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Washington Evening Journal
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Washington, IA 52353
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Golf simulator opens in Mt. Pleasant
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MT. PLEASANT – An indoor golf simulator has just opened in Mt. Pleasant.
The business, called Grip it N' Rip it Golf Simulators, held its grand opening on Saturday, Dec. 20, complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony courtesy of the Mt. Pleasant Chamber Alliance. It’s located at 1405 N. Broadway St., and is owned by Lyle and Jackie Murray, and their daughter Taylor Kelly and son-in-law Payton Kelly.
Lyle Murray, who is also Mt. Pleasant’s chief of police, said he and his family have been talking about opening a golf simulator for the past three or four years.
“I like playing golf, but I’m terrible at it,” Murray joked.
Murray said he enjoys playing golf year-round, and has been able to play every month for the last three years, including walking the Winfield course even in January. He wanted to give the general public a chance to play golf year-round, too, but in a climate-controlled environment. The nearest golf simulator was 30 minutes away, so he saw an opportunity to create something new in Mt. Pleasant.
Murray and his family found a space for rent that had 10-foot ceilings inside a building they share with Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission. In the front half of the building, Grip it N' Rip it Golf Simulators offers two separate bays, so that two groups of people can play indoor golf at the same time. Players use real clubs to hit real golf balls into a screen, and a tracking system monitors the speed, club path and spin rate of the ball to project its flight path onto the screen.
Murray said feedback from the public has been great so far. About 50-60 people attended Saturday’s grand opening, and many told Murray how much they appreciate having this service in Mt. Pleasant.
The business is open 24/7. Players can rent a bay in hourly increments, and they can become a member, which has perks such as four hours of free golf per month, unlimited golf at night, and a discount on the hourly rate after using those first four hours. Murray said that booking a bay is simple to do online and that players receive a code via email they will use to unlock the door. Upon entering, players follow instructions in a booklet showing them how to use a computer to select whether they want to play a full course or work on a part of their game. Murray said the whole process takes less than 10 minutes. Players can bring their own clubs or rent clubs from the business.
Murray coaches cross-country and eighth-grade girls basketball, and he’s planning to continue coaching cross-country next fall. He plans to retire as police chief in the next year or two, and that will give him more time to spend at the golf simulator.
“I can be there as much or as little as I want, though the last three months have been hectic,” Murray said.
Those who wish to learn more about Grip It N’ Rip It can visit the business’s website at gripnripiowa.com, or email lyle@gripnripiowa.com or howdy@gripnripiowa.com.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
