Charlotte Richter | Staff Writer
Twelve teams are competing in “November in the Carolinas,” a virtual golf simulator league at the Trails West Golf Course, through Nov. 28.
The league, organized by TWGC and Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, features two 18-hole premier golf courses available on the HD Multisport Simulator in the Trails
West Pro Shop. The first course, Pinehurst No.2 is being played now through Nov. 14. The
second course, Harbour Town, will be played Nov. 15-18.
Luke Russell, head golf professional at TWGC, said players can bring their own clubs or rent equipment there. Teams play nine holes per week in a two-person scramble. A nine-
hole game generally takes about an hour to complete.
“Our golf simulator gives patrons an excellent opportunity to work on their game during the off-season, and the league is an exceptional way for them to add some competition to the mix,” Russell said.
Teams compete for an overall league champion at the end of the month, but Russell said
weekly rankings are flighted to incorporate more players.
“You don’t have to be the best score to win,” Russell said.
Alongside league titles, players can also earn prizes each week such as store credit.
League participant retired Lt. Col. Eric Fardelmann said he appreciates both the com- petition and the practice.
“It’s so great for keeping your swing together before next spring when you’re starting to go back outside.”
Fardelmann and his teammate, retired Lt. Col. Craig Gephart, said they enjoy the com- petition but also like to improve their games individually.
“It allows you to do technical analysis you can’t do out on the range, so it will give you ball speed, how much spin you have — that’s the kind of feedback you can’t get outside,” Gephart said. “You get distance, but in here, it’ll measure… so you can make minor adjustments.”
Russell said TWGC plans to offer more virtual golf tournaments in the future, but the simulator is also available to the Fort Leavenworth community during regular business hours. Patrons can use the simulator to try out golf equipment with the help of the staff.
“In this, the numbers don’t lie, you can truly go head to head with your current equipment versus new with what we have or what we can get,” Russell said.
Patrons can also book sessions in the simulator for individuals or families at the top of the hour during business hours. It costs $25 to rent the room for a 45-minute session or $50 for 105 minutes, including setup and a tutorial.
The simulator has the Golf Target Pro HD golf game, which is similar to what is played in the league, as well as golf mini-games. Other sports such as soccer, baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse and shooting games can also be played using the simulator.
