A Milton business that offers golfers a way to virtually build their skills has moved into new space in the Crossroads Industrial Park near Highways 26 and 59.
Owner Carl Markestad said Carl’s Place, 1650 Putnam Parkway, has a simulation room with five screens at its new site, up from one at its prior location on High Street.
The same room with the five screens also has two bowling lanes. The building, additionally, has a showroom where customers can test out products and software. It also has a larger production facility and more office space. The headquarters is now a total of 65,000 square feet, more than twice the size of the previous facility.
“We were about to expand and then COVID hit and we had a boost, and we had to expand again,” Markestad said.
In the new building, some of Carl’s Place’s 60 employees use industrial sewing machines to make the “greens” for the enclosed spaces. There are also software and room designers, stockers and administrative personnel and a cafeteria manager for a new eating space that has been added.
When it moved from Storrs Lake Road to High Street in a 2014 expansion, Carl’s Place had just six employees, Markestad said.
The company sells kits with enclosures, projection screens, hitting mats with tees, software and swing cameras. They are customizable depending on if they’re for use in the home like in a garage, basement or bedroom, or in a larger space.
Markestad said some customers specifically look to improve their golf skills, some are just looking for a gaming experience, and some seek a little of both.
A full set-up can be pricey.
“The whole set-up — the budget can be anywhere from $4,000 to $20,000. The base level products are similar,” Markestad said.
Software packages largely mirror courses around the country. Courses can also be developed within the software upon request, but that can be a complicated process because fault lines from the U.S. Geological Survey and drone photos are needed. If customers provide that data in their requests, that expedites the process, Markestad said.
“That could take only a couple of weeks if we had the pictures and all of that,” Markestad said.
Markestad’s team recently completed a project to have downloadable software for the Rainbow Springs course in Mukwonago, which has been closed and sold to be added to the Kettle Moraine State Forest.
Markestad said he started his business in 2006 to sell projection screens for people to have in “drive-in movie experiences in their backyards.”
“We had more requests for golf screens and over the years it just took over,” Markestad said.
In 2014, Carl’s Place shifted completely to golf simulation.
Markestad said while he does enjoy occasionally playing on actual golf courses, he’t not an avid golfer. He said he’s grown to appreciate the simulation experience.
“I feel like I’m better on the sims because you have that instant feedback,” Markestadt said. “You can make adjustments. As a very casual golfer, I find that beneficial.”
To learn more about building a simulator, go to carlofet.com.
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