Take a virtual swing at some of the world’s hottest golf courses at Bunker Hill

By Ken McEntee

Just moments after narrowly missing a 13-foot putt at Firestone Country Club, a cringing Chadley Gibson took out his frustration by driving a flurry of golf balls through the glass windows of an old brick Downtown high-rise.

The virtual vandalism—and the tee time at Firestone—were part of a newly upgraded golf simulator at Bunker Hill Golf Club, in Medina.

With six simulators featuring the most advanced technology on the market, Bunker Hill has the largest full swing indoor golf facility in Ohio, emphasizes Chad, Bunker Hill’s general manager.

“Most golf courses don’t have an indoor simulator, and most of the facilities that do have just one,” he says.

The simulators are not only a lot of fun—one game, for example, encourages you to aim for the guy retrieving balls on the driving range—but they also can help to significantly improve your game.

“After you hit the ball, the simulator will tell you your distance, your launch angle, your back spin and side spin in RPMs, your club speed and just about anything else you might want to know,” Chad says.

“The speed and angle of your ball are measured by infrared sensors. The important advancement on our new simulators is an overhead camera that tracks spin rate and the angle of your club face when you strike the ball, so you know whether your club was too open or closed.”

The new systems allow you to virtually play 69 of the most famous courses in the world—compared to 28 in the previous system.

“They are spot-on accurate,” Chad insists while teeing off at Firestone’s first hole.

“You can select the actual elevation of the course—Firestone is at 1,228 feet above sea level. You can choose to play on a windy afternoon or a cloudy morning. The distances, slopes and angles are just like playing the real course.”

And, you can play all year long.

“In the spring, you can waste a month shaking off the rust if you haven’t played all winter,” Chad says. “Using the simulators gives you a head start when it’s time to go back outside.”

Each course offers 32 different games, like scramble or skins. Up to eight people can join in for team or individual play.

You can also practice on a virtual driving range or a putting green.

Then there are the numerous non-golf games, like putting out windows or blackjack, in which you draw distant cards by hitting them with the ball.

“The simulators are excellent for practicing alone or for parties and special events, like bachelor parties, holiday gatherings or fundraisers,” Chad suggests.

“Our simulator room is large enough to accommodate a good-sized party in one half, and leaving the other three simulators open for other people.”

Bunker Hill also has simulator leagues.

The cost of using the simulators is $32 per hour. Annual simulator memberships are available at MimiDeals.com for half price.

To schedule your Bunker Hill Simulator Room event or fundraiser, you can reach Chad on his mobile phone at 216-469-9241. You can find more information about Bunker Hill—and its Bunker’s Grill restaurant—at BunkerHillGolf.com. Bunker Hill is located at 3060 Pearl Road, at Hamilton Road, in Medina.