Headlines from major league sports cities around the country have been hyping a new trend intended to keep stadiums active during their home teams’ off-seasons: Play a round of golf by teeing off from multiple levels of the stadium and driving a golf ball to custom greens on the field below.
Dodger Stadium is the latest venue to welcome Upper Deck Golf — described as a one-of-a-kind participatory event that took place from Dec. 6 to 10.
“As we continue to expand our non-gameday event programming, this first-time attraction illustrates how Dodger Stadium is a year-round event space,” Chris Koenig, executive director of Dodgers 365, said in a statement posted by KTLA.com. (Dodgers 365 was launched this summer “to create ancillary businesses within the stadium to produce more revenue” when the Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t playing, according to VenuesNow.com.)
Other stadiums that have hosted (or will host) Upper Deck Golf events include Wrigley Field in Chicago, PNC Park in Pittsburgh, T-Mobile Park and Lumen Field in Seattle, Coors Field in Denver, Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Nissan Stadium in Nashville, and Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio — perhaps the first collegiate venue to offer Upper Deck Golf.
Several of those venues, by the way, have previously hosted Upper Deck Golf events.
NBC Chicago called it “pitching mound meets pitching wedge” when Wrigley welcomed Upper Deck Golf to the “friendly confines” in July.
“It’s more than just a round of golf,” an Upper Deck Golf representative told the TV news station. “You come and you play a nine-hole round of golf in the most iconic ballpark in Major League Baseball.”
Standard registration tee times for Upper Deck Golf start at $79.99 per person and typically include one nine-hole round of golf, a complimentary set of 18 golf balls (two per hole), and special stadium access. That said, prices can vary based on the venue. VIP packages are available, too — and they come with four extra “mulligan” balls per round. Tickets are only sold in multiples of two.
“Each hole shots landing on the designated green will result in a par; off the green is a bogie; within the inner circle around the pin is a birdie; and a lucky few may even score a hole-in-one!” proclaims the FAQ page on Upper Deck Golf’s website. “You are welcome to bring your own clubs but it is not necessary as standard clubs (including left-handed) will be available for players to use at each tee box. Please keep in mind that SW, PW, 9 Iron, 8 Iron are the only clubs allowed inside the stadium. … If you choose to bring your own clubs, please keep in mind that lockers will not be available.”
An average round takes about 90 minutes to play, but golfers are invited to a clubhouse festival with music, beer, food and more golfing challenges. Tee times can be as early as 7 a.m. and as late as 9 p.m.
“You get a nice 360 of the stadium, which is really cool — kind of a different way to see the stadium with it being empty,” Brian Graham, a spokesman for Upper Deck Golf told KTVI in St. Louis in advance of November’s Busch Stadium event.
Upper Deck Golf partners with Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) as the event operator’s official charity to help accelerate innovative cancer research.
Another golf events provider, Stadium Golf Tour, offers similar events in the United States and the United Kingdom — including college football venues at Louisiana State, Clemson, Florida, Texas, Kentucky and Wisconsin.
Sounds like a neat holiday gift idea for your favorite golfer, no?
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