Line Drive U re-opens in Minden with new golf features

After shutting down late last summer to regroup in the ever-changing business climate, the Line Drive U baseball facility off of Johnson Lane in Minden will reopen its doors Saturday with a hybrid focus.

Under new ownership and new management, the business, which originally opened in the spring of 2004, has kept 50 percent of the 20,000 square foot building for baseball. The remainder has been converted to golf and miniature golf.

The three batting cages with overhand-delivery pitching machines remain, as do the assorted hitting/pitching tunnels, clay pitching mounds and fielding area, but an indoor five-stall driving range, a nine-hole miniature golf course and a high-tech golf computer simulator have been added.

Also new is manager Eddie Shope, who graduated from Douglas High in 2004 after a successful career on the Tiger golf team.

"I'd been working at a golf course in the Valley and Rocky Walling (who originally built the facility) approached me last fall," Shope said. "He's my old baseball coach and he asked if I'd be interested in helping them set up some golfing facilities.

"I knew there were batting cages out here, but I'd never been inside. I didn't realize how nice it was. When I first came in, they asked me for some ideas on what to put in. It was fun."

Along with the driving range, Shope said there will be a lane added with a mat that will help golfers work on different angles on the greens.

The computer simulator is a large booth that golfers can take their swings inside. A screen displaying the course at the rear of the booth also serves as a backstop. The ball's power and trajectory is monitored by the computer and translated onto the screen as an actual shot.

"You can play 40 to 50 different courses on the simulator," Shope said. "We've got two different programs, one is more like an animated 'Tiger Woods' game and the other is more live pictures of actual courses.

"You can play team events and do longest drive and closest to the pin competitions. It's a lot of fun."

Line Drive U will also be offering private lessons along with juniors and women's clinics.

"We really have an ideal situation to give lessons with the range and the simulator," Shope said. "We are going to be giving juniors discounts and setting up an after-school program.

"The miniature golf course is great for families and its just a fun course. It's the only miniature golf in the area."

Line Drive gave a test run of the new features in December when it hosted "Joey Jacobsen Day" to raise fund for a local boy who had suffered a severe head injury in a woodcutting accident.

The day brought in more than $2,000 for the Jacobsen family. Pit Stop Deli donated the food for the day and Genoa Lakes donated a round of golf for a raffle.

"It was packed, a lot of people showed up," Shope said. "It was awesome to see the community's support for Joey. We were very thankful to them."

Line Drive will host its grand re-opening Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. All of the facilities amenities will be available at no charge and a representative from Nike golf will be on hand demoing the 2009 line of equipment.

"We're going to be a Nike dealer, so people will be able to come out and try out their new clubs, gloves and shoes," Shope said. "We offer memberships for people who plan on coming here a lot. It's just a great facility and we hope people come out to see what we've done."

Line Drive U is located at 2577 Nowlin Road off of Johnson Lane in Minden. It is open from noon to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, call 267-3331.