Mark Twain said: "Golf is a good walk ruined."
So what would happen if you decided to take the walking out of golf? Answer: Golf Addiction.
Sited at Brighton Marina, Golf Addiction is an indoor golfing centre where players can have a round of golf at a host of worldwide courses without leaving the room.
Started by Adam Knight, Jezz Leazell and Ian Grice, the company uses eight innovative and hi-tech computer golfing simulators to put players through their paces - and all within easy reach of a bar.
Adam said: "A year and a half ago we heard about this technology up in London and thought we should look into it."
Eighteen months later, Golf Addiction has proved to be a hole in one for the trio, with rave reviews.
Despite only opening last month it has already managed to pull in enough customers to reach the all important breakeven figures.
It was not a case of playing on the fairway throughout, though.
Adam said: "We managed to get £350,000 worth of funding through the small firms loan guarantee scheme, which is funded by the Department of Trade and Industry, and RBS.
"We were told we wouldn't be able to get it.
We went to the banks, and the banks that would see us said it was the best business plan they had seen in a long time and it was all there.
"It was a lot of paperwork because of our real working business plan but Royal Bank of Scotland have been fantastic and here we are 18 months later."
These are no overgrown PlayStation-type simulators. No messing about with wires or playing with virtual balls.
Players tee up their shots with a conventional golf ball, just like those Tiger Woods uses, and take a shot with a real golf club.
Manufactured by Sports Coach Systems, the simulators work using an array of light and motion sensors to work out how the ball would react in real life if allowed to go further than the screen you hit it against.
Once a swing is complete and the ball smacks against the screen, the computer takes over, launching a virtual ball across a GPS-simulated golf course of your choosing. Not only that, the computer can tell you where you are going wrong with your swing if your birdies are turning into bogeys.
Adam said: "The reason we bought these ones was for their playability. They are interactive and they are easy to learn. We are the biggest venue in the country, with eight of them."
Golf Addiction is being marketed at people of all ages and all abilities and prides itself in not being elitist.
Jezz said: "We had a young kid who tried golf for the first time down here just before Christmas. He came back with his dad after the holidays with his Christmas present - a set of golf clubs. It's for everybody."
Adam added: "Our motto is learn, practise, play, whatever the weather - real golf indoors."
Golf Addiction is aiming for the corporate sector to help it through the q u i e t e r periods m i d - week.
The entire venue, including its conference room, can be hired out for business meetings or corporate days and the company is quick to point out the savings that could be made compared with a traditional golf course.
"It's £26 per hour per simulator off-peak and £38 peak, and that's between four people.
"With that number of people playing it can be extremely costefficient for a corporate do.
"RBS had their golf day with us and they said they saved between 30 and 40 per cent,"
said Jezz.
The three men, who have gone into business for the first time after careers in the media, hospitality and IT, decided on Brighton Marina as the venue because of its reputation as an entertainment destination.
There were some problems over the change of use of the premises from retail to entertainment but these were eventually ironed out with Brighton and Hove City Council.
Jezz said: "For us here it's perfect. Everybody knows where the marina is."
- For more information about Golf Addiction go to their site at www.golfaddiction.co.uk richard.gurner @theargus.co.uk
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