PGA professional opens a new golf social club and shop

PGA professional David Muttitt opened a new golf shop and social space in Albuquerque’s Hoffmantown Shopping Center.

Pars and Rec has been Muttitt’s dream for a long time.

“Golf has given me a lot in my life, some really, really cool experiences,” Muttitt said.

Muttitt has played in five major golf championships and won a lot of professional golf tournaments but he’s ready to switch courses.

“I really started playing consistently when I was about 15 and fell in love with it and never stopped. I’ve played at the highest level and now it’s time for a different challenge,” Muttitt said.

The club will offer a retail store, club fittings and repairs, lessons from PGA professionals, five Trackman simulators, a putting green, and a bar and restaurant, Starr @ Pars, operated by Starr Brothers Brewing Company.

“There’s not anywhere that you can go where you can do all of that in the same place. It’s just going to be a fun environment for whatever people are in there for,” Muttitt said.

Trackman simulators are well known in the professional golf world, said Muttitt. The simulators offer golfers a way to play on virtual courses across the globe, plus they measure a player’s golf swing and provide feedback that can help improve their game.

“They’re the leading technology in picking up club and ball data,” Muttitt said.

So far, his favorite simulated course is the Bonnie Doon golf club in Sydney, Australia.

Unlike a golf course, the social club will be a place to play golf in all weather, and people who only have an hour or two to fit in some golf will be able to stop in and play.

While there are other golf simulation businesses popping up across the country, Muttitt has yet to see one that offers so many services under one roof. It took a year for Muttitt and his partners to get the business off the ground, but Muttitt has dreamed of opening the business for much longer.

“I’ve invested basically my whole life into this, so are there some nerves? Not nerves, probably more anxiousness than anything. I know there’s nowhere else in town where you can experience this. I’m confident this will be successful,” Muttitt said.

The golf industry has changed significantly in Muttitt’s time playing, becoming a more inclusive environment, and Muttitt hopes Pars and Rec will grow the golf community in Albuquerque.

“Even if it’s only one kid that we inspire to play golf, we just want people to enjoy it. Golf should be enjoyable, and people should have a good time doing it,” Muttitt said. “The whole golf industry is heading into a different direction, not that golf courses are going to go away, but this is a different way.”

Pars and Rec opened its doors Aug. 30 at 8212 Menaul NE.