Bartlett golfers could soon get winter practice swings in

Golfers in Bartlett could soon have the opportunity to practice their swings during the winter months.

The village board, as a committee of the whole, Tuesday heard a presentation on a simulator that village-owned Bartlett Hills Golf Course would have installed in their lounge.

"I thought it was an excellent idea because we had talked about adding additional revenue," Trustee Raymond Deyne said.

The simulator would come at no cost, as Bartlett would not own the simulator, and the village would split the revenue with the machine's operator.

Patrons would pay between $25 and $35 an hour to use the simulator which can accommodate a group of people golfing a round together.

In the deal, the village would keep 40 percent of the revenue, and the operator would get the other 60 percent.

Village officials say the simulator will attract golfers to the course in the slower winter months, and they project it will bring in about $2,000 in revenue for the golf fund.

The machine operator, Full Swing Golf Simulators, already has machines in Naperville and Crystal Lake.

But how does it work?

An image of a golf course is projected onto a screen. When the golfer takes their stroke, the machine measures the speed and direction and the golf ball lands on the virtual course accordingly.

Assistant to the Village Administrator Scott Skrycki says officials considered several different locations for the simulator, which requires a minimum area of 12-feet-by-8-feet.

They decided the golf course lounge was the most optimal space.

The simulator would still leave room for four seats at the lounge's bar and 24 seats at tables.

Skrycki says the machine would most likely be installed in December, and removed in March once the weather warms up again.

"It's a no brainer," Deyne, an avid golfer said.

Food and beverages will also be sold to participants and those watching, allowing for another revenue source, officials say.

Bartlett Village President Kevin Wallace says he thinks the simulator is a good idea.

"It's a really fun time, so hopefully it'll catch on," he said.

A contract with Full Swing Golf Simulators has not yet been drawn up, but one is expected before the board takes an official vote on the simulator.