TWP Genoa. A couple of family friends have said they will bring life to the driving range and mini golf course near Howell with a new company, Tap-In’s.
The new owners say that, in the coming months, they will be revamping the driving range, clubhouse, mini-course, installing golf simulators and smart technology.
Tap-In’s is located on the site of a former golf business, at 4444. E. Grand River Ave. in Genoa Township, which has been closed for several years. It was originally the Tom Deaton Golf Center and also operated under the name Grand River Golf Range & Putt Putt.
Tap-In owners Cady Martin and the father of his best friend, Matt Bonar, who hail from Heartland Township, say they want to bring a “entertainment focused” golf business to Livingston County.
“It’s fun for beginners and avid golfers,” Bonar said. “That’s what we’re trying to attract the whole family.”
Tech expert upgrades are coming
Tap-In’s will feature 30 driving range places on approximately 16 acres of the 20-acre property.
The bays will be equipped with TrackMan Range technology and touch screens. It will also be covered and heated.
“The TrackMan Range tracks the ball from start to finish, and you can play different courses and games, like (who can hit) closest to the pin,” said Martin, who previously worked as a salesperson for TrackMan Golf.
If all goes as planned, the outdoor driving range and mini-course will open this summer.
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It will take a few more months to build the driving range hatches, Martin said, but people will be able to use TrackMan Range technology on smartphones or tablets until the touch screens are installed.
They will also install four golf simulators at the approximately 4,000-square-foot club, which will also feature a full bar, kitchenette, and sundae.
Martin said he expects the club and indoor golf simulators to open by September.
“I’m an avid golfer,” Bonar said. “We were sitting in the basement (for Martin) and he had a golf simulator. Kidd was telling me there was a market. One of our main questions was what to do with a lease to generate revenue in the winter.”
They are in the process of obtaining a liquor license and plan to offer local beer, wine and liquor, with a wide selection of bourbons. The bar seats 12 to 15 people. Golf simulator bays will also have rod tops.
“We’ll also have appetizers and small plates,” Martin said. “Things like chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, salsa sauce and flatbread pizza.”
Bot Bot on the “Beach”
“With the Putt Bot Course, we’re going to put it back together and make it look new again,” Martin said.
He said they will repair the water features and add new mini golf features over time.
“We will be adding themes, like the Tiki beach theme, and vibrant colors.”
Paint-covered stones of all colors dried up on the club’s floor on Thursday.
Tap-In’s will also eventually offer lessons with golf professionals.
They will offer memberships to golfers who plan to use the facility regularly.
Customers will be able to pre-book reservations online or go in.
They will also sell a selection of Tap-In apparel, including T-shirts, hats, and wraps.
New life
Martin and Bonar say they were excited when they learned that the former Tom Deaton Golf Center facility became available late last year.
In 2020, Trinity Health proposed a hospital with inpatient beds, an emergency room, medical offices, and a birthing center on the property.
The health system has converted its plan into a new plan to expand St.
Tom Deaton, who passed away in 2015, opened the driving range and mini golf with his wife Tish after retiring from his more than 50-year career as a professional PGA golfer, according to his obituary.
“There has been a boom in golf because of COVID, because people can go out,” Bonar said.
Martin said people who work remotely are finding more time to get to the golf course, especially people who commute normally.
Their goal is to open more sites in the future.
Contact Livingston Daily reporter Jennifer Temar at [email protected]