Golf isn't only 'fore' warm weather

Thanks to Tee Performance's indoor simulators, customers can play a round of golf, practice on a driving range or play mini golf and skeeball.

“We opened Tee Performance with the goal of having a place where golfers could play and practice year round especially in the cold weather months and on rainy days the other months of the year,” said owner Keith Johnson. “Participating in golf simulator play is actually increasing faster than regular golf play over the past two years in the USA.”

The doors opened in early 2018, and since then some things have been tweaked to accommodate customers.

“We have adjusted our hours to meet the needs of our customers and extended our season on weekends and holidays,” he said. “We have golf nights from the area golf and country clubs that we block specific time out for so the members of these clubs have exclusive use of the facility. We have great mini golf simulation as well so non golfers are able to enjoy the facility as well.”

The facility is open year round (there is a modified schedule in the summer) and its busiest times are from November through April during the colder months when playing golf outside often succumbs to mother nature.

“In the past two years, we have added 10 more PGA Tour golf courses and are always updating the course selection,” Johnson said.

In addition to skeeball, Tee Performance has added new bar room games including darts, corn hole and beer pong.

“You hit the golf ball and the ball becomes the dart, beanbag or ping pong ball,” Johnson said. “Darts is everyone’s favorite game so far.These games are meant to practice golf shots without the monotonous repetition of hitting ball after ball. They are fun games played against someone so you practice without feeling like you are practicing.”

Johnson said that almost every high school golf team in the area has been the Tee Performance as a team or to play individually to improve skills.

Tee Performance is popular for its PGA professionals who give lessons. They include: Brian Shomaker PGA, Mary Beth Kohberger PGA – US Kids top 50 Teacher, Tom Reynolds – Leadbetter Golf Academy, and Ricky Mosel – PGA – Lake Mohawk Country Club.

“Golf lessons are all personalized for each golfer,” Johnson said. “They will include video analysis and using all the golf data collected on our aboutGolf simulators. Each shot taken on the simulator will produce data including things like the distance the ball traveled in the air, the total distance of the shot, the players swing speed, the ball speed, back spin, side spin, launch angle among other golf data. Lessons can be taken on hitting woods, irons and even putting.”

Tee Performance hosts all types of parties including birthday parties, bachelor parties and corporate team building events.

“We are a complete bring your own food and drink facility, so party planning is very easy,” Johnson said. “We have a great relationship with the local restaurants for supplying food and drink to our facility, most have their menus available to our customers in our facility.”

Kohberger is running a junior golf program on Friday nights. It will consist of lesson and junior league play, and she can be contacted at 973-600-8954 to find out more information about the junior program or lessons for men and woman.

Tee Performance highly recommends making advance tee times on the website: www.teeperformance.com. Tee Performance is located at 183 Route 206 South in Branchville. Call (973) 250-0087 or visit www.teeperformance.com to book a tee time or for further information.