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PLAINS — While many golfers were seen hitting the links in the Wyoming Valley in late December, those plans have changed now that cold weather has arrived.
For most, the sign of the winter season in the area means it’s time to hang up the cleats and put the golf clubs in the closet. However, golf in the Wyoming Valley doesn’t end with the first snowfall.
Several local businesses have stepped up their golf games with simulators, allowing patrons to know what it’s like to take a swing during the offseason. The simulators are meant for fun with family or friends; however, they’re also meant as learning tools.
The Blue Ridge Trail Golf Academy on Route 315 in Plains is owned by Blue Ridge Trail Golf Course in Mountain Top and led by PGA Professional Brian Llewellyn. It offers a state-of-the-art facility to help golfers with every facet of the game.
“Every warm climate gets to play all year round,” Llewellyn said. “It’s huge for golfers in this area.”
It’s the simulators that grab the attention of Wyoming Valley golfers as the ones the academy uses are the preferred learning method of professional golfers around the world.
“It’s all about getting out and playing,” said Llewellyn, who’s been using this system for about five years. “The biggest thing is having fun and playing.”
A certified golf professional, Llewellyn uses Trackman analysis to assist him when passing his knowledge on to golf students. His analysis allows golfers to get specific results and answers regarding their equipment and ball course. The system utilizes Doppler radar technology, allowing three-dimensional club movement, along with ball flight, ball launch and ball landing specifics.
The simulator at Blue Ridge Trail Golf Academy, however, isn’t for swing analysis only. It’s a great way to relax and unwind with friends. The academy offers a party-type atmosphere for up to four golfers who can play a full nine- or 18-hole round. The system offers 50 courses from around the globe.
When balls are hit into the simulator, the trajectory path of the ball can be seen on real golf courses. The system allows the participant to hit every club in their bag, including the putter.
Llewellyn is no stranger to the Wyoming Valley golf scene. A native of Harveys Lake and a graduate of Lake-Lehman High School, he won the Match Play Championship at Huntsville Golf Club in Shavertown in 2000 and finished runner-up twice in the club championship. He’s instructed some of the best golfers in the area.
He worked as the assistant pro at Fox Hill Country Club from 2004-06 and worked winters at the PGA Golf Club in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. Now, he’s a PGA certified golf professional and a Titleist Performance Institute certified instructor.
One of the first things Llewellyn looks at when working with a golfer is his grip, he said.
“Good players don’t have bad grips,” Llewellyn said. “Out of 100 guys that come in, 90 of them would have the heel pad on the side and not on the top.”
Staying sharp at Rolling Pines
Rolling Pines Golf Course on Route 11 outside of Berwick offers golfers a different offseason experience.
The staff at Rolling Pines installed a simulator to help ease the burden of putting clubs away for the season. There, golfers experience the simulator, along with amenities from the bar bar and restaurant area in the clubhouse.
Golfers can try their skill at 45 different courses around the world, including some of the best like Augusta National and St. Andrews. The simulator can be used as a driving range and a tool to hone in the golfer’s short game.
When Butch Webb was hired as the course’s golf professional four years ago, he suggested getting a simulator to help increase sales. This will be the third year the simulator has been up and running at Rolling Pines.
“It’s been good,” Webb said. “We’re just now starting to get busy on the inside. It’s like a giant video game.”
During the offseason, the course offers leagues and one-on-one golf lessons. This year’s league starts in a couple weeks and features 16, two-man teams. As far as lessons go, Webb said the simulator helps him tremendously to get his point across to his students.
“It helps because it will automatically give me the spin rate of the ball and whether it’s going left or right,” he said.
“It’s more to have fun,” Webb said. “It’s nice to be next to the bar area and take swings in the winter.”
Striking balls on River Street
Rick Rydzewski has run the Academy of Golf Center at 1333 N. River St. in Plains since 1997. He’s a Class A golf professional working out of the practice facility.
At the Academy of Golf, Rydzewski offers a simulator that allows players to get complete, comprehensive swing analysis. Players can choose to play on the driving range or take their talents to 21 different, 18-hole courses. “This is a great way to play faster,” Rydzewski said.
The swing analysis part of the simulator is the most impressive, he said.
“It will give your club path and show you exactly where the club is coming through and where you hit the ball on the club face,” Rydzewski said. “It will tell you if you’re open or closed at impact.”
Entering the offseason is difficult, the professional said. However, at the Academy of Golf, winter is just another season. Along with the inside simulator, the facility offers an outdoor driving range with heated bays. When it’s zero degrees outside, it will feel like 40, Rydzewski said.
Playing in the offseason is something that should not be taken lightly, he said.
“It’s very important,” he said. “When I first started using it, I would hit every day in the offseason. It certainly helped me focus on the fundamentals at first and improve my swing and increase my swing speed.”