By: Jonathan Szczepaniak | Metro | Published January 20, 2023
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — While Michigan offers beautiful golf courses throughout the warmer months, it’s the longevity of the not-so-favorable months that leaves Michiganders stranded inside instead of on the greens.
Looking to etch its name in Michigan as a go-to golf simulator, Five Iron Golf opened its doors Oct. 14 in Shelby Township.
Jason Sproat, who grew up in Macomb Township, is the general manager of the Shelby Township location and the soon-to-be Detroit location that is set to be more than 26,000 square feet.
Sproat, a Central Michigan graduate, said he was pleasantly surprised by Shelby Township’s growth over the years.
“The first couple times back out here as we were getting things going, I was blown away by the growth that Shelby Township has had,” Sproat said. “Where there used to be farmland and open fields, there’s now plazas and a bunch of strip malls.”
Just off 23 Mile Road at 50773 Corporate Drive sits the 4,900-square-foot building, featuring six TrackMan golf simulators, a full bar, a Golden Tee machine and seven televisions.
Five Iron also offers shuffleboard, music, signature cocktails, local beers on tap, and food courtesy of Detroit Taco, which is all part of an atmosphere Sproat said he wanted to establish.
“The atmosphere we try to provide is very inviting,” Sproat said. “Even if you come in here and you’re not expected to golf, you can come in and just hang out.”
As for the TrackMan simulator, about 200 courses are at the user’s disposal including eight local courses, featuring Arthur Hills (Boyne Highlands), Orchard Lake Country Club (West Bloomfield Township), Wabeek Country Club (Bloomfield Township) and more.
The simulator offers multi-angle cameras that can capture every angle of a user’s swing while providing efficient feedback on a user’s swing.
All rental clubs are included with the simulator, including Callaway Apex clubs and Odyssey putters.
Five Iron debuted in New York in 2017 and now features locations in Chicago; Baltimore; Las Vegas; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; and Seattle.
For the expansion into Michigan, Sproat said Shelby Township was the perfect place to start.
“The driving factor was golf is growing as an industry and as a whole,” Sproat said. “What we provide for golfers of all abilities is warm, comforting and inviting for anybody who hasn’t even picked up a golf club, and we felt Shelby Township was the best area.”
Starting the week of Feb. 13, Five Iron will be offering league play on Monday and Tuesday nights for seven weeks. There will be four players per team, and teams will compete on courses designed by the league director in New York, featuring different game modes on certain weeks.
Along with the league atmosphere, Sproat said it extends beyond the on-screen competition.
“One week we had the mulligan drink special, so if you bought the drink special you got a mulligan for your team,” Sproat said.
Monthly memberships are currently available for $220, offering discounts on apparel, peak-time simulator use and more. For more information on Five Iron of Shelby Township, visit fiveirongolf.com/shelby-township.