The golf simulation trend is heading to the Wildwood Boardwalk this week with the opening of Bar Fore, a new restaurant that will have a virtual golf courses and other games in its space at the Montego Bay Resort.
Bar Fore opens Friday, May 5 on the North Wildwood end of the boardwalk, at the resort between Adam's Restaurant and Steak 'Em Up.
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The bar will include simulators from Full Swing, whose golf system is endorsed by pros like Tiger Woods and Jon Rahm. The simulators feature ball flight tracking data and cameras that provide playback of the club head for golfers to analyze their swings.
“Essentially, we will have two golf simulators by Full Swing that offer 53 different golf courses from around the world,” Montego Bay spokesperson Kaci Youschak told Wildwood365. “And on those courses, you can play a variety of different games, like strokeplay Wolff, match play and scramble."
The simulators also feature a home run derby, hockey, a quarterback challenge and a zombie dodgeball game, among other options.
Golfers can play 18 holes, nine holes and other customized options on the simulators.
The technology used in indoor golf simulators has helped turn the sport into a year-round endeavor for both avid players and casual golfers, who can use virtual courses to improve skills and prevent rust. Indoor golf simulators grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, when golf's appeal generally increased due to the ease in maintaining social distancing on a golf course.
More people playing golf has made it harder to find places to book tee times, however, and in some parts of the world, like South Korea, golf simulators have proven preferable to outdoor driving ranges, which closed in significant numbers during the pandemic.
Bar Fore also will have a full kitchen with a menu including items like burgers, sandwiches and chicken and waffles. On a hot summer day in North Wildwood, fitting in a few rounds might be a nice escape from the sun and crowds.