Don’t worry if your passport expired and you won’t get to St.Andrews this spring, or you missed your invitation to the member guest at Quail Hollow.

Very soon you will be able to tee it up at both courses without leaving Spartanburg.

Streaking Birdies will soon be a part of Rockers, as the restaurant and brewery becomes an even larger entertainment complex in the Spartanburg Grain District.

Long time PGA professional Jeff Ruth began researching the idea of opening an indoor golf club last year and found that taking the game indoors has been gaining followers.

“There are a lot of reasons golfers are coming to simulators,” said Ruth. “It could be time, convenience or just a different experience, but whatever the reason , indoor golf is growing,” he said.

As his idea began to take shape, Rockers owner John Bauknight joined forces with Ruth to expand the concept and locate it at Rockers.

The way Bauknight intends to blend Streaking Birdies into Rockers coming remodeling will make ita unique entertainment opportunity.

“We are transitioning from the brewery to a larger entertainment venue and as a golfer I can’t wait to add what will be an indoor country club along with the outdoor beer garden we are making at Rockers,” said Bauknight.

The outside of Rockers has an industrial look. Once you enter, Bauknight envisions Streaking Birdies to be very much like a country club.

“Golfers will be able to play 100s of courses on our TRACKMAN simulators. We will have great food and beverages. It will be just like going to a country club, except you can play in any weather or at night,” he said.

Ruth mentions that the simulators can be especially good for families not just to play, but also to watch.

“A lot of parents and grand parents enjoy watching their kids play. Here they will be able to see their juniors play without having to walk around the course. We think we will have some spectators here just like we do on the golf course,” he said.

In addition to the focus change at Rockers the simple rule of supply and demand has convinced Bauknight it is the right time to open Streaking Birdies.

“Golf has grown so much because of the pandemic and clubs are having trouble satisfying the demand for tee times. I’m told 20 to 30 new people move into Spartanburg every day and a lot of them are golfers who need a place to play,” he said.

The simulators that will be at Streaking Birdies are from TRACKMAN which has advanced the details of the simulator to include an accurate portrayal of every course in its library.

“All golfers know TRACKMAN is the standard for the PGA Tour, club fitting and instruction,” said Ruth. “The detail and realism of the courses you can play really puts you on that course,” he added.

The plan calls for five simulators available for golfers. One of the five will be for instruction and Ruth believes lessons and practice can actually be better on the TRACKMAN simulator.

“It is so realistic you can get all the measurables to help with instruction. You can have a playing lesson that can be more effective than out on the course and learn more in less time,” said Ruth.

As an example, if a golfer has a problem with a shot during the playing lesson, Ruth can quickly change the simulator to a practice format, correct the error and then resume the lesson.

Streaking Birdies will operate like a semi-private club. The public will be welcome and memberships will be available.

Clubs often hold outings or fund raising events and those activities will also be available.

“I can see us hosting hole-in-one contests, birthday parties or fund raisers and we can do it anytime of the day.

We don’t have to close at dark or in bad weather. Instead of an outing starting at 8 am it could start at 8 pm” noted Ruth.

It takes about 45 minutes for one golfer to play 18 holes. The time is multiplied by the number of golfers playing at the same time.

Pricing for individual play and memberships are being developed now.

“I think we will be in line with the semi-private clubs in the area. We are going to have plenty of parking and a bag drop just like a country club,” said Bauknight.

Golfers can get a look at the Trackman simulator now at Rockers. Ruth is offering lessons and the simulator is available for play.

Details and reservations can be made at http://www.streakingbirdies.com. It is suggested tee times be made 24 to 48 hours in advance as demand has been strong.

“We think the changes we are making at Rockers and the addition of Streaking Birdies is going to continue the growth of downtown Spartanburg,” said Bauknight.

When all the changes are completed the Rockers owner believes Spartanburg will have an entertainment opportunity for the entire family.

The two developers are hoping to open Streaking Birdies in April or early May. The changes at Rockers will occur a little later in the year.