X-Golf

 Hello Everyone and Welcome to 2024!

    My family has some golfers and they started going to indoor golf simulators in the off-season. Being Ohio, we do have an off-season anywhere from November-March/April. Believe me, I want to golf. I have my own set of clubs and the outfits to make me look like I know what I'm doing. However, I have the patience of Happy Gilmore and about as much experience as he did, minus the ability to hit insanely long drives. They suggested I do some practice with them at these indoor golf simulators, and we tried X-Golf. 

    X-Golf has you book a tee time on their website. Weekends and evenings are more expensive. It's also cheaper in the summers during golf season, so it's an option if it's a really hot day. They charge per hour, not by person. Each simulator bay can have up to 6 players and 4 spectators. There is a full service bar with some golf-themed cocktails if you wish, and appetizer type food options. One of the things that makes X-Golf stand out from other indoor golf simulators, is that they have a variety of courses to play including some kids ones with pirates or trains. You can also play a driving range mode which costs less. 

    We all brought our own golf clubs and bags, though they have some that you can rent. The employees walk around and check if you need any drinks or food periodically, so we put in our drink order and starting setting up the screen. They suggest you arrive about 10 minutes early because setting up the players and choosing a course takes 5 minutes or so. One of the things we really enjoy is the realism of the automated system. The system uses sensors, cameras, and lazers to make it as accurate as possible. It remembers the height each player prefers their tee and all you have to do is press a button on the "green" and the ball and tee are ready to go. Okay, that part isn't realistic because no one sets that up for you on a real golf course, but it's definitely a perk of a simulator. It takes some getting used to as far as how to use the buttons on the green, how to putt, get out of sand traps, etc...

    We ordered some of the food options while we were playing and got the Buffalo Chicken Flatbread ($13) and a soft pretzel ($13). The flatbread arrived steaming hot. It had a great amount of ranch and buffalo sauce drizzled on top with plenty of crispy chicken. The crust was cooked perfectly and had great flavor. We wished there were celery or red onion on it, but we'd definitely get it again. The pretzel was Bavarian-style and massive. We were pleasantly surprised as we were expecting a small frozen soft pretzel, and enjoyed the presentation of it. The pretzel itself was soft and not chewy at all. It came with 3 dips: nacho cheese, yellow mustard, and honey mustard. The variety of dips was great because everyone in our group had a preference. I was not a fan of the nacho cheese because it was the kind that comes out of a jar, not the kind in a plastic cup that has better flavor. If you know, you know. While it was a good quality pretzel, we didn't agree that it was worth $13 and probably won't get it again. 

Buffalo Chicken Flatbread

Soft Pretzel 

    We really enjoy X-Golf and will continue to go every so often. While it is expensive, the best way is to split the cost with other people in your group or to do the driving range mode. Getting food slowed us down and we weren't able to finish 18 holes within 3 hours with 4 people, so keep that in mind that you may need to book a longer time or skip getting food if you want to fit a full game in. A couple of people in our group prefer X-Golf over TopGolf because you can play an actual challenging course and not just be hitting balls into nothing. You also aren't limited to a 2-hour window, and can book however long you'd like. It's a great way to keep your skills sharp in the off-season, or for practice when your group thinks you need more time before attempting the real thing. 

    Have you been tested out the simulators at X-Golf? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!