bays if you have a larger group and everyone can mingle and watch each other,” he said. “When you’re on a regular golf course, you’re more spread out and only interact on the tee or green.”
Swing Center also rents out for corporate or private events, and reservations can be made for one bay or all the way to the whole center. The Harveys said already some birthday parties and team building events are booked. Regular hourly rentals can also be reserved in advance or done on a walk-in basis depending on availability.
To keep the party going regardless of size, the center has a food bar that sells prepacked snacks, nonalcoholic beverages and beers and hard seltzers on draft. Brian Harvey said they’re working on adding more food options down the road.
“Most of the clients (who) have been coming in have not ever experienced an indoor golf facility until they walk through our doors,” Brian Harvey said. “It’s just a whole new, different golf experience that does translate and relate to the real world of golfing. You can come in here to play, practice and get better and also enjoy yourself at the same time.”
Swing Center Indoor Golf, at 3801 Pelandale Ave., Suite F3 in Modesto, is open 10 a.m. to 10 .m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. Reservations are $55 an hour before 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, and $65 after 4 p.m. and on weekends. For more information, call 209-488-4440 or visit www.swingcenter209.com.
