By GREGORY ZELLER //
A retail/dining/entertainment mecca rising fast in Westbury has added another adventurous link – multiple links, actually.
Samanea New York, the 750,000-square-foot something-for-everyone destination rising on 38 acres formerly occupied by Fortunoff Mall at the Source, is welcoming high-end golf simulator X-Golf to the fold, with organized tournaments, seasonal leagues and children’s lessons all on course.
California-based X-Golf America has signed a lease to occupy roughly 6,300 square feet of the Old Country Road property, adding its unique golf/sports bar combo to Samanea’s intriguing mix. The indoor golf-simulation technology allows players to safely whack real golf balls into high-tech screens – and boasts 98 percent shot-prediction accuracy, according to X-Golf, with more than 6,000 calculations per second measuring the speed, launch angle, direction and spin of drives and chip shots.
Noting that “simulated golf has become a major entertainment attraction across the country,” Samanea New York Chief Leasing and Development Officer Dominic Coluccio said Long Island’s first X-Golf franchise is a perfect fit for the fun-for-all Westbury venue.
“The distinctive X-Golf experience is consistent with Samanea New York’s vision to repurpose this iconic site into a one-of-a-kind entertainment destination,” Coluccio said. “X-Golf will be a great addition to our other entertainment occupants.”
Dominic Coluccio: Dead solid perfect.
To date, those occupants include arcade/restaurant Dave & Buster’s – which pairs a modern videogame arcade with all the trappings of a full-service, sports-themed restaurant – and Empire Adventure Park, a 35,000-square-foot-plus indoor amusement park featuring trampolines, “ninja” obstacle courses, climbing walls and augmented-reality games, set to open in 2022.
Other brand-name tenants bringing their wares to Samanea New York include popular California-based restaurant chain The Cheesecake Factory, regional giants Fortunoff Backyard Store and Leonardo Furniture, and a Bloomingdale’s Furniture Outlet, which opened in 2020 as the site’s first anchor tenant.
X-Golf America currently manages 34 X-Golf locations around the country, with 34 more in development, according to the California-based parent company.
Players can expect to tee off in Westbury this winter, with year-round leagues and organized tournaments shaking off the seasonal cold. On-site golf pros will be standing by to help players of all ages perfect their technique, while corporate team-building events, birthday parties and other celebrations will be on the card.
Golf simulators – offering weatherproof training and virtual rounds on Pebble Beach, St. Andrew’s and other iconic courses around the globe – are a raging industry. In 2019, estimators valued the industry, including personal in-home simulators and destination simulators like X-Golf, around $1.2 billion, and predicted an annual 8.3 percent growth rate over the next decade.
Coming soon: When completed, retail/entertainment destination Samanea New York will offer something for everyone.
At X-Golf, the game is truly afoot thanks to next-level technology, according to Christopher Sciocchetti, co-owner of the new Westbury franchise.
“The X-Golf golf simulators give players unparalleled accuracy and realism through a combination of camera systems, infrared lasers, impact sensors and advanced gaming software,” Sciocchetti noted. “Unlike other golf simulators, Westbury guests will really enjoy the ability to practice their short game and putting capabilities, so they can fully experience a round from tee to green with acute accuracy.”
The virtual links will fill some of the divots left by a tough stretch for Long Island golf courses. Several public courses have closed over the past decade-plus, taken down by development, privatization and other factors.
X-Golf Westbury will help players scratch the itch of dwindling tee times, Sciocchetti said.
“We are looking forward to introducing X-Golf to Long Island’s avid golfing community,” the co-owner added. “Samanea New York’s location in central Nassau County will be the ideal site for us to attract customers from across the large and diverse region.”
