Capitol Yard Golf Lounge
The winter has Berlin firmly in his hands, so it isn’t really the best of times to go out golfing. And the last time I had my clubs in hand is almost six weeks past. Time to go out and find something to ease the need to hit on small white things that are not snowflakes.
Coincidentally, Plock! magazine current issue features an article on indoor golf facilities. So I came across the Capital Yard Golf Lounge, which is situated just 300 meters down the street from the office. They just opened a couple of weeks ago at the beginning of december in a converted warehouse directly facing the Spree river. Featuring four bays with golf simulators, plus a lounge, fireplace, bar and even WLAN, it leaves almost no wishes open.
The Deadsolidgolf simulators offer different courses to choose from as well as a driving range mode. It takes some getting used to if you’ve never played on a simulator before – like me. Basically, you hit the ball off the mat into the projection screen, the ball flight path and length is then being calculated and projected on the screen. But be aware: the sensors in the floor mat reveal everything from club speed, club alignment to swing progression through impact.
“Facetrac” shows you the club alignment on impact, screen courtesy of Deadsolidgolf
“Flitetrac” shows you flight track and distance, screen courtesy of Deadsolidgolf
And yes, there we’re moments when I thought: “Oh, this is what my pro keeps telling me all the time”. In that means the simulator is a good addition to your normal practice routines.
You can putt also, using a second ballmark on the mat, the ball then runs over a sensor measuring speed and direction and then shows the result on the screen. The problem is that you cannot read the greens properly and judge distance and speed. So the result is pretty much left to chance. Putts under 3m are calculated by the program and scores are added automatically.
After some practice shots we played nine holes, where I was just about able to play my handicap. But the round was more about the fun than about the results.
The “greenfee” is €30 per hour, two persons can easily play nine holes in that time. As a foursome, you’d rather take two hours. In case you never had a golf club in your hand, Oliver Banse-Cabus (headpro of Golfanlagen Groß-Kienitz) is also headpro at the Lounge and will pave you the way towards your playing permit. Single and group lessons are also available (details here).
Capitol Yard Golf Lounge
open Monday-Sunday: 10:00 – 23:00 h
Stralauer Allee 2
10245 Berlin
Tel-: +49 30 700 11 99 0
Fax: +49 30 700 11 99 3
E-Mail: abschlag@cygl.de
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Sounds very good. Have to prepare for my first golf tournament in January
There is not much time left, so thanks for the hint. Unusual questions: What about children at this place? Some kind of entertainment for the little one while practising on the virtual range?
Well, there is not exactly a childrens corner or something similar there. But they have a TV there, if they don’t mind watching golf videos
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[...] I played the front nine of Pebble Beach Golf Links (kmz-file), but only on the simulator. [...]
[...] Another After-Work-Golf-Round yesterday and our destination was Spyglass Hill. My game sucked a little yesterday, the only good shots were the tee shots on the par 3’s. The chipping around the green on the simulator also gave me some problems, just look at the score on the 8th, my second shots was inches off the green and I manage to chip four times over the goddamn thing, my 6th shot then made it onto the green. [...]
[...] It looks like this won’t be your ordinary tournament as the flyer clearly states Dresscode: Goldfinger. Two player team up and share a bag that will be carried by the teampartners alternately hole by hole. Apart from your usual special valuation there will be one called “Best Outfit”. So you better get those knickerbockers and hickory clubs out and play in style. Players Party will be celebrated in the Capitol Yard Golf Lounge. The Bowler Tour plays two more tournaments this year, the Martini Cup on the am 15. of July 2006 and the Bowler Golf Cup on October 7th. [...]
[...] Here’s a chance to work on your golf swing during winter not having to freeze your nose off. Michael Lins – Headpro of GC Prenden – is giving training lessons at the Capitol Yard Golf Lounge during the winter. For that purposes, a Scope video training system was installed in one of the practice bays of the lounge. We gave it a couple of shots last night and the combination of the swing analysis of the Scope system and the factetrack analysis of the simulator is pretty interesting. [...]
[...] Golf House Berlin is giving you the opportunity to test – amongst others – the Callaway FT-i on their Callaway demo day on 21. January at the Capitol Yard Golf Lounge. The Golf House staff will be there for you from 12:00 – 16:00. In case you cannot make it, there is another test day scheduled in February. [...]