This year, the Golf Center is adding new Toptracer technology to provide an interactive golf experience like no other. (Photo provided by BEN GUNNING)
For the past 51 years, the Mount Pleasant Golf Center has been an epicenter unto itself.
There is no other place like it in Michigan.
It opened on May 1, 1973 under the ownership of Roy Gunderson and has served the mid-Michigan area very well for many years. Mount Pleasant professional golfers like Dan Paul, Doug Lovell, Josh Brehm, Cindy Figg-Currier, and Kelly Robbins attended Gunderson’s acclaimed junior golf program in their youth and played at The Golf Center. We have refined our game.
Mount Pleasant High School’s excellent prep golf program has also benefited from this facility for decades. Originally opened as a driving range and pro shop where you could find golf lessons, golf equipment, or just throw a ball in a bucket, the facility has evolved over the years.
In the 1990s, current owner Ben Gunning added a miniature putt-putt golf course to Coyote Creek Adventure Golf. In 2013, he added an ice cream counter that serves the best ice cream around. This pro’s shop has been a mainstay for decades, selling clubs, shoes, and golf equipment to this day.
In recent weeks, The Golf Center has announced its latest move into the future, introducing TopTracer golf technology and an interactive golf experience that has to be seen to be believed.
With 10 top tracer bays and two double bay suites, a new hitting surface and adjustable tees, the golf center is now the most technologically advanced driving range in north central Michigan.
Gunning explains: “This is the same technology that tracks Tour players’ shots when you watch them on TV. Tracks your shot until it stops spinning. Displays what your shot actually was, rather than simulating what your shot was.
“We’re basically the only driving range in north central Michigan that has this technology. The next closest facility with this type of technology is in Ann Arbor.”
The technology is camera and GPS-based and can track an incredible amount of information, but again, you have to see it to believe it.
“When you go to the driving range, you’ll see new flags and all the barber poles are colored,” Gunning added. “They’re all coming in with GPS from all the stations. So when you hit the ball, the camera knows where you are, it knows it’s your ball, it tracks the shot, it tracks its trajectory. Displayed in real time (on TV monitors in each bay), allowing you to see exactly what flight characteristics your ball was on.
“You can also turn your driving range into a virtual driving range and play a round of golf (at a variety of great courses around the world). Compete with friends to see who is the closest to the pin, the longest drive, etc. You can use modules called Toptracer 12 and Toptracer 30 to evaluate your golf game and see exactly where you need to improve. You can compare your scores with different golfers of the same handicap and ability level across the country and around the world. So you can look at that and say, “Okay, this is where I need to improve. is.
“Basically, it completely transforms practice from just hitting a bucket of balls to interactive practice. Serious golfers can come here and dial in every golf club in their bag if they want. Yes, what we ask golfers to do is download the Toptracer golf app, and it populates your account with all the information you get from your shots, so you can actually look at each shot and see the variance. They can see the patterns and from there they can look at their game and see where they’re at, whether it’s improvement from 150 yards out or improvement in pin position in the top right corner. For experienced golfers, that’s what you get.”
There are also two suites available for individual hire on a private basis, both of which can accommodate up to eight people. We also have a membership system.
Prices vary depending on time of day and demand. From Monday to Friday until 5pm, the price is $25 for one bay with unlimited golf balls for one hour. There is an additional charge of $5 for each additional player, making the maximum player 4. In the evenings after 5pm, the rate increases to $35 per hour with an additional $5. Rates are $45 per hour on Friday nights and Saturdays.
“There’s one thing we always keep in mind when determining pricing: How much does it cost for a family of five,” Gunning says. “Going to the movies (for a family of 5) will probably cost $100. Dinner (for a family of 5) will cost over $100. As for mini golf and ice cream, it’s a good idea for a family to come over and have ice cream. At under $50, we’ve always tried to keep our prices affordable for everyone.”
The golf center is located at 2280 Bloomfield in Mount Pleasant. For more information, call us at 989-772-0156, visit our Facebook page or visit us in person.
