MOUNT VERNON — For some amateur golfers, one of the saddest days of the year is when the clubs are packed away for another long, cold winter.

However, for those living in and around Knox County, some of the bite has been taken out of the ending of the golf season. 

Tucked away in the clubhouse of Vernon View Golf Course, 901 Beech St. in Mount Vernon, is Breaking Par indoor golf. Boasting holes from 1,300 courses around the world, for $36 an hour golfers can play alone, in pairs or in foursomes.

“The price is not per person, it is per hour,” explained Charlie Phillips, who along with his father Bob owns the course.

The father-son team purchased the golf course, formerly Hiawatha Golf Course, four years ago. Charlie had indoor golf on Pittsburgh Avenue but once the gold course was purchased it made more sense to centralize golf operations.

There is little chance of even the most avid golfer getting bored with more than 1,300 virtual courses available, and those able to be customized.

“We even have Zombie golf, where golf balls are used to target zombies,” Phillips said.   

For those looking to hone their skills, Artificial Intelligence embedded in the system is just the ticket.

“The computer gives backspin, how far the ball traveled, how far it rolled. It will tell launch angle, vertical and horizontal, even spin rate,” Phillips explained.

What about golfers who do not always hit the fairway? Phillips intentionally hooked a shot into the trees to demonstrate the realistic nature of recovery shots.

The computer can even replicate environmental factors such as wind to some extent.  

Breaking Par is available for private parties as well.

“We give a little price break if a group wants to rent the entire facility,” Phillips said.

There may be those at a party who are not golf enthusiasts.

“These are computers, they can show movies or whatever on the screens,” he said.

For those who would like a more personalized treatment, Charlie offers one-on-one lessons for $80 an hour. That includes the lesson, post lesson practice time and a video commentary of the lesson.

A winter league is also using the indoor course. 

Breaking Par is open on Mondays from 3 to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vernon View/Breaking Par can be reached at 750-393-2886.

“This is good for Mount Vernon, a lot of people have never played indoor golf and that is why I am doing this,” Phillips said.