Not Going to the Masters? Try Augusta at Waypoint’s New Simulator

CANFIELD, Ohio – This unusually warm November may be perfect for a round of golf, but every day is perfect for a golf simulator.

On Monday, Waypoint 4180 opened the Mahoning Valley’s newest simulator center, featuring three tees, a bar and a sports lounge, on the lower level of the Waypoint 4180 events center at Westford Commons.

Whether hitting a drive, chipping out of a sand trap or putting on the green, simulators are just like the real thing. The computerized sensors on the screen analyze the shot, determine where the ball comes to rest, and then reset the view for the next shot.

The Waypoint 4180 simulators are programmed for 94 of the world’s most famous courses. If you won’t be playing in the Masters Tournament this weekend at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, you can still play a simulated round on the famed course at Waypoint.

According to Nancy Sullivan, executive director of sales and marketing at Waypoint, the simulators are a great way to get some golf in during bad weather or at night.

They are also a good way to get in practice; some area high school golf coaches have expressed interest in the simulators as a way for players to work on troublesome shots.

The simulators also will be used for fundraiser tournaments, Sullivan said, and leagues will be formed for scheduled play. They also will be marketed to local businesses as a team-building retreat for staff, Sullivan said

Waypoint’s simulators, made by Full Swing, are the same models used on the air by the Golf Channel and provide instant data feedback on swing and ball movement.

And they’re not just for golf. The simulators are loaded with more than a dozen other games based on sports, including bocce, zombie dodgeball, hockey, soccer, baseball, cricket, basketball, football, lacrosse and rugby.

The simulators are the focal point of a well-lit lounge that also has a putting green, a full bar with a half-dozen large TVs, as well as pool and ping-pong tables. 

A light menu with sandwiches and appetizers has been created for the lounge by Waypoint chef Angus O’Hara. 

The simulators are open to the public and can be booked seven days a week, from noon to 10 p.m. weekdays, and earlier start times on weekends. For a tee time, call 330 533 6692.

Time is sold by the hour, and it takes two to three hours for a foursome to play nine holes, Sullivan said.

Waypoint 4180 opened in September 2019, and the  simulator lounge was always part of the plan, said Chuck Whitman, president of CTW Development Corp.

It was a year in the making, he said.

Currently, the simulators do not have the Kennsington course programmed in, Whitman said, because regular players there are much more interested in teeing off on the world’s most famed courses. However, Whitman didn’t rule out adding Kennsington in the future.

Signage will soon be erected near the entrance of the simulator lounge, said Sullivan, who did not reveal the cost of the new facility. The lounge entrance is to the right of Waypoint’s main entrance

The golf simulator lounge is the newest piece of Westford Commons, which also includes Kennsington Golf Club, Kensington Grille and the Courtyard by Marriott hotel.

But it won’t be the final piece of development. Plans call for adding smaller meeting rooms in the remainder of the lower level, which also houses the catering kitchen, Sullivan said.

Pictured: At the new golf simulators at Waypoint 4180 are Cody Wyatt, general manager of the Courtyard by Marriot hotel; Nancy Sullivan, executive director of sales and marketing of Waypoint; and Jessica Ferraro, food and beverage manager at Waypoint. 

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.