For this week’s business spotlight, we decided to go to The Caddyshack Indoor Golf and Fun located at 1640 Claremont Ave. The Caddyshack is a five minute drive from campus and gives the small town of Ashland a big city experience. The business has golf simulators, pool tables and arcade games with a bar and grille attached as well. One of us has previously experienced The Caddyshack and the other has not, so we decided to go with some friends and go for the group experience.

First Impression:

Bree:  I have lived in Ashland my whole life, I drive by The Caddyshack everyday on my way to AU and I always thought it was just golf simulators. I did not know what to expect when we got there since I am not a very good golfer but I loved that they had so much more to offer than just golf. It definitely was not what I was expecting but I loved it!

Zach: I am not a drinker, but you do not need to be a drinker to experience The Caddyshack. ‘The Shack’ is a place for everyone to enjoy a good time while playing some fun arcade games, so I was very impressed the first time I went.

Atmosphere:

Bree: The atmosphere is super chill and a variety of music was constantly playing while we were there. For the amount of people that were there, it never felt crowded. The overall environment is very welcoming for those who are just looking to hangout.

Zach: It’s a great atmosphere! They usually have live music on the weekends and if not live music then they usually play good country music. It makes it a chill atmosphere with a lot of townies but that makes for a really great place just to hangout and chill on a Friday or Saturday night.

Employee Interactions:

Bree: We did not get that much interaction with the employees except with the bartender, who was very nice and accommodating.

Zach: The employees at The Caddyshack are great people and they help you get set up with the games if you are interested in that.

Activites:

Bree: Like I said before, I was not expecting a whole lot of activities since I thought it was all golf related but there is so much to do! There are things like darts, Jenga, corn hole and arcade games that you can play along with the simulators. You are able to play the arcade games for free as long as you spend a minimum of $5, which makes it affordable for everyone.

Zach: There are so many different arcade games and other games that you can play at The Caddyshack for free or for cheap payment. If you are willing to play on the simulators for a half an hour or an hour with friends, that makes for a cheap round if everyone chips in.

Food/Drink:

Bree: When it comes to drinks, The Caddyshack has the option of getting a bucket of beer for $10, which in my opinion, is a great deal. Food wise, we got ‘The Normal’ pizza and it was pretty good but when is pizza not good?

Zach: When we ordered food, we kept it pretty simple (because Bree is a picky eater) and ate ‘The Normal’ which is their pizza with sauce, pepperoni and cheese. The rest of their menu consists of other pizzas, sandwiches and a large appetizer section.

Overall Experience:

Bree: I would definitely go back again now that I know what The Caddyshack is and what they have to offer. I like the atmosphere and overall mindset that is not a regular bar that you would go too. Their slogan of “Come for the Golf, Stay for the Fun” fits and is totally true. 10/10 would recommend to my friends to experience.

Zach: If you are an upperclassman and are over the loud bars with dancing all around, then The Caddyshack is the place for you. I do think that they need to do a better job of advertising because if you are new in town and drive past ‘The Shack’ then you may think it is a regular golf facility, not a bar. Other than that I would give ‘The Shack’ a 10/10 for overall experience.

Since we brought some people with us, we wanted to see what they also had to say about their time at The Caddyshack. Jay Slone and Ben Haraway came along and gave us their opinion on The Caddyshack.

Ben: The Caddyshack is an indoor golf facility that is also a sports bar. Inside there are five golf simulators that have screens that you can hit golf balls into. The combination of screens and cameras do a great job of determining how far your golf ball will go. Along with distance, it tracks direction and curvature of the ball so it can accurately simulate a round of golf. This is what draws customers but when the customers arrive they realize that there is much more to it than an indoor golf facility! Inside there is a sports bar that has a wide selection of food and drinks. They have many different activities like billiards, corn hole, darts and giant Jenga. The Caddyshack also has arcade games like Golden Tee Golf, Bags and Silver Strike Lanes. Also, they have great deals. If you spend $5 then you can play any of these games and activities with no additional cost. You can buy a bucket of five beers for just $10 so if you and a friend split it then you can play all the games and activities you like! The caddy shack also promotes responsible drinking by giving designated drivers free pop for as long as you are there. Overall, I think it is a really fun place to hangout and play some games with the boiz.

Jay: The Caddyshack is my favorite place in town to kick back and relax. The best parts are that the people are very nice, the arcade games are free and the prices are cheap. Plus, they have some killer pizza. ‘The Shack’ also has a great, open lay out that gives you space to move freely and not feel like you are right on top of people, like some places similar. Overall, every time I know we are going to ‘The Shack’, I know it will be a great time.