There are plenty of options for outdoor recreation during a Maine winter. People who are so inclined can go ice fishing, skiing, snowmobiling or snowshoeing.

That’s great, but what about the golfers?

Unless you can afford to jet south for the winter, local golfers have to wait for the spring thaw to get out on the course. And judging by the weather and all the snow on the ground, local golf courses will likely be silent for a while.

Luckily, there is another way for golfers to hit the links even in the harshest Maine winter, and you don’t even have to put on a jacket to play.

There are several indoor golf facilities locally, which employ video game-like simulator technology to allow golfers to whet their appetite for bunkers, fairways and greens all year round, providing them with a chance to have some fun while keeping their golf game sharp at the same time.

Geno Echevarria, owner of Fore Season Indoor Golf on Forest Avenue in Portland, said business steadily picks up as the start of the outdoor season approaches. Once the outdoor season is in full swing, he closes the doors until fall.

‘I’m getting sick of winter’

An early release day at Deering High School provided freshman Koz Chapanoff a chance to escape the winter doldrums and break the golf clubs out of hibernation. He was whacking a few balls into the net last Thursday afternoon at Fore Season.

“I’m getting sick of winter,” he said. “I want to play golf.”

Chapanoff works at Sunset Ridge Golf Links in Westbrook during the warmer months. He said once the outdoor season begins in mid-April, it’s easy to distinguish between the golfers who have played inside (or ventured south) during the preceding months and those who left the clubs in the closet all winter.

“If someone comes out the first day and they’re playing perfect, you can tell they’ve been playing all winter,” Chapanoff said.

The first few rounds of the season can be especially frustrating for those who haven’t been playing – and no, video games like Wii and Golden Tee don’t count. Chapanoff said he’s seen all sorts of excuses for springtime rust. One particular gentleman faulted the course for his elevated score.

“I’ve had a guy flip out at me and ask for a refund because he said the course wasn’t in good enough condition – he blamed the course,” Chapanoff said.

Play where the pros play

Another wrinkle at indoor courses like Biddeford’s Out of the Rough and Fore Season is that you are not tied to one course. Indoor golfers have the ability to play on a variety of courses located all over the world. That allows a golfer to see and get used to playing around different elements.

“You can play some of the courses the pros play,” said Rick Crowell, who was playing a round at Out of the Rough last week. “So to look up and see water and traps like you don’t see around here and bigger greens, I think it’s nice to do that.”

“Pebble Beach is the most requested,” Echevarria said. “That’s a tougher course, but it’s a lot cheaper in here than it is out there.”

And it’s a lot tougher to lose balls when you’re hitting them into a screen than when you’re dealing with the Pacific Ocean as a water hazard. But while the simulator might help preserve those new Top-Flites that Santa left, it won’t shave points off your scorecard.

Two infrared sensors set four feet apart track shots, which golfers hit off a faux grass mat. By spotting the ball’s trajectory at two different sensor points, computer software can determine speed, angle and direction. The ball is spotted again after it strikes the screen to determine what kind of spin a shot has. All these factors together determine where the shot lands on the simulator.

“If you’ve got a slice outside, you’re going to have it in here, too,” Echevarria said.

“A system like this is great,” said Dan Warner, the golf pro at Out of the Rough. “It allows a golfer not only to relax and enjoy themselves if that’s what they choose to do. We also have the technical data where they can work on their game and analyze their game. We also do lessons and club fittings. This system allows a golfer to get anything they want out of it. If they want to come in and relax and maybe have a few beers and enjoy themselves, we offer that. If they want to use the technology to their advantage to get more out of their game and improve their game, we can do that as well.”

Scott Mayer, a PGA golf professional who teaches at Nonesuch River in Scarborough, said that indoor golf can be a valuable teaching tool, and a good way for golfers to hone their mechanics during the off-season.

“It’s of high value,” he said. “It gets a club in your hands and it helps keep the body familiar with the golf swing. I do recommend that my students get out and play (indoor golf). “

‘It’s good to hit some balls after this winter’

Crowell, who plays at Deep Brook in Saco in the summer, says getting on the simulator does help your game when you do hit the links.

“Just to loosen up and get ready for the season while there is still snow out there,” he said. “It’s good to come in here and hit some balls. It helps a lot because it loosens up your body and gets you in your swing plane. Basically just to enjoy a little bit of the end of this winter. It’s good to get in and hit some balls after this winter.”

Warner, who gives lessons at Out of the Rough, says an indoor simulator can be a better teaching tool than playing on an actual course.

“I actually prefer it,” he said. “I think a system like this allows a golfer to focus a little bit more on actually making their swing rather than focusing on immediate results. Because sometimes golfers outside get so fascinated with their ball flight that I think this system can offer a golfer a little more of a chance to improve.”

While he agrees that the simulators are good teaching tools, Mayer said that there are some things that simply can’t be reproduced in a simulated environment.

He said that, with simulators, golfers do not see the actual flight of the ball, which he believes is important to improving shot making skills. Still, despite that drawback, Mayer said the positives outweigh the negatives. “It’s pretty good,” he said. “They’ve come a long way.”

‘We’re just trying to improve a little’

But it’s not just avid golfers who benefit from playing indoor golf, beginners and casual golfers can also reap the benefits while having fun at the same time.

Holly Chandler said she and her husband Bill Chandler took up golf last year because “it looked like something fun and we’re getting close to 50.”

The Chandlers, who hail from Windham, said they visit Fore Season about once a week.

“We’re just trying to improve a little,” Holly said. “We’d like to start out this year a little better than we ended up last year.”

Unlike some golfers who migrate to whatever simulated course the pros are playing regardless of the level of difficulty, the Chandlers are aware of their limits.

“We play Dorado a lot because it’s more forgiving than some of them,” Holly said. “The fairways are larger.”

Rick Heisler of Portland said he gets to Fore Season a couple times a year. Last Thursday, he was golfing a round to celebrate his birthday with his brother, Mark Heisler of Gray.

Rick lined up and drained a long bogey putt at the simulated Riviera Country Club to add to his lead over his brother, leaving Mark smiling and shaking his head.

“He never makes that on a real course,” Mark said.

Maybe it was just a little birthday luck, or maybe it was a sign of things to come once the outdoor courses open up. Echevarria said the indoor play does translate to improved scores outside – he’s experienced it first hand.

“This gets you ready, it gets you in the swing of things,” he said. “It keeps you loose and sharp. Last year I dropped six points off my GHIN (Golf Handicap and Information Network) score just in the first six weeks because I took my short game that I practiced in here outside. I was pretty deadly between 30 and 50 yards.”

Summer is coming…really

Whatever the ground looks like outside your window right now, summer will eventually be here. Golfers will be out on their favorite courses. Those who spent time using simulators this winter will be ready for the season when the time comes.

“Any opportunity to come in even if it’s just to hit balls with your buddies in a foursome once or twice a week, or practice really seriously every single lunch hour every day, will certainly help you,” Warner said. “You’ll definitely improve. Even if it’s just to get some rust off before you head outside for springtime. Some of our members practice every day to improve and have a practice program. That’s going to help you in the long run.”

Mayer agreed, saying that besides helping improve your golf game, indoor golf is also a way to have some fun while waiting for the outdoor courses to dry up.

“It’s a great alternative to actually being out there,” he said. “It’s great entertainment and it can be great fun in the process.”

Additional material by Sports Editor Mike Higgins