Whether you’re a scratch golfer or you’ve never swung a club, there’s a new spot in Coral Gables that’s rewriting the rules of the game.
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Five Iron Golf has officially opened its first Florida location, bringing cutting-edge golf technology to South Florida.
But it’s not just changing the way people play golf. It’s also changing the way they’re getting better.
Inside Five Iron Golf’s brand-new Coral Gables location, the golf course fits inside an air-conditioned simulator bay, and it runs on radar.
Each of the facility’s 12 golf simulator bays is equipped with the Trackman iO system, combining three high-speed cameras with dual radar technology to capture every millisecond of a golfer’s swing.
“All of our bays have Trackman iO. It’s a new Trackman system,” said Taeyoon Lee, an instructor with the Jim McLean Golf School.
The technology tracks everything from clubhead movement to ball flight, providing golfers and instructors with detailed swing data that would be nearly impossible to see with the naked eye.
“It has our overhead unit, which has a high-speed motion camera alongside the radars, so you can see exactly what the clubhead is doing,” Lee said.
Think of it as a caddie, coach and camera crew rolled into one.
According to Lee, the data is one of the biggest advantages for golfers looking to improve.
“To the naked eye it might look great, but when we really slow it down and dissect what the individual is doing in the golf swing, we might be seeing things that we can’t see with our eyes. So the data is extremely important for us,” he said.
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The Jim McLean Golf School has partnered with Five Iron Golf to offer high-tech golf lessons designed to help golfers fine-tune their mechanics.
Once players have worked on their swing, they can tee off on more than 300 virtual golf courses from around the world without ever leaving Coral Gables.
“We have St. Andrews, we have Pebble Beach, and if you’re looking up north, we have Bethpage Black,” Lee said.
But golf isn’t the only attraction.
The simulator bays also feature interactive games and activities for the entire family, including games where players can blow up virtual cars, soccer challenges and other sports experiences.
The Coral Gables location also includes a 12-lane bowling alley, making it the only Five Iron Golf location in the country to offer bowling.
“It’s a great spot for parents to bring the kids. We’re family friendly. It’s a great spot for a date night, for those social seekers that want to come out, have some drinks, watch a game, hit some balls or bowl,” said Blake Kapelka, general manager of Five Iron Golf.
Kapelka says golfers who regularly use the Trackman iO system reduce their handicap by an average of five strokes.
Perhaps just as importantly, golfers can work on improving their game without the pressure of the next group waiting behind them on an actual course.
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