In small businesses, it comes down to trying new strategies and crossing your fingers you’ll get the community’s support. That is what Larry and Michelle Scott are trying to do with Hill- Top Lanes on the Calais Road in Hodgdon.
“We hear there is nothing to do in Houlton,” said Larry. “So, we are trying to give people somewhere to go.”
The tired and aged building is in the process of writing a grant proposal that will give it a facelift, if the grant money is approved. But, the Scotts are giving their best effort, without a lot of capital, to offer a safe, fun environment.
Hill-Top Lanes, obviously known for its 12 candlepin (small ball) bowling lanes and its infamous “Senior Bowling” days and Men’s Leagues, was the “place” to hang out with friends on weekends, shooting pool or playing foosball, hitting the arcade games, all while listening to the tunes on the jukebox.
The Scotts were trying to find another activity that would fit in the square footage of their building, while offering the community something it did not already have. In May, the Scotts added a full-swing, interactive golf simulator.
“It took six weeks to set it up and work out the bugs,” said Larry.
The computerized virtual game is designed to mimic a real game of golf, while improving a golfer’s skills. According to Sportnetting.com, the golf simulator screen is connected to a computer with sensors designed to calculate every aspect of a shot. Usually, an array of light sensors, radar and other motion tracking devices are placed around the border of the projection screen. The tracking systems on some simulators include one or more 360-degree curtains of infrared beams, emitted at 60,000 pulses per second, which immediately analyze the ball as it flies.
“It is pretty realistic,” said Dave Grant, golf instructor and Houlton High School golf coach. “It is a good teaching tool. The simulator reads the club face and what it is doing on impact. It shows whether or not you have an open or closed club head and its percentage. The goal is to hit the ball square. But, we do not hit it square, so knowing what type of degree you are swinging the club head, allows for adjustments in a swing.”
At Hill-Top Lanes, the golf simulator is easily located in an enclosed area. A golfer sets the touch screen computer with whatever course he/she wants to play, handicap, wind velocity and weather conditions. The golfer then steps onto a platform to the swing pad of fake grass and a tee. A golfer takes his/her normal swing with the ball hit toward the screen. The ball strikes the screen and information is gathered and put into the computer.
“The screen has holes in it so it deadens the ball on impact,” said Larry. “The sensors are just a massive spider web.”
Hodgdon Town Manager Jim Griffin tried the simulator and was impressed.
“It feels real for as much golfing as I do,” he said with a smile. “It is neat to be able to see the ball travel. The machine is valuable especially in the off season when golfers can continue to practice. Most golfers have to get the rust out [after the winter] and they have to wait until the golf course opens. It is important to golfers to be able to stay on top of their game all year … not just get to a point and then lose it.”
Grant agreed.
“From an instructor’s perspective, a golf swing is muscle memory,” he said. “Most golfers put their clubs away in October and don’t touch them until April. So, each year a golfer starts at square one. If a golfer uses the simulator once or twice a week, he/she would be six weeks ahead of where they left off at the beginning of the next season.”
Hill-Top Lanes is in the process of setting up various golf leagues — men, ladies, couples, juniors and individual — just as the Houlton Country Club has during the summer.
“I would love to have a junior program in the winter to compliment our summer lessons,” said Grant.
If there is enough interest, leagues would be played Monday through Thursday.
“Some high school golfers are playing weekly,” said Grant. “Now, they are making the courses as difficult as they want with crosswinds and head winds. There are different scenarios to set up. It is not just getting up and hitting the ball. You can make the game as challenging as you want.”
Grant noted that typically a nine-hole game with four people takes about an hour to complete, while playing 18 holes would be three hours in length.
“If recreational golfers used the simulator once a week, they would see a big difference come April,” said Grant. “Competitive golfers would probably use the machine twice a week to keep their swing honed in.”
The Scotts are hoping that the golf simulator draws community interest. An investment in buying such a high-tech machine is around $50,000. Second-hand machines run around $25,000 to $35,000. However, the Scotts were able to get their simulator on consignment.
There are no public golf simulators like the one at Hill-Top Lanes that does not require traveling to either Presque Isle, Caribou, Millinocket or Enfield.
“All someone has to do is call for a tee time,” Larry said. “Right now, we are only open Friday and Saturday nights. But, if the simulator starts moving, we will open Friday and Saturday afternoons or Saturday or Sunday afternoons, whatever works.”
Parents need to accompany their younger children while they play the simulator. The cost for using the golf simulator is $20 per hour. For more information or to set up a tee time, call Larry at 694-4362.
“We are getting a lot of likes on Facebook, but they have not transformed into actual customers,” Larry added. “But, if people know we are here and open, people might start to come.”
Clubs are available to use at Hill-Top Lanes or golfers can bring their own. There will also be some golf and bowling accessories for sale.
“The golf simulator is just another piece of the puzzle,” said Larry. “By next year this time, we hope to another new add-on. We are trying to keep the business open. Right now, we need support. We are hoping the golf simulator gets more people through the door.”
“I would like to see people use the simulator,” said Grant, who will also be available for golf instruction, as well.
“We have to continue to diversify,” said Larry. “We talked long and hard about doing something with the lanes. We had a choice, either to try and go with a sports-like bar or push the family. We chose to go with family-oriented fun.”
“Our girls are growing up and we want a safe place for them to go,” added Michelle.
Larry said, “This is a controlled environment. There is no smoking and there is no drinking.”
For a couple of months last winter, the Scotts held ‘rock-n-roll’ family nights, with music and games. They had a great turnout and are planning to do some more, as well.
“Tim Humphrey did the music,” said Michelle. “We were turning people away because the waiting line was so long.”
The first event brought in 74 adults and children, with the second being larger with 84 in attendance.
They also are available to host birthday parties.
The Scotts have made some upgrades to Hill-Top Lanes such as new floors in the bathroom, along with painting the stalls and adding border to the walls.
“We are making improvements,” said Michelle. “It is just baby steps,” Larry added. “We want to grow to make improvements.”