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| A guest plays golf at the Café Screen Golf Hoang Mai at 384/1B Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, HCMC’s District 3 - Photo: My Tran |
My boss once shared these words of wisdom with me: “The smaller the ball, the higher the social position.” The sentence is not perfectly correct, but it means that golf is a game for the rich. But funnily enough that statement has been disproved, as everyone can play golf at Café Screen Golf, Hoang Mai, 384/1B Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, HCMC’s District 3.
Hoang Mai, the owner of the café that is the first of its kind in HCMC, said the idea was inspired by his father’s Korean friend who said Korea has about 5,000 indoor screen golf outlets. He said he has noticed the interest level in the noble game increasing in Vietnam as the average income increases.
“Not many Vietnamese have the time and money to go to the golf course, so ordinary people who love golf can come to the café, hang out with other golfers and play for only VND400,000 per hour,” he added.
The café that opened early this month, has three screen golf indoor rooms, one free putting room and an area for serving drinks and food. Each screen golf room is equipped with a set of sticks, shoes, gloves, cameras, projector and other high-tech equipment.
Korean simulation technology has advanced so much that there is an actual real-life feel of golfing, closely replicating the fairways and accurately simulating the golfing action, that makes it appealing not only for practice but also for affordable fun and informal social gatherings.
The players can choose a 9-hole to 18-hole round of virtual golf and choose one of 40 golf courses of the U.K., Japan and Korea. On the screen, clouds roll by in high definition while tree branches sway in a virtual breeze and melodies of birds twitter. The ball drops into a water hazard and creates virtual ripples, swishes through tree leaves or rolls into the hole with a satisfying rattle while spectators cheer.
The room is also equipped with high speed wireless sensors to create a screen golf device that measures the distance of the drive and the spin on the ball. After the rookies tee off, there will be professional golfers on screen to give you advice, illustrating correct position, distance, force and spin function.
The screen recalibrates to show golfers the view from her or his ball’s new position to the flag. As they prepare for the next shot, the computer tilts the swing mat to replicate the incline and advises which club to use. Later it also helps them visualize their putt; virtual drops of water crawl across the screen to indicate how the green slopes.
“I am really excited with this game. I feel as if I am on a real golf course with the virtual space and virtual sounds,” said Tini, a player at the café, adding that the golf course would be especially good for women as they didn’t have to worry about their skin in the sun.
It is a good place for newcomers to the game to practice before heading to real golf courses, Tini added.
In the rooms, there are chairs for friends or family to sit and enjoy drinks while you play.
Drinks and food are priced from VND11,000 to VND59,000. Until the end of this month, the café is offering a 50% discount - only VND200,000 per hour.
Anyone who wants to buy their own virtual set up to play screen golf at home, can also order at the café. For more information, contact (08) 3526 8480.
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