After a nearly two-month delay due to COVID-19, Iron and Wood Golf Simulator is ready to tee off.
“Yeah, [the pandemic] is something you can’t plan for, so if this is the situation, pandemic or not, we’re ready for it,” said Derek Orr, owner and operator of Iron and Wood Golf Simulator.
Located on Saanich Road across from Uptown Mall, the new business features three simulation rooms equipped with large, 4K screens and computer software that allows users to play virtual golf courses from all over the world.
“We’re able to offer 85 championship golf courses and through that you can play games and different competitions,” said Orr.
But it’s not just golf. The technology allows for other uses including soccer, hockey, and even zombie dodgeball.
Derek Orr’s passion for sports is very obvious as the halls to each room are lined with various memorabilia like autographed jerseys, hockey cards and framed photos.
One picture, however, stands out from the rest: Derek alongside his dad Larry Orr, who lost his battle with cancer in 2016.
Larry was a staple in the Peninsula hockey community. From sharpening skates and volunteering so frequently, he became known as the region’s ‘Mr. hockey’ over the years. Orr says his dad’s community involvement was a major motivation behind his new business venture.
“There was a really cool quote I remember reading shortly after he passed away, it was about sometimes the smallest things take up the biggest parts in people’s hearts. And it really goes back to helping the people around you, whenever that’s possible,” said Orr.
Whether it’s selling masks to raise funds for local food banks or starting a recycling program for the KidSport charity, Orr is following in his father’s footsteps, and carrying on the family sports legacy.
“It doesn’t have to be big, gigantic gestures. Maybe it’s just a place people feel comfortable to come and put their worries on the shelf for an hour or two, and that’s what I think what it boils down to, and what it all meant to my dad, and I think this is what it’ll all turn out to as well,” Orr said.
Iron and Wood Golf Simulator is set to open Saturday, May 30.
Kevin Charach
