Wheat City opens golf simulator
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/12/2021 (1485 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Westman golfers looking to escape the long, cold winter and hit the links are in luck.
And it doesn’t require a negative COVID-19 test or even a flight.
Wheat City Golf Course opened its Trackman simulator on Thursday, giving players a terrific spot to keep the rust off ahead of next season.
Wheat City head professional Dave Scinocca considered building a simulator a year ago and didn’t want to wait any longer.
“I think it was something Brandon was missing,” Scinocca said. “We had these back in the day, 10, 15 years ago at the Town Centre and they did well. Things changed there, we moved them out to Shilo (Country Club) and they’re still doing very well at Shilo.
“I felt to put one back in Brandon, especially at this time, would be pretty beneficial to golfers in the area.”
The setup is a turf hitting area with ample room for full swings. Players hit regular golf balls into a screen, with the Trackman camera behind them picking up all sorts of swing and ball-flight data.
The program has 150 different courses to play, including many featured on the PGA Tour, but also has options for longest drive and closest-to-the-pin competitions, as well as a driving-range mode to work on specific shots.
Users must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Groups can book times between 8 a.m. and midnight daily by calling 204-728-2299. It’s $50 per hour, divided amongst members of the group. For reference, Winnipeg’s Golfzon simulator rates range from $35 to 45 per hour, depending on the day and time.
Scinocca estimates an 18-hole round takes one hour per player.
His company, Golf Brandon, and the City of Brandon signed a five-year lease agreement to run the club starting December 2019.
Since then, the course has been in its best shape in the last few decades — save for a few flood-damaged areas — and it finally has a restaurant again as of last week.
The Eagles Nest Bar and Grill opened in the newly renovated second floor of the clubhouse.
Wheat City is finally more than just a golf course.
“It’s very dramatic going back three years,” Scinocca said. “You think about Wheat City, where it was, just so lucky to be able to come in here and fortunate to be able to make some changes. With the added restaurant, the Eagles Nest, what they’re doing up here. Now you can come in and play some golf in the wintertime, I think it’s going to be a great fit.
“… It’s added value, absolutely, and it’s a great setting. You get up in that restaurant, look out those windows to the river, the golf course, the tennis courts, it’s pretty.”
2022 RATES: Wheat City’s early-bird rates for the 2022 golf season are out and available until Dec. 31. The unrestricted membership is $1,120. Restricted memberships, which don’t allow play before 1 p.m. on weekends and holidays, are $920, while the youth (19-25) is $525 and junior (18 and under) costs $175.
» tfriesen@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @thomasmfriesen