The state of South Carolina is home to some fantastic golf courses, such as the famous Kiawah Island and its Ocean course, Harbour Town, Palmetto or Long Cove, among others. However, in terms of indoor and virtual facilities, the number of them is quite limited, most of them lying far from the coastal side of the state – where the best courses are set on. This is due to the fact that the sea gives these coastal cities some milder temperatures throughout the year, which lowers the demand for this type of facilities. However, as virtual reality is on the rise, so is virtual golf. Little by little, more and more businesses open, and people are realizing the benefits of this other way of playing. Proof of this is the upcoming two Topgolf facilities that are opening in 2019 in the cities of Greenville and Myrtle Beach.Let’s take a look at the best places to play indoor and virtual golf in South Carolina:
Best Golf Courses in (Province/State)
1. The 19th Green Indoor Golf Center (Florence)
Located in the central city of Florence, it lies the 19th Green Indoor Golf Center, a complete facility where you can find multiple simulators Trugolf E6, each including more than 80 different virtual courses to choose from, all of them replicas of the most famous ones: Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes or Saint Andrews, among others. There is also a virtual driving range for those wanting to practice before their round. Apart from the possibility of renting a simulator on your own, another great idea is to take lessons from their PGA-certified instructors: Charles Weaver, Mike Porter, Derek Howell and Chad Polowski. The experience of these teachers combined with the wide possibilities of the technology available is an explosive combo difficult to find in any golf course. The rates for the lessons here range from $60 to $80 per hour, depending on the number of hours you decide to take. Other services include food and drinks, club fitting and repair and organized leagues you can join, in order to compete and meet new people!Address: 112 Woody Jones Blvd (Next to Party City) Florence, SC 29501 Contact: (843) 407-7444 / info@the19thgreengolf.com
2. Carolina Indoor Golf (Greenville)
This time we go north, to the city of Greenville. Here we find the Carolina Indoor Golf, easily the best indoor and virtual golf facility in all the north of the Palmetto State. Its functioning is practically the same as the 19th Green, counting also with some Trugolf E6 simulators including more than 80 courses that you can rent for $25 per hour.As for the lessons, Carolina Indoor Golf counts with what they call ‘Elite Golf Academy’, with Wade Roberts as the main instructor and a complete and personalized program for each student, depending on his/her skills. Private events are also welcome here, such as birthdays, tournaments, fundraisers, corporate events or sales conferences, among others. Address: 1168 N. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville, SC 29607Contact: (864) 520-2523 / info@carolinaindoorgolf.com
3. Precision Golf (Myrtle Beach)
An iconic golf destination such as Myrtle Beach could not miss the opportunity to have an indoor and virtual golf facility: lots of golf addicts come here to play courses such as Dunes Golf or Pine Lakes. So, Precision Golf introduces itself as the best indoor and virtual facility for those looking for a quick warmup or lesson when the conditions are somehow unfavorable for playing in any of the outdoor courses.Precision Golf counts a simulator with 25 virtual courses you can play with friends, all of them replicas of some of the most famous tracks in the world. For those preferring to practice, there is also the Skytraks driving range mode. The fee for renting the simulator is $20 per half an hour and $30 per one hour. The owners and main instructors here are Brent Carr and Mark Stoffel, which offer some affordable one-on-one lessons for those wanting to try this fantastic and different approach: $30 per half an hour and $45 for a full hour. In addition, both teachers are TPI certified (Titleist Performance Institute), a program with the philosophy that there is no one correct way to swing the club, but there is a functional one. Through a 16-step process, they will point out which are the weaknesses of your swing in order to correct them! Finally, another great advantage of this facility is the opening hours, especially for the early birds: 7 days a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except for Sundays, opening from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Address: 4125 Dick Pond Rd Myrtle Beach SC 29588 Contact: (843) 812 6320 / (843) 748 0395
4. GOLFTEC Greenville (Greenville)
There is only one GolfTec facility in South Carolina, located in the northern city of Greenville. We say only one because this huge company counts with more than 140 locations and over 200,000 clients all over the world. The fact that Golftec is still not expanding here is the proof that the demand for this business is somehow less in the Palmetto State than in other locations over the U.S. The GolfTec facilities count with their own technology which analyses the player’s swing in the most detailed way: motion measurement and video analysis with their patented TECSWING training technology. The main instructors here are Seth Francis and Kyle Mason, which will be happy to advise you in order for you to satisfy your golfing needs the best way possible. Address: 1025 Woodruff Rd Greenville, SCContact: (864) 640-8071
5. Paradise Adventure Golf (Myrtle Beach)
We go back to Myrtle Beach, where we can find the Paradise Adventure Golf, a huge complex formed by three miniature golf locations: Mutiny Bay Golf, Cancun Lagoon, and Molten Mountain. While there are no virtual simulators here, this is another opportunity to enjoy golf in a different way! From these three scenarios, the only ones with some indoor holes are Cancun Lagoon and Molten Mountain, so we will focus on those two.Cancun Lagoon opened in 2003, two years after the opening of Mutiny Bay. Here lies an outdoor and indoor facility which counts with 27 holes and features a 50-foot Mayan pyramid.As for Molten Mountain, it was the last one to be built, back in 2006, and offers 18 indoor holes and 18 outdoor holes, featuring a 50-foot active volcano! Prices at any of the locations are quite reasonable, with an 18-hole general fee of $8,5 for children and $9,5 for adults. There are also some great packages, such as a $20 all-in pass for one day, for being able to try the three locations and many holes as you want! Address and contact (Cancun Lagoon): 2101 S. Kings Highway Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 / (843) 444- 1098 / peigolfmb@gmail.comAddress and contact (Molten Mountain): 1010 Vereen Drive North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 / (843) 280 – 5095/ peigolfmb@gmail.com
Wrap up
So that’s it! There are the top places for enjoying a round of indoor and virtual golf in the state of South Carolina, a.k.a. the Palmetto State. Make sure of trying them out and let us know your thoughts! If you know any other one we left out, do not hesitate in telling us and we will add it to the list. Have fun!
