Entertaining advertising agencies is a hard task in Madmen town! So when my colleague got a pre-sale opportunity to play 9 holes in a Baseball stadium I knew this would be disruptive enough for my clients that get invited all the time!

Moreover, I got to admit that for Stadium Links to be able to get Paige Spiranac on video to play their event was a pretty sweet move that created the necessary awareness among every golfer aficionado.

1-Price: 13/20

When you invite clients, it’s an all in experience, so of course you get the VIP Pass! 90$ per person for 9 holes. Appart from 9 holes,  for that you’ll get a sleeve of 9 balls to play, and an ugly pseudo hipster charcoal T-shirt in a light ugly plastic bag.

Upgrade to VIP adding 55$ to the 90 to get in a nice navy bag, the same ugly T-shirt, 18 balls to play (2 per hole for the best ball), 9 additional balls for practice, access to the Delta lounge with food (bagel, croissants, wraps) and soft drinks.

When you’re able to expense that, it does not sound very expensive to entertain your clients, however, we all thought for that price, they could give you a nicer souvenir related to golf at least.  Anyway, good price for a once in a lifetime experience.

2-Reception: 11/20

Like when you go to any event, some simple tables, kind girls welcoming you and screaming to the other girl 2 tables over that you’re a VIP so she can prepare the appropriate bracelet while you’re signing the waver.

However, no indication to where you should go, and there is a specific path you should take. First to the « club house » to grab your bag containing the ticket valid for food and soft, then head to the lounge for VIPs. Why not giving the VIP bags there directly…

And before that you pass through the VPar App table where the guys help you log on to their scoring app linked to the event so you know how you’re performing among all players, even on the Jumbo Tron.

Staff friendly but limited to its minimum and not very proactive in the information they give. They could also be more supportive and implicated in the whole experience. Maybe cheer for you why not.

3-Fun Score: 17/20

At every hole, you got 2 tee boxes so the pace of play is very rapid for every 4 minutes tee time they sold (out BTW). And before the first tee, you can buy a beer and work on your contact on some practice bays.

Of course, no need to bring your clubs, even if probably 70% of people did however, drivers included knowing that the max distance was 130 yards… You had on the practice range some new Mizuno JPX900 and one MP18. To play you had Taylor Made M2 I think.

So the game is that you have 9 flags on 7 greens, each flag with a ring giving you a birdie if you land it inside, a par if you’re on the green, a bogey outside, and double if OB. No Putt, this is 9 closest to the pin contests teing up always from very high. Par 3s only.

 

Distances are unajusted so you never really now, the longest iron used was a 9 for 133 yards, shortest was 56 for 63 yards. And being very high, with short irons, you have to play with the wind, and also some vertigo!

Greens are small and it will be hard to score par (I only did 3). One other cool stuff is that you are filmed and transmitted on the Jumbo Tron swinging a golf club! And if you get OB, you’re ball will bounce miles or act like pinball on the stands!

Finally, it was very fun to walk from hole to hole in the empty stand with some cool 80’s music resonating in the stadium. We probably only missed another bar for snacks and/or beers.

4-Lost balls: 10/20

They give you balls from the Nitro brand I never heard before. Very cheap balls anyway, very hard plastic feeling, no logo. You don’t want to keep any of these so you’ll gladly loose them all.

5-19th Hole: 09/20

I only experienced the Delta Sky lounge bar where I could not even get a John Daly. So my partners had an expensive Bloody Mary and I got a Goose IPA. Nothing to eat either appart from some very bad wraps…

This should be part of the whole experience and you feel it is neglected. Too bad.

Conclusion: 12/20

Definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Some things could be improved but who cares, this was sold out in a couple of days! I’ll now be able to say that the first time I ever stepped in a Baseball stadium was to play golf…