Columbia Golfers Finally Have a Place to Play Year-Round

Issue #679

March 05, 2026

In this What’s Up Columbia issue…

⛅️ Columbia’s Friday Weather - Mix of clouds & sun w/ high of 83, low of 65

✨ LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 👇

⛳️ Columbia Golfers Finally Have a Place to Play Year-Round

👉 3/6-8: Muletown Pipe Show at Briarworks

🗓 List of Upcoming Events

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

🗓 Know of Some Local Events Not Listed? Send us the Details!

Columbia Golfers Finally Have a Place to Play Year-Round

For the golfers around here who've been driving to Spring Hill or Franklin to get a simulator session in, the wait is over.

Par4 Virtual Golf opened in November at 421 West 7th Street, and it's the only virtual golf facility in Maury County. That alone was enough to get people through the door, and four months in, weekends are booking up fast.

Owner James Shannon plays the game himself, and he'd always wanted a home simulator. It just never quite worked out space-wise. His wife Angie sees the whole venture a little differently. "She jokes that since I couldn't fit one at home, I just went out and built my own studio," he said.

He thought bigger than the garage. The result is a facility with two bays, state-of-the-art launch monitors, and GS Pro software that gives you access to over 2,000 courses worldwide. The local courses you already play are in there. So is Augusta National. "I myself would never get to go to Augusta," James said. "You can come here and play Augusta."

Rain? Doesn't matter. Too cold to play? Come anyway. It's the kind of thing Columbia golfers have needed for a while, and now it's here.

You Don't Have to Be a Golfer

Not everyone who walks into Par4 has ever swung a club, and that's fine with James.

It's not uncommon for someone to walk in who has never held a club, tagging along with a friend who plays, not quite sure what they're getting into. He's seen enough of those visits to know how they usually go. Once they realize there's no one behind them waiting, no pace of play to keep up with, no lost balls to go hunt down in the rough, something shifts.

"The frustration level drops," he says. "You're not rushed. You're not hot. You're not cold. You're in a perfect climate controlled environment. And you get to focus on learning how to play golf."

The obstacles are still there on screen. Sand bunkers, rough, trees. "You're able to get out of them easier and you can actually enjoy learning the game rather than being frustrated on the course," James says.

James keeps clubs, balls, tees, and youth clubs at the facility for anyone who shows up without gear. You don't need to bring a thing. And for anyone who's kept golf at arm's length because of the weather, the cost, or just not knowing where to start, Par4 has a way of making all of that feel a lot less complicated.

Some Players Are Fixing Swing Problems They've Carried Around for Years

For the golfers who already play, this is where it gets good.

Every shot gets broken down on a monitor next to the screen. Clubface angle, swing path, attack angle, spin axis. For a serious player, it's like having a coach in the room. For a beginner, it's finally an answer to why the ball keeps going where it goes.

James is his own best example. He had a slice for years and couldn't shake it. "I've been able to look at the monitor and see, my clubface is open, or I came across the top," he said. "And that helps me adjust my body and my swing. I've been able to eliminate my slice just about all the way."

He's also learned just from watching other players in the facility. A while back, a guy came in alone to work on his irons. James watched him stripe a drive that carried 320 yards at a swing speed of 127 miles per hour. "I actually learned from him," James said. "I can watch his swing, see where he struck the ball, what was his swing plane… It'll show me why a good player is good."

Not all the impressive players are adults, either. James had a 10-year-old in recently who, in his words, he would not want to compete against.

The Local Courses You Already Play Are in the System

The GS Pro software that Par4 runs on includes over 2,000 courses worldwide. But the ones that got James's attention when he was putting this together were the local ones: Henry Horton, Greystone, Greymere Country Club, and Towhee Club.

"I can play the courses that I normally play and it teaches me, okay, this hole is a little bit harder for me, let me play it in a different fashion," he said. "And then I can take that same information and apply it to the Greengrass course out at Henry Horton." 

Birthday Parties, Company Events, and a UT-Vandy Game on the Big Screen

Par4 has two bays, and people have gotten creative with them.

Birthday parties for kids are popular. Parents bring food, the kids play golf or putt-putt (yes, there's putt-putt on the system), and it runs a fraction of the cost of most party venues. 

Adult parties work just as well. One group put a UT-Vandy game on the second screen and played golf at the same time. A company hosted its sales team party there, catered it themselves, and spent the afternoon playing and catching up while the whole thing cost a fraction of what a private course would run.

"You're not paying $150 per person per round to go play some big fancy course," James said. "You're going to pay $30 per hour and you can bring your entire sales team."

That $30 per hour is during off-peak hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and covers up to six people. Peak hours run $40. Memberships are available for players who want 24/7 access and $10 off every round.

The Owner Knows This Town. He Spent 28 Years Protecting It.

Before he opened Par4, James Shannon spent 28 years serving this city as a police officer. He started as a patrolman answering calls, worked his way up to sergeant, then lieutenant, and finished his career supervising two shifts of officers he still talks about with obvious pride.

"I can't brag on my coworkers enough," he said. "They were a great group of people and I loved working with them."

He retired in 2023, but Columbia didn't go anywhere. It's where he's built his life, and that comes through in how he put Par4 together. Every contractor who worked on the build was local. Piearce Remodeling, Columbia Home Solutions, and Assembled Golf, whose owner Trey Greene handled all the equipment setup and calibration, all had a hand in it. Empower Collective established their social media presence before the doors opened, and Preventia Security took care of the cameras and door access.

"We're always supporting other businesses," James said. "All of our build out and setup was done by local businesses."

He's also brought in Kris Hertzske, a local golf pro who runs Killer Hook Golf out of the facility. Chris does re-grips, club repairs, fittings, and lessons right there on-site. If your outdoor lesson gets rained out, you don't reschedule. You just come here instead.

Booking Your First Session Is Easier Than You Might Think

Par4 runs entirely on online booking, no staff needed. You go to par4virtualgolf.com, pick your tee time, and about 10 minutes before your slot you'll get a text with a door code. The launch monitor turns on at your start time and shuts off when your time is up.

If you're the kind of person who likes to know what they're walking into before they show up, James has you covered. His number is on the website, on the front door, and next to each computer inside. He's happy to walk you through everything beforehand. Tutorial videos are also going up on the website and on the Par4 Facebook and Instagram pages so you can see exactly how it all works before you arrive.

James's goal is simple. He wants everyone who walks in to spend their time playing, not fumbling with technology or figuring out the system. "I really want to maximize the customer's play time," he said. "I want them to really enjoy their time and come back tomorrow."

Weekends book up, so if you're planning to come with a group, give yourself a day or two of lead time.

To book a session or learn more, visit par4virtualgolf.com.

To learn even more about Par4, watch the full interview here.

3/6-8: Muletown Pipe Show at Briarworks

The sixth annual Muletown Pipe Show is returning to BriarWorks at 511 N. Main St., bringing together artisan pipe makers and tobacco enthusiasts for three days of events and community.

Friday March 6

Early Check-in Table: 5 - 7 PM
Muletown Merch Store: 5 - 7 PM
OZ Family and Crowned Heads Cigars in Lounge: 5 - 9 PM with owner Tim Ozgener and TN brand rep Danny Hennessy

Pre-show Party in the BriarWorks Lounge all evening
Lounge Hours: 10 AM - 12 AM

Saturday March 7

Show Hours: 11 AM - 5 PM
Muletown Mixture Discussion w/ Jeremy Reeves: 2 PM
Lounge Hours: 9 AM - 12 AM

Sunday March 8

Show Opens: 11 - 3 PM
Lounge Hours: 10 AM - 10 PM

Event is 21+, tickets are $10 per person

Upcoming Local Events

🗓 Have an event to add? Send us the Details!

Thursday, March 5th

Friday, March 6th

Saturday, March 7th

Sunday, March 8th ⏰ Daylight Savings Time (set clocks forward 1 hr)

👇 Click the Links to Learn About our Local Business Sponsors! 👇

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

Thursday, March 5
Todd Ciprian – Tito’s (Spring Hill), 6–9 PM
Brent Loper with the All-Star Band – The Mulehouse, 7 PM
Billy Wilson – Whiskey Alley Saloon, 7:30–9 PM

Friday, March 6
Chief Smiley Ricks & The C-Town Specials – Daniel’s Barbershop, 6:00 PM
Vintage Voltage – McCreary’s Irish Pub & Eatery, 7–10 PM
Brandt Archer – Whiskey Alley Saloon, 7:30–9 PM
Troy Kemp – Puckett’s, 7:30–9 PM
Reba’s Hairdo – Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, 8–11 PM

Saturday, March 7
Tom Saffell & Robert Johnson – McCreary’s Irish Pub & Eatery, 7:00 PM
Winter Series: The Bourbon Gospel – 7:30 PM
Herrick Duo – Puckett’s, 7:30–9 PM
Fractured Rose – Rebel Bar & Grill, 7:30 PM
Eden Storm – Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, 8–11 PM

Sunday, March 8
Vince & Brett – Fozzy’s Bar & Grill, 2:00 PM

Want to get your business in What’s Up Columbia? Let’s talk