The new X-Golf indoor golf simulator facility is slated to open at American Family Insurance Field on Friday, Sept. 16 at the Brewers take on the New York Yankees.
With reservations for the seven simulators opening on Thursday, Aug. 11, the Brewers invited us over to check in on progress on the 18,000-square-foot facility, which is the first X-Golf facility in a professional sports stadium and first-of-its-kind experience in an MLB stadium.
The multi-level X-Golf – which has two bars that will also serve a range of food items, a merch sales area, great stadium views and an outdoor seating area – occupies the former Stadium Club on the Club Level.
The venue is open to anyone on non-game days, 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. (until 7 on Sundays), and you can bring your own clubs.
However, on game days, you need a Brewers game ticket to enter the stadium and no clubs are allowed. Because of this, there is no rental charge to use X-Golf clubs on game days.
Reservations – which you can get here starting tomorrow – are available for a one-hour minimum with additional 30-minute increments on game days and are $40 per hour, $60 on weekends.
On game days, reservations are made in 90-minute increments for up to six people per bay ($90) and the first slot is 90 minutes before the first pitch.
Anyone with a stadium ticket can enter the X-Golf venue on game days to use the bar, sit and watch the action. There will be reservations taken for the outdoor seating, but no reservations are required to enter X-Golf.
The seven bays – including a VIP one with its own lounge overlooking the stadium – simulate the great golf courses from around the world, like Pebble Beach and Sawgrass, says Brewers Chief Revenue Officer Jason Hartlund, who says that golf simulators are typically popular in winter, when the stadium is less in demand.
But he expects it will be popular during the summer, too, in part because it’s air conditioned.
It will also be available for parties and private events.
“The space had been a fine dining experience and over time it had run its course,” he says. “We were thinking long and hard about how to renovate this space and we have a couple avid golfers on staff who had visited othe X-Golf locations. That’s how the idea really got started.
“You won’t be surprised to hear that some of our players are very excited about this, too.”
When you enter X-Golf – which is owned by Shawn DeMain and Luke Larson, who also own X-Golf franchises in Appleton, Brookfield and Mequon – you’ll see an Instagram-ready wall display and the merch area, but you’ll also immediately be greeted by the first simulator.
“You get to come in and see some action right away,” says Kevin Lally, who is Director of Commercial Interiors & Senior Project Manager for Hunzinger Construction, which is the project contractor.
Behind that is a huge “Milwaukee” mural across from the upper bar. Just behind that bar is the lower bar that serves seating areas overlooking the Brewers on-field action. Nearby is the entrance to the outdoor patio seating.
Two more simulators are up past the upper bar and three more are on a couple lower levels. One of them is by itself, next to its own private lounge. At the moment there is no extra charge to reserve this simulator bay.
This one will be especially well-suited to parties who are a mix of golfers and baseball fans who prefer to watch the action.
“We are incredibly excited for the grand opening of X-Golf American Family Field,” said X-Golf America CEO and President Ryan D’Arcy. “This venue is going to be such an electrifying environment for everyone, from avid golfers and Brewers fans to casual players and private party and corporate events.”
Stay tuned for a first look at the space as the opening approaches.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
