Downswing's Indoor Golf Center Plans Move to Dalton Division Road
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After eight years on Lyman Street, Downswing's Indoor Golf Center will be moving to a new location on Dalton Division Road.
The facility, which offers virtual golfing through three large simulators, will relocate to the former Burgner's Market building at the end of its season that runs from November to April.
Until then, it will be business as usual at Downswing's. Owner James Underdown opened the center in 2014 for people looking to practice or for friends looking to have some virtual golf time.
"These simulators are equipped to show you where your ball would have gone in real life on that particular course around that particular range," he explained. "And it's a source of fun in the wintertime."
Underdown is a Class A PGA professional and the center is PGA recognized, offering more than 100 different courses and three driving ranges to play. Golfers schedule a tee time for the simulators as they normally would.
It also offers lessons, club fitting, and repairs, and sells golfing products.
Indoor, virtual golfing is a great option for professionals or people just learning the game. People hit the balls within a large booth with a screen showing the course; motion sensors detect the speed of the swing as well as how far it would have gone on a physical course.
The technology also provides a list of advanced statistics that would not be available in person.
"Kids seem to like it because it's kind of a big video game to them, it's animation on a screen so to speak, you hit the shot, and it kind of shows you where it would have gone," Underdown said.
"So kids like it, beginners feel a little bit more comfortable in here because it's inside of a bay or a booth, so I give a lot of lessons over the wintertime to beginners."
He and his wife, Alison, purchased the future location at 813 Dalton Division Road to house multiple family businesses under one roof. In addition to Downswing's, they own the Lawn Doctor of Western Massachusetts and have a large presence on eBay selling golf equipment and merchandise.
Underdown is also part owner of Tick and Mosquito Control of Western Mass with business partner Tylor Harrington.
Downswing's and the other ventures will occupy one half of the building and the other half will be rented to Shire Donuts, which recently announced it will be opening a second location.
The property will also be utilized for equipment that is used in the lawn and pest control businesses.
With this move, the hope is to make all operations more efficient.
Because the new indoor golf space will be larger, Underdown will be able to expand the size of his simulator bays -- currently 15-by-15 feet. Other than that, it will remain the same.
"We've been pretty successful here over the eight years," he said. "I don't know that we will change a lot other than the location itself."
Downswing's will open in the new location on the Monday after Thanksgiving of this year. For the remainder of the season, it will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Lyman Street.
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