For those looking to get their golfing fix in the wintertime, you are in luck.
Uptown Golf has recently opened up in Kelowna, at 103-889 Vaughan Avenue.
However, this is not your typical indoor golf facility.
For one, it is purely and 100% automated. That means that there are no staff present at any point. It is all powered by artificial intelligence.
![<who> Photo Credit: NowMedia </who> (Left): A live schedule inside the facility shows what bays are being used. (Right): Outside, if you are scheduled to play, a code will be sent to your phone which you can use to open up the door. ” class=”img-responsive” src=”https://news.google.com/files/files/images/AIgolfuptwon.png” style=”margin: 5px;”/></p>
<p>“Everything is done online. You book online through our virtual calendar and you pay by credit card,” said Eric Houston, the Owner of Uptown Golf Kelowna. “Once you arrive to the facility, about 15 minutes before, you will be pinged an access key, you simply click on the link and the link will activate the door, the door will open and your bay will light up.”</p>
<p>For two, the facility is open 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. </p>
<p>“It being 24/7 is a really nice model to allow anyone to come and use this space, as we have a lot of shift work here with the hospital and other services.”</p>
<p>Kelowna currently has Simplex Sportszone as the only other indoor golf facility, so Houston saw a ripe opportunity to add to it. </p>
<p>“Kelowna is a booming, very golf forward town and it doesn’t have a facility of this caliber. We have a lot of golfers who live here who do not have access to a facility like this and Uptown Golf will ensure that they will be able to enhance their game anytime that they want.”</p>
<p>Houston has been building simulators for some time and works with Foresight Sports, which produces the high-end simulator and launch monitors. </p>
<p>The ones inside Uptown Golf are state-of-the-art. The launch monitor (what tracks your swing data) is accurate to within half a yard, as it takes 10,000 photos per second to dial in your swing. </p>
<p>With the simulator itself, you can play classic courses, like Old Course at St Andrews, or Pebble Beach. There are also numerous customization options where you can adjust green speed, wind gusts and temperature.</p>
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Photo Credit: NowMedia Customization options for play.” class=”img-responsive” src=”https://news.google.com/files/files/images/uptwongolf2.png” style=”margin: 5px;”/>
![<who> Photo Credit: NowMedia ” class=”img-responsive” src=”https://news.google.com/files/files/images/expapme.png” style=”margin: 5px;”/></p>
<p>Another interesting quirk is the ability to get real live weather from wherever you want to play. </p>
<p>So, if you are playing Carnoustie and it’s windy that day, you will have that exact wind. The courses are designed using LiDAR, which provide accuracy to within 1/16 of an inch. The live weather data is provided through the airports in the city. </p>
<p>Additionally, the building is eco-friendly, with the system turning off fans and lights mere minutes after an individual has left the facility. </p>
<p>With all the technology Uptown Golf has, would you think it would cost a fortune to use?</p>
<p>That’s not the case. For just $55 an hour, you can rent out a bay, and a bay can have up to four people. That’s just under $15 an hour per person. </p>
<p><img alt=]()
Photo Credit: NowMedia Uptown Golf has four bays, which can each hold up to four people. ” class=”img-responsive” src=”https://news.google.com/files/files/images/bayphotos.png” style=”margin: 5px;”/>
![<who> Photo Credit: Contributed ” class=”img-responsive” src=”https://news.google.com/files/files/images/image0(17).jpeg” style=”margin: 5px;”/></p>
<p>While Uptown does not allow or sell alcohol, Houston is in the process of collaborating with the brewery district, as they are steps away from the likes of Unleashed, Red Bird, Rustic Reel and Welton Arms.</p>
<p>“Community is very important to Uptown Golf,” said Houston. “We want you to come in and enjoy your golf year round, but then we also want you to go and experience the other amazing businesses around here.</p>
<p>“As we continue to grow, there are more breweries and businesses popping up and it’s a great walkable location.”</p>
<p>The facility has just opened last week and is the second of three across the country, with the Richmond Hill, Ont. location already unveiled and one in Oshawa, Ont. currently in the works.</p>
<p>So far, the response has been great. While it is still warm outside for the time being, Houston expects, with the winter months coming, for the place to fill up.</p>
<p>“We’ve had a lot of really great turnout. A lot of local businesses are coming here on their lunch hours and just finding some time during the day to get away from the office and come in to decompress and have their little micro breaks. “</p>
<p>“You can also book half an hour time slots. So it’s very accessible.” </p>
<p>For more information on Uptown Golf, please click here. </p>
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