DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Steve Garrels describes Range Grill + Golf as a country club without the membership fees.
Visitors can “play” 18 holes on golf simulators, order craft beers and cocktails at the greens or in the bar, and dine on upscale cuisine like shrimp cocktail, New York strip, seared scallops, chicken de burgo and classic Caesar salad.
Located in Urbandale, Range is the third indoor golf venue to open in the Des Moines metro in the past two years, The Des Moines Register reported .
What’s driving the boom?
It’s golfers wanting to keep their games sharp and people looking for entertainment, said Jon Goes, co-owner of Broheim’s Indoor Golf & Pub, which opened early this year in Waukee.
Overall, the indoor golf business is growing, with an estimated 20 million customers in 2016, an 11 percent increase. Of those, 8.2 million were not outdoor golfers, according to research from the National Golf Foundation.
“Des Moines is a huge market for golf,” Goes said, and each business has its own niche.
Broheim’s offers a bar and other games like billiards and shuffleboard. Backspin Indoor Golf and Bar, which opened in December 2015 in Ankeny, has a large selection of craft beers.
At Range, the main feature is the restaurant and cocktail bar, which is open to golfers and those just wanting to dine.
The dining room is decorated with a green, cream and gold colored argyle pattern on one wall, a nod to the traditional golf design used in clothing and socks. Framed pieces of fake grass decorate one wall and large silver balls dangle from the ceiling.
It has a three-season patio that is shut off from the main bar by a garage door that is closed during inclement weather. There is seating for 48 in the bar and another 50 on the patio.
“The restaurant is very culinary driven,” said Blake Wenzel, Range’s general manager. Prominent on the lunch and dinner menus are elk and bison served as appetizers, as meatballs in marinara, in grilled sandwiches and in salads.
That’s how Garrels landed on the name Range, which refers both to a golf range and the place where buffalo are known to graze.
The menu also includes steak, salmon, flat breads, sandwiches and soup.
“We wanted our restaurant to be inviting to everyone” while having a fine dining feel, said Wenzel, who previously worked at Court Avenue Brewing Co., Jethro’s BBQ and Centro in Des Moines.
Range has six golf simulator stations where up to four people can play 70 golf courses, miniature golf, skee ball or just practice their swings. The center will have golf professionals on staff for private lessons and offer golf leagues in the upcoming weeks and months, Garrels said.
Garrels, a golfer, owns Signature Male, a hair salon and spa for men in West Des Moines. His wife Melissa Garrels is co-owner in both businesses and operates Signature Male.
Executive chefs at the restaurant are Jeff Snowgren, executive chef at AJ’s Steakhouse at Prairie Meadows and Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse, and Shelly Wenzel, Blake Wenzel’s wife, who also worked at Court Avenue Brewing Co.
Golf patrons can reserve golf stations online while restaurant customers can make reservations at Open Table, the online table booking site that’s also available as a smartphone app.
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Information from: The Des Moines Register, https://www.desmoinesregister.com
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