Many visitors to the 1991 Parade of Homes at Old Mill Estates last month never made it out of the first home on the tour, the "Pinehurst."
It wasn't the beauty of the home itself that held them, although the 6,500-square-foot Pinehurst won a number of awards, including "most salable" and "best floor plan." Nor was the swimming pool in the back yard the big attraction.Nope, the hook that held people for hours at a time was tucked away in a dim corner of the Pinehurst's basement: the famed Pebble Beach golf course on the shore of the Pacific Ocean near San Jose, Calif.
Well, OK, technically it was a simulation of Pebble Beach, but those who took Yonex driver in hand and mashed a new Titleist 280 yards down the Beach's number one fairway stretching out in front of them in living color . . . heck, it was almost as good as the real thing.
Considering the distance to travel, vagaries of weather, three-figure green fees and the virtual impossibility of getting a tee time at Pebble Beach in any case, a lot of people - some 900 so far - have ponied up the $27,500 (plus installation fees) to play the famed links on their ship, their resort, their recreation center, their night club and, yes, even their home.
The means to this end is called Par T Golf "The Incredible Golf Machine," and it is built, marketed and distributed worldwide by Optronics Ltd., 365 Bugatti St., Salt Lake City, a company of 30 employees run by two brothers, Dan and Don Wilson.
Home installation is fairly new for Optronics. Previously marketed through distributors to resorts, hotels, cruise ships and sports facilities, Par T Golf was recently made available to homeowners, and the unit was installed in the Pinehurst for the Parade of Homes to show people the possibilities. It worked so well that Optronics president, Dan Wilson, decided to buy the $500,000 house for himself.
Still, about 1,000 paradegoers filled out cards during the show's two-week run indicating they would like more information on Par T Golf - an indication that home golf may have the same appeal as swimming pools, hot tubs, pool tables and tennis courts for those who would rather stay home to have fun.
For those who missed the home show demo, they can just show up at Optronics headquarters for a test drive (pun intended, naturally) on one of the company's four simulators.
You say you once played the real Pebble Beach and didn't like it? No problem, Optronics will "send" you to Spyglass Hill, also in California; Pinehurst in North Carolina; Club de Bonmont, Switzerland; Quinta do Lago, Portugal; and Belfry or St. Mellion, both in England. Soon, the famed Torrey Pines course in San Diego will be added to the repertoire with more to come.
Briefly, here's how Par T Golf works: The machine projects a color slide onto a 9-by-12 foot screen showing the fairway from the perspective of the golfer. The proper club is selected, the ball is teed up (for tee shots only, naturally; standard clubs and balls are used) and the golfer lets fly.
Once the ball is hit, the simulator uses infrared cameras to measure the speed, angle and spin of the ball as it travels toward the screen. Upon impact with the tough nylon screen, the ball falls to the floor, but the computer calculates the flight of the ball and projects it on the screen, showing it bouncing and rolling toward the green (if you've hit a good shot.)
The screen then changes to a new color slide showing the perspective to the green from that point. A light bar tells you how far you hit the ball and how far you have to go the green. You then select the proper iron and, if you're having a good day, you'll put it on the green and be putting for birdie.
The computer now tells you to place your ball on one of a dozen or so spots on the artificial grass that fronts the screen. You then putt for a "real" hole placed in front of the screen. The surface is contoured so that you will almost always have breaking, uphill or downhill putts.
Then it's on to the next hole. The simulation of Pebble Beach has 950 color slides taken from various positions all over the course, including sand traps, water hazards, out of bounds and so forth. On the other hand, you always have a perfect lie and (at this point in the technology) you can blast right through trees as though they weren't there (wouldn't that be nice on a real course).
Minimum space required for installation of Par T Golf is 500 square feet of new or existing space (15 feet wide by 35 feet long) with an 11-foot-high ceiling. If anyone in your family startles easily, they may take awhile to get used to the sound of the ball hitting the screen. If you're not expecting it, it can be a bit unnerving.