BROOKINGS – A Brookings business that opened Friday will give customers a new indoor entertainment opportunity this winter and a shot at improving their golf game at the same time.
Sharon Brecher, part owner of Tee’d Off Golf Simulators, got the idea of a golf simulation business after a friend suggested it. Due to an injury, her husband couldn’t play during the summer season and was looking for a way to continue his favorite activity in the colder parts of the year.
“I think it is something that is needed because there’s not much activity ... for adults, especially inside in the wintertime,” Brecher said. “People can go to a movie theater, the bowling alley, go to bars, I guess. And you can stay active here and socialize and play golf. What can be better than that?”
Tee’d Off can be found at 2508 Wilbert Court Suite B, next to Little Caesars in the strip mall behind Lowes. It offers three golfing simulators that can be used all year round for practice or fun.
Golfing is a big sport in the Brookings area, according to the Brookings Economic Development Corporation.
“We’re a little bit weather challenged in terms of number of months people can get out and golf,” said Al Heuton, executive director of the BEDC. “So, this will be a great addition where people can go hone their skills, give them something to do on evenings and weekends during the cold months.”
Brecher and a few of her co-owners, Jill Janni and Mary Schulte, have heard lots of excitement from the community. Their neighbor, Little Caesars, had been getting questions daily about when Tee’d Off would open.
“The problem with golfing in South Dakota is once you kind of get your game figured out, it starts to snow, and you don’t play for several months,” said Brookings resident Rocky Dailey. “Being able to have a simulator in town means that I could keep my game up longer and I can spend less time at the beginning of the season remembering how to do things right.”
Tee’d Off’s three simulators feature more than 85 courses, ranging from easy to difficult, and practice sessions to arcade games. The simulators also offer other games such as baseball, basketball, hockey, football, soccer, and even zombie dodgeball.
Pricing Monday through Thursday is $35 per hour, and it’s $45 per hour Friday through Sunday, according to the company’s website, www.teedoffgolfbrookings.com.
“There’s a lot of options,” Janni said. “If you want to set it up to do leagues or tournaments, you can hook it up to do that. There’s also opportunities to just practice or just basically play the courses.”
People can use the simulators as practice areas for any of the sports in the program, too. Each one has multiple sensors to measure ball or puck speed and direction and offer advice on how to improve.
It’s for more than just golf lovers, though. Tee’d Off is family friendly and can be booked for any number of events, from birthday parties to bachelor/bachelorette parties to holiday parties.
While open, they’ll be serving concessions style food, malt beverages, soda and water.
Tee’d Off Golf Simulators will be open every day of the week, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m.-10 p.m. on weekends. The business can be reached at 692-7273.
Register photo: Joie Gjernes, who won early access to Tee’d Off Golf Simulators, takes a few practice swings Thursday. The venue features three stations equipped with top-of-the-line indoor golf simulators that allow patrons to keep in practice even during cold months. The owners welcome people to come check out the place, which opened Friday.
