“It’s like going to the range without driving 25 minutes each way,” says father
SAN DIEGO, California--When most boys his age are getting ready for bed, 10-year-old Mason Nome is playing a round of golf with his dad Craig on famed courses such as Pebble Beach or Pinehurst No. 8 on their Full Swing Golf simulator.

Craig Nome installed a Full Swing golf simulator – which currently offers 68 courses to choose from – when they moved into their home in Houston, Texas just over a year ago. “When Mason is not at school, he is hitting balls,” Nome says. “It’s a very enjoyable product. I always wanted an indoor golf simulator. Now, I’ve got this talented golfer for a son who just loves the game, which made it a simple decision to buy one.

“Initially, the cost is the biggest barrier, but once you get past that, on a per-use-basis, it makes great sense. Mason will often hit 500 to 800 balls a day on it.” Nome says that while you can play golf year-round in Houston, the summers are unbearably hot, making it hard to beat balls. “We can either drive 25 minutes each way to our club to use the range, or Mason can use that extra 50 minutes to hit more balls,” he adds.

Mason’s golf tournament resume is impressive. This past year, he won all 19 events he entered on the South Texas PGA Little Linksters Tour. Mason dedicated his 2010 season to his mother who is recovering from a serious stroke.

His father says Mason has an advantage because he plays courses on the Full Swing Golf simulator and then plays them for real in tournaments, such as the 2010 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship at Pinehurst No. 8 where he played well. “In preparation for the event, Mason played the course on the simulator a lot, practising specific shots on each of the holes,” Nome says.



Mason’s Full Swing Golf highlights include 14 holes-in-one, most occurring during closest-to-the-pin competitions. He has also shot 59 twice on the Cabo del Sol course, hitting from the front tees with 10-foot gimmies.

The biggest thrill came this past summer when he played on the simulator with PGA Tour veteran Mark O’Meara, who now lives in the area. “He [O’Meara] got on the Full Swing Golf simulator and played Mason head-to-head,” Nome says. “They played the seventh hole at Pebble Beach in a closest-to-the-pin contest and really had fun together.”