Commuters of Interstate 380 may be wondering about the gigantic, 200-foot-tall net that rises into the sky outside the town of Tiffin and the neon colors that emit from its enclosure at night . The industrial net is owned by Pinseekers, a hybrid golf entertainment facility with locations in Tiffin and DeForest, Wisconsin. Residents can satisfy their curiosity (…)
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The industrial net belongs to Pine seekers, a hybrid golf entertainment center with locations in Tiffin and DeForest, Wisconsin. Residents will be able to satisfy their curiosity by discovering what lies beyond the fence on November 17, the opening date of the establishment.
Austin Palm, co-owner of Pinseekers, said he wants to bring affordable entertainment back to his home state of Iowa at “local prices.”
“It was really just the idea of trying to bring home something that everyone, where I grew up, would enjoy and want to play,” he said.
Not just for summer
Although Pinseekers opens its doors as winter sets in, the 49,022 square foot facility is designed to accommodate entertainment enthusiasts year-round. The indoor facility can accommodate more than 1,000 people and includes six mini-bowling lanes, three multi-sport simulators, pool tables, shuffleboards, 56 all-weather heated golf suites, event spaces that can accommodate 200 people, two bars and a full-service restaurant. Outdoors, you’ll find an 18-hole putting golf course, a grassy driving range featuring TopTracer technology, 10 Smart Target Greens that light up on impact, and patios with fire pits.
Toptracer technology allows players to track the distance, height and ball speed of their shot using image sensors, captured by cameras installed above the bays.
Pinseekers has yet to open its doors and is already receiving calls for reservations for corporate events and birthday parties.
“We’re going to be extremely busy, probably for the first year and a half,” said Rachel Luke, human resources specialist at Pinseekers.
COVID Collaborators
The idea to open Pinseekers grew out of the 2020 pandemic. Mr. Palm and his co-founder, Ryan Ranguette — who are also next-door neighbors — collaborated on an idea Mr. Ranguette had after working at a similar facility in the past. Being sequestered at home and in each other’s “bubble” gave them time to imagine the logistics and features they wanted in an indoor golf course.
“We’ve thought about everything since I grew up here – like what I would want if I had to spend time somewhere. I just thought about everything I would like to do and I’m just trying to put it all into one facility,” Mr. Palm said.
“It will be something where every age group, every demographic will have something to be able to do.”
The Tiffin location seemed like the perfect fit. Calling Tiffin a booming “business mecca,” Palm said Tiffin’s location along the 380 corridor from Iowa City to Cedar Rapids meant traffic coming from multiple locations, and its visibility and location along the highway meant easy access for customers.
Pinseekers joins Park Place
Pinseekers sits on 12 acres of land in Park square in Tiffin, an ongoing development that spans more than 450 acres and will eventually include single-family residential homes, mixed-use developments, multi-family buildings and junior and big box commercial space.
This ambitious $275 million development began in 2017 and is the creation of Ders Group, led by Scott Andersen and his sons, Alex and Nick.
Pinseekers is the latest to join other Park Place businesses: iGym, Coffee Emporium, Casa Tequila, Silver Token Realty and 380 Nails are located in the New York building, and Farmer’s State Bank is across the street from Pinseekers. The Palms Theaters and IMAX Family Entertainment Center also plan to build there.
Innovative Production Solutions built the Pinseekers facility, designed by Schroeder & Hart Architects of Milwaukee.
Mr. Palm and Mr. Ranguette have tentative plans to next build a Pinseekers in the Green Bay, Wis., area, but won’t stop there.
“Our vision is to build seven to 10 over the next five to six years,” he said.
Pinseekers is located at 1515 Anderson Place and will be open Monday through Friday. until Thu. 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday. and Sun. from 9 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
