BAY VILLAGE, Ohio — Local restaurant and bar owner Dan Deagan and a group of his golfing buddies are opening an indoor golf simulator facility tomorrow (Nov. 7) in the former Bay Lanes bowling alley.
The business, named Pin High Golf & Lounge, is in the Bay Village Square shopping center at the intersection of Wolf and Dover Center roads.
The idea for the business stemmed from Deagan’s background in the bar and restaurant business and the fact that he is a “terrible golfer.”
Starting in December each year, Deagan and his golfing buddies would start going to golf simulators to keep their games sharp. Eventually, they decided they should open their own.
A lot of golf simulator facilities are very good, Deagan said, but he wanted to offer something different.
“A lot of them are more focused on the instructional aspect as opposed to the social aspect,” Deagan said.
“We want to be both.”
Golfers can practice on their own or with friends. They can hire golf pros to help them improve their games, or they can relax, golf and enjoy drinks at a large bar that features beer, wine and liquor.
“In our private party room, we’re going to have what we call Sips and Tips,” Deagan said.
“We’ll have a golf instructor come in and give instruction to everyone who signs up. It will be paired with a wine or bourbon tasting.”
The private party room, which includes golf simulators, measures over 2,000 square feet.
A separate game room features a pool table and arcade-type games.
Pin High ended up becoming a much larger facility than Deagan had first envisioned.
“Originally, we were looking for a much smaller space, maybe 3,000 square feet, and to put in a couple of simulators,” he said.
“That grew to 13,000 square feet and 11 simulators.”
About a year ago, Deagan opened Wolf & Co., a casual wine bar and pizzeria, in the same Bay Village Square shopping center.
“Then the landlord brought up that this space was becoming available,” Deagan said.
“There aren’t a whole lot of times that a 13,000-square-foot space becomes available, so we jumped on it.”
Wolf & Co. will cater meals to groups using the party room. They will offer a full catering menu.
In addition, Pin High customers can order pizzas from Wolf & Co., which will be delivered.
“To start off, people will be able to order pizzas from over there,” Deagan said.
“Once we get a little more established, and we can see that we’re not overwhelming the kitchen over there, we can expand the menu offerings.”
The high-tech simulators replicate actual golf courses.
“Our software allows you to play Pebble Beach, Harbour Town, Detroit Country Club and the Old Course at St. Andrews, ” Deagan said.
“There are a lot of pretty famous courses on there. I believe we have 47 right now, with the ability to add more courses when needed.”
Golfers can also practice on a simulated driving range.
The facility is opening just as outdoor golf courses are closing for the season. The simulators will operate year-round.
“One thing we’ve talked about in the summer is doing some kids’ camps during the day,” Deagan said.
“It’s not just about offering golf simulators and a bar. It’s also about growing the game.”
The simulators will be open to the public and rented on an hourly basis.
Pin High also will offer memberships with additional perks. Each membership includes a certain number of hours of simulator use per month, which varies depending on the membership level.
Membership also includes discounts on additional hours purchased and the ability to participate in member tournaments.
Simulator reservations can be scheduled online at www.pinhighbay.com.
The business will be open seven days a week. Hours are listed on the website.
Read more from the West Shore Sun.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
