Never Mind the Snow, You Can Still Get In a Round of Golf on the Hill at Capitol Hill Golf

Photo Courtesy of Capitol Hill Golf

I recently spent a Monday morning getting fitted for a set of golf clubs and hitting a few balls with a PGA Pro. I tweeted about it and was asked if I was at Haines Point or Langston. My response?  Right here on the Hill. In a garage behind A St. SE.

Welcome to Capitol Hill Golf, where Bryan Huus and Bob Shelton have turned Bryan’s garage into a state-of-the-art golf simulator and pro shop.

I met Bryan at their facility, unmistakable by its lime green facade, early one Monday to chat about Capitol Hill Golf and check out the simulator for myself. I’d hoped to bring a more seasoned golfer (other than summer rounds of putt-putt, a few booze-laden evenings at the H Street Country Club, and an afternoon at the driving range with my father that ended poorly for all involved, my golf experience is extremely limited) but it wasn’t in the cards, so I was going it alone.

Bryan told me that it took over a year to get all the permits and build out the garage. It then took the partners a while to find a simulator that met their criteria, before settling on the product by aboutGolf, which blends teaching and playing and uses 2 sensors and missile tracking technology to take 1000 readings before your ball ever hits the screen. There are also cameras to capture the golfer throughout the swing so that they may see immediately what is going well and what isn’t.

One of 36 Courses Available at Capitol Hill Golf

I took the opportunity to hit a few balls and, being an absolute beginner, this started with Bryan setting me up with a seven iron to fit in my freakishly small hands. Capitol Hill Golf has a variety of clubs that they use for fittings and lessons, and if you’re in the market, can order and have you in a new set of clubs in about a week. To my surprise, my brief little lesson was actually really fun and the simulator made it easy for me to “get it.”  So much so, that I’m seriously considering buying a beginner lesson package, which starts with putting, then moves on to chipping and pitching and ends with 9 holes on the White Course at Hains Point. I wasn’t surprised to learn that a lot of their clients are female beginners, but it’s important to note that the simulator isn’t just for lessons – you can actually choose from 36 courses and play a full round. It’s also an excellent tool for more advanced golfers looking to improve certain “problem areas” of their game.  The guys can also set you up with new equipment – everything from clubs to balls to gloves, including logo merchandise for your next corporate golf outing.

Courtesy of Capitol Hill Golf

The fact that I left Capitol Hill Golf wanting to buy lessons and take up golf, when nothing to date has inspired me to want to do so, is pretty impressive. (Take my word on this. I’m stubborn, and have always thought golf was dumb. And, as a former tennis instructor, I tend to be very… resistant… to learning any kind of sport. Never mind that when I say the driving range incident ended poorly, you need only ask the gentleman at the end of the range who I mysteriously managed to hit with my ball for an idea of just how poorly I mean.)  So, if you’re looking to take up the sport, or improve your game, or just hit a round while there’s still snow on the ground, I highly recommend you make your way to the east end of the Hill and check out Capitol Hill Golf.

Capitol Hill Golf is located at 1741 A Street, SE. You can reach Bryan Huus at Bryan[at]capitolhillgolf[dot]com or on 202.577.7310 to set up an appointment. To find out more, check them out online at www.capitolhillgolf.com.