BirdieBay, where the sun shines, beer flows and it’s always golf weather
By Ken MacLeod
Two brothers from the tiny town of Chelsea are about to make a large impact on the burgeoning indoor/simulator golf market in Tulsa.
BirdieBay golf opened April 6 with six simulator bays powered by GolfZon (pronounced Golf Zone), a sophisticated simulator manufactured in South Korea, where indoor golf has been flourishing for far longer than its current boom in the U.S.
When customers play one of the more than 250 world class courses available, they do so from a platform that moves and shifts to create a stance similar to where your ball stopped on St. Andrews or Kiawah Island. There are brushes for hitting sand shots, rough, fairway mats and for your drive the machine pops up a ball automatically set to your preferred tee height, so there is no walking to retrieve balls from the bottom of the screen.
The system also gives instant feedback on all the numbers golfers crave, including carry, ball speed, club head speed, launch angle and more.
The brothers are Keaton and Kennedy Lockart, who grew up in Chelsea, a town of fewer than 2,000 souls in Rogers County not far from Claremore. Kennedy has a background in construction and project management and his day job is a project manager for Cyntergy architect and engineering firm. Keaton attended the Naval Academy from 2012 to 2014, then spent the next six years as a submarine officer. It was while stationed in Busan, South Korea, that his apartment had a GolfZon simulator in the basement and the idea took root.
“South Korea is about the size of Indiana but with 52 million people in it,” Keaton said. “The availability and price to play outdoors makes it difficult. Everyone plays on a simulator and they are way ahead of companies here with their technology.”
The brothers decided to team up with GolfZon and open their own studio, but raising the capital proved difficult until they met Alex Baker, the step son of their GolfZon salesman. Baker manages a trust and was looking for just such an investment opportunity involving Golf Zone.
That meeting has resulted in BirdieBay, with its full service bar and snacks, food truck in the back, and the opportunity to play golf courses worldwide. Hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. except for Friday and Saturday, when it remains open to midnight. Cost for a bay is $40 per hour.
Keaton said Birdie Bay has appeal to all age groups. With the variability of Oklahoma weather, it is also a great option for rounds, practice range sessions and for golf leagues or tournaments, all of which its software handles easily. It also comes with an app that sends you video of your swings as no charge.
BirdieBay is located at 10324 East 71st Street in Tulsa, which is on the south side just west of the intersection of 71st Street and Highway 169. The website is birdiebay.com and phone is 918-883-3795.
