HUMBOLDT — Avid golfers can test their skills at navigating the iconic 17th hole at St. Andrews, work their away around Amen Corner at Augusta or even try their luck on the famed island green at Sawgrass — all from the friendly confines of downtown Humboldt.
A series of golf simulators is the centerpiece of Humboldt’s newest recreational establishment, Sticks Golf Lounge, at 806 Bridge St., which opened its doors Wednesday.
Sticks is the brainchild of Craig Newman and son-in-law Chase Butcher, both of whom would be perfectly content on the golf course seven days a week.
“We’ve always wanted something like this,” Newman said. “I really don’t know what got us started on the idea. But this town needs some type of entertainment, something you can do on evenings and weekends that doesn’t involve shopping.”
“We’d been looking at different simulators,” Butcher said. “It finally got to the point where the prices were where we could do something like this.”
Newman and Butcher found a site for their golf lounge in what had been an event center with Stacy Cakes, before that shop relocated last year.
They’ve spent the past several months constructing three golf bays and adjoining bar/lounge area, while building owner Joe Works oversaw work to repaint the ceiling and sand its hardwood flooring.
STICKS is geared for either the newcomer just picking up a club, to the fanatics such as Newman and Butcher eager to shoot a round at some of the signature golf courses in the world. (There are 100,000 courses to pick from.)
Golfers can tee off from any of three simulators, 13 feet wide, 11 feet tall and 15 feet from tee to screen.
A camera captures the golf swing, with special sensor-laden golf balls measuring everything from ball speed and club speed, the angle at which the club face hits the ball, spin and launch angle.
The projector takes that information and instantly feeds it onto the digital projection on the screen to simulate what the shot would be if a golfer was outdoors on the actual course. The software also can simulate varying weather conditions — even rain — and other factors, such as the “softness” on greens and fairways.
Each bay also has a driving range option, for golfers to practice their swings before tackling a round, with the computer analysis available to show how one’s swing may need improvement.
“It’ll really help the average golfer, who already has a consistent swing,” Butcher said. “They can really fine tune it.”
Butcher encourages golfers to tackle courses more suited for their skills.
“We don’t want people to get discouraged,” he explained. “Pebble Beach is one of the toughest courses in the world.”
Even on a computer screen.
There are countless courses that are more forgiving for beginners, Newman added.
“You don’t have to worry about hitting the ball in the water or off a cliff,” he said.
The simulators also allow for putting, if a golfer so wishes. Otherwise, they just add one or two strokes to the score once a golfer reaches the green, depending upon the distance from the hole.
That option can greatly speed up the time it takes to shoot a round, Butcher explained.
“Depending on how good the golfer is, two people can get in 18 holes in about an hour,” he said.
And because the golfers don’t have to spend hours looking for lost balls, or even marching up a course between shots, the experience takes much less time than on a real course.
That’s important because Sticks charges by the hour. It costs $40 for an hour’s worth of golfing on Wednesday and Thursday, and $50 per hour for Friday and Saturday golfing.
Each bay allows a maximum of four golfers at a time.
Newman and Butcher encourage golfers to bring their own clubs.
“We have a few clubs they can use, if need be,” Newman said, “like if they’re coming from out of town.”
Newman noted one set of clubs can be shared by each group as well.
NEWMAN and Butcher designed and built the bays, and accompanying bar, using solely cherry and mahogany, giving an old English aesthetic, with a series of 64-inch televisions adorning the wall to follow golf courses.
Not all went according to plan.
Newman, with an eye toward convenience, added a sloping floor below the screen, thus allowing the ball to roll back to the golfer after he swings.
What he didn’t realize, until after one of his first rounds, was that if you swing incorrectly, it sends the ball straight into the slope, and ricocheting skyward.
“It flew up to the ceiling, bounced off and hit the wall behind me,” he laughed. “I knew we needed to change that.”
Some work remains.
The front entrance will soon be ready, now that frames for the glass are prepared. For the time being, the opening is boarded up. Newman expects the entrance to be finished within a few weeks.
“Our busy season will be in the fall,” Newman predicted, once the weather cools and being outside on a golf course sounds less appealing. Plans are to establish indoor golf leagues around then as well.
Reservations are encouraged, but walk-ins are accepted, Butcher added, comparing Sticks to a bowling alley.
“You may be able to come right in and have a bay available, or you may have to wait a while,” he said.
The bar offers a wide assortment of cereal malt beverages to whet your whistle.
And while Sticks doesn’t have a full-fledged kitchen, snacks are available, and Newman and Butcher allow for food to be delivered from TJ’s Barbecue from down the street.
“As more food joints open up, if they’re willing to deliver, we’ll be happy to have them,” Newman said.
Regardless of whether golfers are hungry or thirsty, Newman and Butcher have just one suggestion: have fun.
“I’ve played golf all my life,” said Newman, who lived across the street from Humboldt’s municipal course as a child. “It’s just a great sport. It’s a great way for friends to come together and have fun.”
Sticks is open from 4 to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.
Reservations can be booked online at www.sticksgolflounge.com.
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