High performance, indoor golf training centre opens in Winnipeg

Manitoba golfers now have a new way to keep driving their skills forward even after courses have closed for the winter.

Golf Manitoba just opened a state-of-the-art indoor Performance Training Centre at the Sport Manitoba building.

It comes complete with two golf simulators and a 160-square-foot putting green.

The simulators track metrics like club head speed, ball speed and distance.

Golf Manitoba executive director Jared Ladobruk says the training centre helps Prairie golfers, who only have a five or six-month outdoor playing season to contend with, keep their skills sharp.

“These spaces give us a chance to train our high-performance teams essentially 12 months of the year, so even when the snow flies, we’re still training and golfing here in this space,” he said.

Previously, teams relied on private facilities to train during the winter months.

The new facility gives athletes access to the training centre, plus all the other Sport Manitoba resources and amenities under one roof.

Sport Manitoba president and CEO Janet McMahon says it has been a goal to get as many sports and athletes to its Pacific Avenue facility.

“We’re thrilled to have them here,” she said.

“When you see an athlete doing some pretty heavy duty lifting, and wondering why we don’t do that in our sport, and understanding the nuances and feeding off each other in terms of that motivation and inspiration in terms of their development,” she said.