PRESS RELEASE – For anyone who has ever dreamed of hitting a golf ball in a baseball stadium, now is your chance! The Southern Illinois Miners announce that they will turn Rent One Park into a nine-hole golf experience, “The Links at Rent One Park,” from April 20-24. VisitSI will be the legacy sponsor along with hospitality sponsor Peoples National Bank.
“The opportunity to play golf inside a minor league ballpark does not come along every day,” said Miners COO Mike Pinto. “We are looking forward to working with our corporate partners to make this an unforgettable experience.”
The nine holes span a variety of distances, angles and elevations. Each epic tee box will give you a completely unique golf shot that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. Every hole will have its own unique theme, including the “Winter Wonderland Weather Hole,” with snow and wind blowing on the golfer, and the “Heckler Hole,” where golfers will have to play through crowd noise and heckling (that will be encouraged).
Other themes will include a “Beerfest Hole,” with beer samplings available, the “Eclipse Hole,” the “Arnold Palmer Hole,” where shots will be taken with old wooden-shafted irons, the “Grand Slam Hole,” where golfers will hit the ball literally “out of the ballpark” at a target green outside the stadium, and the “Beat The Pro” hole, where golfers can win prizes by beating the shot of a PGA professional. The course will also have a few hazards and sand traps. Mulligans will be available for purchase on select holes with the proceeds being donated to the United Way.
“Playing a nine-hole course at a venue like Rent One Park will be a once-in-a-lifetime round and we can’t wait to bring another Premium Stadium Experience to the people in our region and surrounding areas,” Pinto added. “This is going to be a blast- like with “Winter Wonderland,” this fits our ‘Disney at the Diamond’ approach to creating unique experiences at the park.”
A round of golf at “The Links at Rent One Park” will cost $80 for pairs and $160 for foursomes, including a commemorative gifts and two 2017 Opening Day Miners tickets. Non-golfers, friends and family will be allowed into the stadium to be part of the gallery at no charge.
“This will be a great ‘get-together’ night, night out, date night or an opportunity to entertain customers,” Pinto said. “Of course with this format, you don’t need to be a serious golfer- anyone can do this, and an entire round will take a little more than an hour. But serious golfers will find a challenge here, too.”
Register for a tee time and be part of a rare club of people who have played golf inside a baseball stadium. Tee times can be reserved by the public at http://www.southernillinoisminers.com/links beginning at 10:00 a.m. on March 2nd. Miners season ticket holders with a paid agreement for 2017 will have a priority window and the opportunity to make tee time reservations beginning at 10:00 a.m. on March 1st. Corporate events can be arranged by calling the Miners ticket office while tee times are available.
HOW IT WORKS:
“The Links at Rent One Park” will feature five greens and seven holes painted into the Rent One Park outfield and adjoining Fireworks area (see course map). Golfers will be awarded points depending on the landing area of their tee shot. Only putting holes will putt out. Distances of the holes will range from 60 yards to 140 yards and golfers must bring their own wedges, 9- and 8-irons only for use at Rent One Park. All golf balls will be provided and a putter will be provided for the putting challenge.
The rules for “The Links At Rent One Park” are simple. Each golfer will get two shots at each hole, with the best of the two shots being counted as follows:
– HOLE IN ONE (1 point): if the ball goes in the hole. Mark an ace on your scorecard and start bragging!
– BIRDIE (2 points): if your ball comes to rest in the marked/colored area immediately surrounding the hole
– PAR (3 points): if your ball comes to rest on the green surrounding the hole
– BOGEY (4 points): if your ball lands anywhere outside the green
– DOUBLE BOGEY (5 points): if your ball comes to a rest in any hazard on the course, our out of the stadium (except on the Grand Slam Hole)
Hole #5 and Hole #9 are putting holes, and points for these holes will be awarded by number of putts taken. Each hole will have an attendant who will provide information on that hole and help locate each golfer’s shots for scoring purposes. Foursomes will also have a caddy to walk you through the course and keep the official scorecard for the group. The Miners’ batting cage will be converted into a warm-up area for golfers to get ready to play the course.
Golfers will start off with registration in the Diamond Club with the opening tee shot taken from home plate. Just like the professionals, golfers’ names and hometowns will be announced to the gallery while their shot is shown on the video board. Tee shots will then be taken from all around the stadium onto the Rent One Park outfield, including tee boxes built off the Miners’ home dugout, Party Porch, Bullpen Bar & Grill area, Fun Zone and Picnic Garden. There will also be a putting green hole inside the Miners’ home clubhouse for a unique “fungo golf” experience not normally available to the public where golfers can see the Miners’ Honor Wall, team celebration photos and more.
The round concludes on the concourse with an obstacle-filled putting challenge hole, with golfers having the option to hit the final shot using a hockey stick putter, akin to the one used in the movie “Happy Gilmore.” Top scores from the weekend will be displayed on the course leaderboard, with the top golfers from the weekend earning special Miners Prize Packs and other gifts. The best score for the weekend will also receive special recognition.
The experience will conclude on the concourse in front of the gallery at the Miners’ new Home Plate Bar, where golfers will have the opportunity to relax with additional food and beverages available for purchase, watch other golfers and shop for limited-edition commemorative merchandise in the pro shop. Your experience will be unlike any other golf experience, complete with memories to last a lifetime.
Be sure to follow the Miners on Facebook, Twitter (@SIMiners) and Instagram as well as Snapchat this offseason as they prepare for 2017!
The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2016 Frontier League West Division Champions, the 2014 and 2015 Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. They have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception, and also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the Rent One Park box office at (618) 998-8499. For any additional information, visit our website at http://www.southernillinoisminers.com.
ballparkbiz.wordpress.com 