Doylestown Swinging In The New Year With New Virtual Golf Experience

DOYLESTOWN, PA ? Doylestown will be swinging in the new year at a brand new state-of-the-art indoor golf venue located in the heart of town.

The new 3,000-square-foot Main Swing Indoor Golf Lounge officially opened its doors on Dec. 23 on the second floor of the Main Street Marketplace.

The brand new lounge is owned and operated by Doylestown native Will Wister, a graduate of Central Bucks West High School who wanted to bring some additional fun to Doylestown.

?Doylestown has great bars, restaurants and outdoor spaces, but there?s never really been, except for the Escape Room, something for individuals, families and friends to participate in and have some fun doing,? he said. ?This will bring that kind of experience to downtown Doylestown.?

The new space features a lounge area with big screen televisions for sports viewing and four simulation bays, each equipped with state-of-the-art Trackman iO software technology designed to create the ultimate indoor golf experience.

Among the first to try it out was Frank Aster, a member of the New Hope-Solebury School District golf team. He was making use of the driving range to fine tune his game, sending golf ball after golf ball sailing into the virtual range as the state-of-the-art system recorded his ball speed, spin rate, launch angle, and distance.

Frank Aster lines up a practice swing at Main Swing. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

"He wants to keep up with his swing during the winter. We saw this place was opening and we thought it would be a good idea," said his father, Frank. "We have a big open field behind our house so he's out there swinging every day. Even in the snow, he's out there. But it's nice having something like this nearby. He can actually see where he's hitting the ball and work to correct his swing."

Aster, who used to make the trek to the Hatboro-Horsham area to a virtual golf experience there, particularly likes the impact video which shows golfers where they are hitting the ball and allows them to adjust their swing as they search for that sweet spot.

"It's wonderful," said Frank Jr. "It's great for this area. It's closer to my house than Hatboro-Horsham. I was so happy to see this place was opening."

Using the Trackman software, individuals or groups are also able to play more than 250 courses, including some of the top courses in the nation like Pebble Beach, while amassing tons of detail about their individual game, including shot accuracy, speed, angle, and spin.

?With the software that we?re using, golfers can fine tune different parts of their swing, their path, exactly how they are hitting the ball and improve their game,? said Wister.

There are also games designed for kids and for other players like closest to the pin, longest drive and accuracy competitions.

A golfer plays a round of golf at Main Swing. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

?It?s pretty much tailored to do anything you want to do with a golf club,? said Wister, adding that Main Swing is designed for golfers at every age and ability level from beginner to professional.

?If you have never picked up a club before, this will show you how to swing a club, how it works and give you a feel for it,? said Wister. ?For the highly-skilled golfer, this will help you refine your game. With the software we are using, they can fine tune different parts of their swing and how they are hitting the ball. Utilizing the data that they will get here, they can use that to improve their game out in the field.?

The lounge area is BYOB and members are encouraged to pick up food and beverages at one of the vendors located on the first floor of the Marketplace or from anywhere in Doylestown.

"We're ecstatic to be open," said Wister. "And the response has been crazy. We were expecting a lot of interest, but it's been going like gang busters."

Main Swing is offering memberships, hourly rentals, leagues, lessons, private parties, corporate outings and more. Members can reserve times on the Main Swing website. Playing times are available in one hour increments.

Walk-ins are welcome, but Main Swing cannot guarantee playtime if the bays are reserved.

Main Swing will be open Monday to Thursday from noon to 10 p.m. and Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For complete information on memberships and scheduling times, click here.