Spiderweb Golf

Play golf round without setting foot on course!

Driving range program at Hueston Woods can simulate other courses.

Summertime sportsmen (and women) have an activity to look forward to at the Hueston Woods Golf Course.

Spiderweb Golf, which was installed on the driving range, offers a fresh way for players of all experience levels to practice their shots with purpose.

"I think it's a really neat addition to our driving range," said Chad Smith, naturalist supervisor for Ohio State Parks.

The training aid, which was purchased by Hueston Woods for $6,500, opened just before Memorial Day, and Smith sees it as a permanent fixture at the driving range.

It's comprised of a series of targets - made from steel, sports netting, fiberglass and metal stakes, that allows players of all ages and skill levels to play essentially a round of golf in a fraction of the time it takes to play a course.

As of now, therre is no additional cost to play the game at Hueston Woods.

"You can play an 18-hole match in 20 or 30 minutes,"  Smith said.  "It's good for people who want to come practice after work or in between classes."

"You can play the Hueston Woods golf course in 30 minutes, or you can play the Masters or Pebble Beach," said Lloyd Peck, the creator and president of Spiderweb Golf.

The principle of the game has gotten positive reviews from teaching pros.

"The pros love it because it makes people concentrate a whole lot more and focus (on the range), rather than just playing Happy Gilmore hitting balls for the heck of it," Peck said.  "Unless you're focused on a specific goal, then hitting balls is of no value to getting better."