Golf goes indoors in Gilbert

Imagine playing golf in 70-degree temperatures when the thermostat at the local bank reads 110. Or how about having the ability to practice your game at 10 o’clock at night.

Need another perk? How does playing Pebble Beach for less than one-tenth of the cost strike you? Or get this: Playing Pebble Beach and never losing a ball.

All of the above can happen for those who choose to book a tee time or practice session at the new CrossWoods Indoor Golf Center in Gilbert.

CrossWoods is the brainchild of Michael Rus of Gilbert and Brant Baker of Mesa. According to Rus and Baker, who became friends several years ago through the athletic endeavors of their sons, CrossWoods is a reference to their faith with “a golf connotation.’’

“I’ve been in the golf industry for 20 years,’’ explained Rus, who is the general manager at CrossWoods after running Viewpoint Golf Club in Mesa for 20 years. “Both Brant and I are golfers, and while we’re not great, we’re avid.’’

Baker, who is the CFO for CrossWoods, has a lot less experience in the golf industry, and with good reason.

“I’m a preacher at First Presbyterian in Mesa,’’ he said, adding quickly, “But I’m also an entrepreneurial-type guy who is interested in technology.’’

CrossWoods, which is the first such indoor golf facility in Arizona, is almost like going to the golf course — but with a lot less hassle. The 10,000-square-foot arena includes 10 simulator-styled hitting bays — including a corporate or party bay — and features the debut of a radical new radar-based, 3-D technology from a company called AboutGolf.

Among the many features that golfers will discover on their first visit to CrossWoods: extra large hitting bays; instant feedback on each shot’s ball speed, launch angle, sidespin, backspin, clubhead speed and face angle; graphics that track a golfer’s tendencies and progress; highly detailed 3-D terrain; varying weather conditions that include grass and flags that actually blow in the direction of the wind; and even the soothing chirps of birds in the background.

Wait, there’s more, like a nine-hole putting course and a 19th hole complete with every type beverage a golfer might desire. There are even plans for a pro shop.

“Besides a very detailed driving range, we also offer play at 30 different courses you can play, like Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Harbor Town and Teeth of the Dog,’’ Rus noted. “And St. Andrews is on the way.’’

Through highly developed radar-sensors in each screen, golfers will find out how their woods and irons perform, with camera angles that start at the tee, and then pick the ball up from the opposite direction as it lands in the fairway. The short game, however, takes a little more getting used to.

“(Chipping and putting) usually takes about two holes for the player to figure it out,’’ Rus said.

“But in that regard, we do help to educate each player, so it’s fairly easy to learn.’’

CrossWoods is a lot about the ability to practice your game in a climate-controlled environment. But it’s also about the game’s social element.

“When you have two or three players competing in the same bay on the same course, that’s when it gets really fun,’’ Baker said. “And we plan on having league play and corporate parties, and eventually maybe even memberships.’’

Right now, CrossWoods is a daily-fee facility with a $35 green fee. And, yes, tee times are being accepted.

The grand opening is set for March 15-18.

What first-time visitors will find is a complete golf facility with deep leather chairs, a golf-inspired bar and three large plasma TVs.

“It’s a course, clubhouse, 19th hole and more all under one roof,’’ Rus pointed out.

Added Baker: “Yes, everybody who has walked in so far thinks it’s pretty cool.’’

Especially in a couple of months, when the temperature outside hits 110 degrees.