The Buzz: Golf Room open in Great Falls, Montana
The Golf Room owners launched a new business providing members 24 hour access to a PGA-certified golf simulator mainly to keep playing golf year round.
“It’s hard in Montana because we have such a short season,” said Travis Cushman, who co-owns the business at 1520 3rd St. N.W. Suite C with Len Watkins.
Members schedule to use the room via an online calendar. In addition to the golf simulator, the room has extra seating, a table, a flat screen television, music, refrigerator and restrooms.
“We have a group that comes in once a week, and they all play 18 holes,” Cushman said. “We have families that come in and the kids play at the table while mom and dad golf.
Most members love the privacy factor of the room, which allows them to practice their swings without a bunch of other people watching, he said. They also love playing in groups where they can play 18 holes at their own pace without feeling rushed by other golfers.
“Instructors like the controlled environment not only because it eliminates the weather factor but also the controlled environment helps a student practice with more concentration and a longer attention span,” Cushman said. “The exclusive use of the room helps the student and the swing data provided by the simulator assist the instructor. It’s a win-win for both the instructor and student.”
The Golf Room will be holding open house times from 4–6 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings in March. People can stop by and see the inside of The Golf Room, see how the simulator works, ask any questions they have and possibly hit a golf ball or two.
For more information, go to www.thegolfroom.net.
—Jo Dee Black
Great Falls Social Security office hours changing
The office hours of the Great Falls Social Security office at 2008 23rd St. S. will change March 16.
“We currently are open from 9 am to 3 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday,” said Peggy Murphy, district manager. “On Wednesday we are open from 9 a.m. to noon. Effective March 16 we will be open an hour longer. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday we will be open until 4 p.m. Our hours on Wednesday will continue to be 9 a.m. to noon.”
For more information, call 877-583-4114.
—Jo Dee Black
Calgary’s oil boom cooling off
In a real estate story with possible ramifications for Great Falls area retail and manufacturing sectors, the Wall Street Journal ran a story last week with a headline that read, “Calgary Feels Chills from Oil’s Slump.”
The story recounted how “an oil-fed real-estate boom had changed the face of Canada’s energy capital in just two years,” with a massive boom in luxury downtown housing.
But more recent jitters because of lower oil prices slowing the development of oil sands resources in northern Alberta now are hitting the financial and support services in Calgary that back up the oil industry in Calgary, Canada’s fourth largest city with 1.2 million people.
“Many companies, including some of the region’s largest employers, have slashed budgets, cut wages and frozen hiring,” the WSJ story said.
Folks in the Great Falls retail business, including retail shops, restaurants, hotels and the Great Falls airport will keep their eyes on Canadian economic trends, because all rely on regular recreational visits from Montana’s northern neighbors.
And some manufacturing companies poised to provide products to the Bakken oil field in North Dakota and Montana as well as the Canadian oil sands could pause.
However, Dan Rooney, Great Falls plant manager for ADF’s large metal fabricating company just north of Great Falls, recently said his company plans to keep boost its hiring by 130 workers this year despite the uncertainty of oil prices.
“While low crude price might affect the development of oil sands in upper Alberta, our business model is not dependent on providing fabricated parts to them,” he said. “We’re a flexible manufacturing facility and will continue our growth plans in manufacturing for industrial and commercial customers as well as oil and gas projects as they become available.”
— Peter Johnson