
Golf might not be considered a winter sport, but just because there is snow doesn’t mean you can’t pick up the sticks for a round.
Kamloops Virtual Golf is now providing Kamloopsians the chance to do just that.
Andrew Baron is part of the ownership group and says they are thrilled to launch this project off the tee. “It’s been a process that started last winter with chats and then around April, we started really nailing down plans and finally found a location. But then just as starting any new business happens, we kind of ran into a few roadblocks along the way. So we really didn’t start building out the space until beginning of October.”
The new venture has opened up at 141 Lorne St. and Kamloops City Council has now approved its liquor license. “Golf and and alcohol, obviously go hand in hand. Speaking about the outdoor season, everyone enjoys having a beverage when they’re on the golf course, and it’s no different when you’re in this you’re in the simulator. So very important.”
What will the drink selection look like? “We’ll have a wide selection of drinks. So we actually have bay sponsors that every year will sponsor a bay. So, we’ll be having their beers on tap. There are three local companies, along with a wide variety of other stuff, like seltzers. And we’re definitely going to have cocktails as well. So it won’t be necessarily a full bar that you would see like at a pub or a nightclub or anything like that, but definitely a wide variety of drinks, between beer, seltzers, cocktails.”
Baron says they offer a variety of packages allowing people to just come and play a round with friends or come and work on your game. “We offer drop ins. We have special events like Christmas parties or birthday parties. We have events such as tournaments that we’ll host. We’re also really keen on our four person scramble leagues. Those run three times a year for five weeks at a time. You sign up with your friends, and you play the same day and same time every week. And it’s really recreational focused league. There will be standings, we have prizes from the local sponsors.”
He adds they will also be looking at offering lessons in some capacity. “We’re trying to bring on golf coaches who are looking for space in the winter to teach lessons out of. We’re not necessarily trying to hire coaches under Kamloops virtual golf. We’re trying to provide a space where coaches can utilize that. They can have advanced booking times, reduced rates, where they can set their own schedule, set their own rates, but utilize our space.”
“One of the unique things about our facility is we have cameras built into the walls where you can dissect your game. So, after every shot you take, there’ll be one angle of your club coming through and showing your club impact when you hit the ball. It’s a super helpful tool. Then it also has two angles where you can see your swing and make adjustments based off of those replays that come up after every single swing.”
Baron says there are over 1200 courses available to play on their software. “You can play on real life famous courses. We have local-ish courses such as like Predator Ridge in Vernon, Revelstoke, Tower Ranch in Kelowna. We got fantasy courses. Plus world famous courses like TPC, Scottsdale, Augusta, Pebble Beach, that kind of thing.”
You can check out the Kamloops Virtual Golf website and book a tee time.