It’s that time of the year, “The most wonderful time of the year,” they say, but “those people” probably aren’t as golf obsessed as I am… as you might be. Whether or not you love snow or winter, my “truth” could be like looking in the mirror for you – daily gazing glumly out the window at the fields and mountains of white stuff, desperately missing green grass, already with cabin fever since early November. It can be a pretty frustrating time of year, with as many as six months of winter ahead of us. How are we supposed to keep our golf games in shape? Where do we go to maintain our sanity… to hit balls, hang out with similar-minded golf friends and ultimately pretend that… well… baby, it isn’t so darn cold outside?

That’s no longer the problem it used to be, not with golf simulator studios all over the Twin Cities. Is simulator golf the same as hitting a golf ball on a great golf course? Obviously not. But, the best places don’t pretend it is… they enthusiastically embrace the differences. Those special places KNOW that the simulator golf experience CAN BE just as much fun, knowing that the “true greatness” of golf often lies more in the people you play with than the environments you play in. Those special places, like The Wilds Golf Club in Prior Lake, take first-class hospitality (and dining) and blend it with a wonderful, warm and relaxed environment where you can hang out any and every day with your golf friends and (even in winter) still have a ton of fun. Yes, The Wilds (even in winter) has their superb social factors dialed in and turned up to 10.

What makes the Golf Simulator experience at The Wilds so special? Well, for starters, they didn’t skimp on the equipment. The Wilds Golf Club has TWO Indoor HD Golf Simulator Bays, with technology so advanced, accurate and realistic – with proprietary software and computer vision details – that you get to feel like you’re actually at some of these amazing courses you’re playing…courses like Pebble Beach, Pacific Dunes and Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic…without the fear of weather wiping out or even remotely raining on your parade. You can save all the money on airfare and lodging, keep your clubs dialed in and hang out with your friends on a regular basis at The Wilds all season long. And many do.

These simulators at The Wilds are amazing, in how they combine High Definition and High Resolution with geophysical and satellite data to make such realistic reproductions of thousands of golf holes around the world. That bunker you hit in on your “trip of a lifetime” to Monterey… you can hit into it here, too, without the fear of getting stuck in someone’s footprint. That short Par 4 that Rory drove at the PGA Championship… you can drive that green here, too. That epic downhill Par 3 (7^th hole) at Pebble Beach, with the Pacific waves pounding in the background… you can ace that hole here (as I did). Simulator golf can be so amazing! The chipping, putting and driving details are so distinctive and impressive that it is worth stating this in writing – this is the industry’s most advanced tracking technology, and you can monitor literally every aspect of your club, swing and ball data precisely.

The Wilds simulator bays allow you to play the world’s best courses in pristine weather conditions, but you don’t have to play full courses if you don’t want. In fact, I encourage you “not to” sometimes. Try the Games. You can enhance your golf skills (read “practice”) on these incredible simulators with some pretty great games and challenges. You can hit field goals, break windows, throw darts, play golf poker, mini-golf and have closest to the pin contests, any/all of that with just a few taps on a screen. Take the Skills Challenges on a regular basis and record your scores – watch your improvement over the winter and watch it translate to your outdoor golf game in the spring. I’m serious.

If you’ve never been to The Wilds Golf Club to play their outdoor golf you’re missing out – you need to commit to a visit this year. But, this is about the here and now. If you haven’t yet experienced their incredible Simulator Golf bays… get over here.