The club’s new Club 1897 Virtual Golf & Sport Room contains varied entertainment elements that are “part fundamental, part fun, part academy and part arcade,”with three large simulation stations that offer “play”on 84 famous courses, along with video games. The simulators will also be used for lessons, as the club plans to generally rent out the new facility by the hour.
Unveiled earlier in June, the new Club 1897 Virtual Golf & Sport room inside the Atlantic City (N.J.) Country Club contains varied entertainment elements that are “part fundamental, part fun, part academy [and] part arcade,” The Press of Atlantic City reported.
The newest aspect of the storied club holds three large simulation stations, each equipped with 12 cameras, a 12-by-12 foot projector screen, computer, tee and small putting green, The Press reported. Rich color and graphics enhance the stations, which enable everything from swing analysis and lessons, to the fantasy of playing 84 famous golf courses and even video games.
When a user of the station swings at a golf ball, a simulator provides a flight path on a gigantic screen and a statistical page emerges that denotes speed, ball spin, distance, carry, and an inside-out number, The Press reported.
“The technology keeps improving on [simulators],” Mike Burke, Atlantic City CC’s Director of Golf, told The Press.
“There are so many things you can do with them,”added Burke, who researched the project for a number of years before installing the stations at the club. “You can play a whole round at a famous course, or take a friend over to one and say ‘Here we go, let’s play the seventh hole at Pebble Beach right now’.”
The club’s new room was informally baptized in early June when Sara Brown, Golf Channel commentator, former winner of its Big Break series and a teaching pro, brought it to life, The Press reported. Brown combined her instruction techniques, swing mechanics and assessments of the device into a demonstration.
“The simulation is a lot of fun and that’s what you should have when you are here,” she told an assembled audience. “There is no wind, there is no pressure, nothing bad could possibly happen. You also want to do more than just hit balls. Set up targets. Set up bullseyes [to practice shots at specific distances, as one would in a driving range].”
Of all the data that’s generated when using the equipment, Brown considers the “carry”number particularly significant, The Press reported. That number shows the yardage total for when one’s ball lands, revealing the number that precedes the few yards of roll added to most shots.
That becomes significant when one tries to clear a sand trap or water just in front of the green, Brown noted, because yardage numbers are measured to the center of the green, and if water sits at the edge of a “carry” total, it’s risky to try clearing it and the shot could call for a lower club.
During her demonstration, Brown used an audience member to display the value of upper-body turn, The Press reported. She placed two alignment rods across his body and waist, emphasizing the mechanics of a swing turn. Then she demonstrated the effect, using the proper turn to explode through the ball and hit a straight 257-yard shot.
While the club’s new simulators may be used for lessons, their enjoyment also rests in the well-known courses one can suddenly “play,” The Press reported. Pebble Beach, Oakmont and Torrey Pines are among the list of available courses for which the simulator screens can guide a player’s shots through their visual terrain. Varied wind conditions and arrows to denote a putt’s projected break bring the video-game element into play.
Other games offered include Home Run Derby, High Heat Pitching, Quarterback Challenge, Field Goal Kicking, Basketball Shoot Out and carnival games. The facilities will generally be rented by the hour, The Press reported.
For The Press’ full story, go to https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/attheshore/golf/atlantic-city-country-club-where-history-goes-high-tech/article_8066d869-b0fb-533d-a07d-30b23e54616b.html
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.