If you live in the upper East Bay or anywhere locally for that matter, and you're thinking about putting those golf clubs away for the winter, don't.

Bristol resident, personal trainer and Mt. Hope High School strength coach Anthony Marabello is set to open what he claims is the first indoor simulator in the area at that town's industrial complex, Bristol Sim Golf, located on 1 Shannon Court.

Marabello is expecting to begin accepting bookings on Monday, Nov. 17.

"It was an idea I had because in the wintertime there's pretty much nothing to do in Bristol unless you like to drink. That's the only thing we really have going on here in the wintertime," Marabello said, somewhat facetiously.

He continued, "There's Dudek Lanes (bowling) in Warren, but not really any fun activities in the wintertime in Bristol. So I just thought it would be a great idea, especially with the golf course opening up. People are golfing in Bristol. The golf course has been packed. It's been pretty popular, so I figured this could be a successful business model."

Marabello was referring to the recently refurbished Bristol Golf Park on Tupelo Street. And with a nod, he noted his new business is located just across the lot from Vigilant Brewing on Ballou Boulevard.

At the moment, the single-bay facility includes a 14-foot wide screen, which utilizes GSPro software technology with over 1,800 courses from which to choose to play as well as offerings like skills challenges and a driving range.

The simulator also provides the player with detailed game analysis like swing and ball speeds, spin rate, height, carry and distance. Another neat feature is a camera trained directly on a player's club to capture the exact location of each strike on the face.

"It's pretty cool tech. It's been fun to use it myself. I'm excited to see other people use it, too," Marabello said.
What certainly makes Bristol Sim Golf unique is how it will be used, how it operates.

Marabello explained there is no on-site staff. Customers make reservations online at www.bristolsimgolf.com and have the facility all to themselves and/or playing partners. They gain access to the simulator by receiving a "unique" entry code.

Then, there are detailed instructions on how to operate the equipment. The simulator runs on a timer and shuts down when the reservation is scheduled to end. The facility is also equipped with several security cameras. For those novices, both right and left-handed clubs are available for use.

"The code is going to open the door for you. And then you're essentially here alone," Marabello continued. "You can reserve it for an hour, two hours, three hours, however long you want."

The simulator is open seven days a week, 24-hours per day. "Peak" times are 5-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and the booking cost is $45 per hour. The rental cost for "off-peak" times is $35 per hour. Memberships are available for $25 a month and reduce the hourly booking rate to $25 per. To have access to the simulator in the overnight hours you must be a member.

Marabello, a novice golfer himself, believes his business will fill a void not only on the local golf scene, but also that of general entertainment.

"I've been golfing for about two-and-a-half years now. I'm not a pro golfer, but sometimes I play pretty well and then sometimes I don't know. It's like I forgot how to play and I don't get the ball at all. That's the game," Marabello said.

He added, "I think this is going to work just because we've got the Bristol golf course, which is extremely popular, right here and then we've got Vigilant right across the street. And they do quite well on the weekends. Like this whole street is absolutely packed."

Marabello is keen to soon install a second simulator and also believes it's a business model that can work in other locations down the line.

"Golf kind of stops in the winter for a lot of people," Marabello said. "So I'm hoping with this to keep it going."