Mention indoor golf to people and some still think of the days of chipping in the living room, trying not to break mom’s glass figurines or putting into a plastic cup.
Technology has changed the way we perceive golf. Indoor and specifically virtual golf, has made life much easier. For generations, golfers had to follow the rules and hours of the standard golf course. Weather also played a huge role. Indoor golf breaks the barriers of money, equipment and privilege and has made is accessible to all. The best part is that you don’t have to set foot out of the country to play international courses and don’t have to trudge through any snow in winter.
Virtual golf includes a projector, computer, touch screen, ball tracking technology and ball flight. This then simulates what the ball would have done in the real world, but in a virtual golf environment. Golf simulators allow a golfer to work on his overall game, improve in specific areas, play just for fun or engage in virtual competition with others.
Today we are looking at the indoor and virtual golf on offer in the province of Manitoba, Canada. It has an estimated population of 1.3 million. Due to its location in the center of the North American continent, the climate is extreme. It is exposed to many weather systems throughout the year. With high humidity in summer and well below freezing temperatures in winter, it is good to know where one can go to play golf in a climate controlled environment. Winnipeg is Manitoba’s capital and largest city.
Here are Manitoba’s premiere indoor golf centers:
Best Golf Courses in (Province/State)
It offers 5 simulators that allow you to play over 50 of the best golf courses that the pros play on.
There is also a 3-tier driving range with 50 stations.
Professional one on one golf lessons with a golf instructor are on offer.
This is a licensed venue so food and beverages are available.
Reservations are not required but it is advisable to book Between November and March in peak season.
The Golf Dome is open all year round
Winter season: Nov 1 –May 31
Summer season: June 1- Oct 31
Trading hours:
Virtual golf:
Daily: 8 am – 10 pm
Driving range:
Daily: 8am-10pm
Address: 1205 Wilkes Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3P 1B9, Canada
Contact: +1 204-489-7776
Email: customerservice@golfdome.ca
Another year-round driving range and virtual golf center in Winnipeg, it offers 4 virtual golf booths with a comfortable seating area with projectors that produce clear displays. There are 60 courses to choose from. For the semi-indoor experience, there are also 20 covered stalls with hitting mats and in winter you can hit from heated bays out into the snow. Each bay has an air door and infrared wall heaters.
Trading hours:
Driving range: 10 am to dusk
Virtual Golf: Bookings essential after 5 pm
Contact: +1 204- 255- 4653
For more detailed trading days and hours
Address: 775 Plessis Road, Winnipeg, MB, CA
R2C 5H1
Email: info@golfcentralwinnipeg.com
3. Shooters family golf center, Winnipeg
Shooters boast a truGolf Simulator which uses the best E6Golf Software. It’s the leader in golf software and the realism is unmatched.
Reservations will be essential, to get in line to make use of this state of the art system. There are 55 different courses to choose from.
The golf simulator is available during normal restaurant hours:
Lessons are also available from a Class A CPGA professional.
Restaurant trading hours:
Sunday – Tuesday 9am-2pm
Wednesday- Saturday 8am-8pm
Pro shop
Contact: +1 204-339-2326 ext 1
Restaurant
Contact: +1 204- 339-2326 ext 2
Address: 2731 Main Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R2V4T2
“I know I am getting better at golf because I am hitting fever spectators,” Gerald R. Ford.
Golftec is an indoor training center for golfers and uses the latest technology to improve your golf game. Your lessons with a qualified golf instructor take place in a training bay and include interactive video, allowing you to see immediate replays of your swing. With immediate visual feedback and GOLFTEC’s patented Motion measurement technology, you are sure to sharpen your game for outdoor and virtual play.
Contact GOLFTEC directly for hours of business.
Tel : +1 204-275-1735
Address: 2589 Pembina Hwy, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2H5, Canada
Virtual Golf Simulators. Choose from more than 60 different courses with various modes of play. You can also choose the setting and conditions. The simulators will also allow you to practice your short game or have a go on the driving range. Golf Central also has 20 stalls with hitting mats as well as a grass tee area.
Trading hours:
Driving range: 10 am to dusk
Virtual Golf: Bookings essential after 5 pm
Contact: +1 204- 255- 4653
Address: 775 Plessis Road, Winnipeg, MB, CA R2C 5H1
Email: info@golfcentralwinnipeg.com
6. Shilo County Club (15 miles from Bandon)
Shiloh indoor winter golf school offers 2 advanced Virtual Golf Simulators
The first offers over 100 courses. Book a tee time now for a round of 18 holes at a number of famous PGA courses
The second simulator offers a number of the same great PGA courses but is a more compact system and also has great practice options.
Whichever machine you choose to play, it’s sure to be a great experience no matter what your skill level.
Book your tee times in advance by phone or online
Adult private lessons are available.
There is a relaxing bar as well as a restaurant open to the public.
For information, bookings and trading hours, contact: +1 204 765-3623
Address: A2 Cove Road, Shilo, Manitoba R0K 2A0
7. Golf Brandon – Home of Brandon’s Winter Golf School, Brandon
Golf Brandon offers virtual golf as well as lessons and junior programs.
Contact: +1 204-725-1131
Wrap up
An extensive search for virtual golf elsewhere in Manitoba turned up little else.
Searches were done on Tourism websites under attractions and recreational activities, recent city guides were scoured and outdoor course websites checked for mention of simulators or indoor golf of any kind, on their premises.
The majority of towns have a population of less than 15000 and offer mostly mini and outdoor golf.
For info on nearby Indoor facilities, please contact the Tourism offices in the following areas:
- Steinbach: +1 204-326-9877
- Portage la Prairie: +1 204 239 8334
- Thompson: +1 204 777 910
- Winkler: +1 204 325 7535
- Selkirk: +1 204 785 4900
- Dauphin: +1 204 622 3216
- Morden: +1 204 822 2562
Another idea is to keep an eye out on Facebook. Many of the smaller clubs do not have websites but might have a Facebook page. Indoor/Virtual golf is the best way to experience the game of golf at any time, within any season and in any location. It caters to golfers from all skill levels and ages. The element that always keeps them coming back is the entertainment value and indoor golf offers that in spades.
