Indoor Golf Club With 200 Courses Coming To Upper West Side

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Golf v.2, an indoor golf club with locations in Tribeca, Brooklyn and East Hampton, is planning to open a new studio near Columbus Circle for people of all ages to work on their game.

The 2,500-square-foot club will be at 15 West 61st St. on the corner of Columbus Avenue, Golf v.2 owner Alberto Rezende said.

The new club is expected to open sometime between Nov. 2 and Dec. 2, though a delay in the arrival of the simulators could push the opening back, Rezende told Patch.

Rezende, who lived on the Upper West Side for about 10 years, said the neighborhood’s families and nearby schools made it a perfect fit for his business. He also said there is a gap in the area for year-round indoor golf options.

"[It's] exciting to bring such an outdoor and challenging sport to the city and be able to give both kids and adults the ability to play it year-round," Rezende said.

Golf v.2’s studios use Trackman simulators, which let players practice and play more than 200 virtual courses.

The Upper West Side location will also have a putting and chipping area, lockers for members’ clubs and loaner clubs.

Rezende didn't grow up playing golf, and the goal of Golf v.2 is to make the sport — and its many benefits — more accessible to people in the city.

"It's a sport that kind of takes you through life and is helpful in many stages of life, either for friendship, for career advancement, for just pure enjoyment," Rezende said.

But why is it called Golf v.2?

"We believe that this is kind of the continuation of golf," Rezende said. "It's version two, so it's a step forward from what was happening outdoors. So if golf outdoors is step one, we're step two."

The club offers golf instruction and has programs for children ages 3 to 18, including after-school lessons and summer camps. Rezende said Golf v.2 has more than 500 members across its locations, including more than 150 junior members.

"We have probably the largest after-school junior program in New York City, where we teach kids as young as three all the way up to 18 to play golf and how they should actually utilize golf to their benefit, both for high school, college, and then later in life for their career," Rezende said.

The company’s coaches are certified, and Rezende said the facility and its instruction programs are certified through the PGA.

He said the junior programs are designed to help city kids build golf skills and have access to opportunities similar to those available to children in places where the sport is easier to play year-round.

Rezende said the clubs are designed to feel calm and familiar for members, with four simulators at each location.

Once open, the Upper West Side club is expected to operate from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

Know of a business opening or closing in Manhattan? Email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.