[Radar]: Urban 18

 

Area: Urban 18 is in a restaurant / office complex right across the street from the Shanghai Grand Theater. The complex is right next door to the new Constellation 3 and about 20 seconds from the JW Marriott Tomorrow Square, just off the western edge of People's Square.

What it is: Urban 18 is three English investors hosting a lounge, restaurant, pro shop, and virtual golf course.

And that last one is the main one: Urban 18 has six state-of-the-art virtual golf simulators (four in a general area; two in their VIP section), developed by a company called Full Swing in the States. To the uninitiated, these simulators might seem like really expensive arcade games, but make no mistake, these things are pretty serious. You can read about them on the Full Swing webpage here, but the general idea is that these machines have been developed for pro tour golfers to improve the many facets of their game -- driving, putting, all of it. The Full Swing simulator is currently the most realistic golf simulator device in the world, utilized and endorsed by a slew of professional golfers, including Tiger Woods, Donald Trump, and the bros in Entourage among others. (See? All pro golfers.)

Short of actually going out to a golf course, these things are as real as it gets. And therein is the selling point: golfing in the city, for a fraction of the time and cost of going to a real golf course.

So it works like this: you rent the simulators by the hour or so, choose your playing field out of a database of 17 (modeled on famous golf courses like Pebble Beach and St. Andrews -- someone went out and digitally mapped them) and you’re on your way. When you hit the ball at the screen, two lines of infrared sensors measure the velocity, angle, and spin of your ball, and chart the result on the screen. It seems like very complicated calculus. You can also incorporate external variables into your game: weather, wind, etc. It takes about 2 hours to do 18 holes, but you can also go and work on specific holes and shots and things -- it's pretty open-ended depending on what you're looking to get out of it. You can book 30 minutes and just work on your drive if you want.

Urban 18 is hosting lots of corporate events, co-ops with Shanghai golf associations, an in-house professional golf instructor for private lessons (600rmb an hour), and they're hoping to host open golf tournaments in the future.

So that's the golf.

Aside from the virtual golf, Urban 18 hosts a pro shop of Nike Golf stuff (clothes, accessories, etc), and a restaurant / lounge area. It's a classy, airy, laid-back lounge environment with a drinks menu of standard cocktails, mixes, bottles (Strongbow, TsingTsao, Heineken, Corona), drafts (Carlsberg, Kilkenny, Guinness), wines and more.

Food is by Mr. David Laris, and is upscale bistro / golf clubhouse fare. The breakfast brunch is there, as is a "Big Brekky" (Italian sausage, etc.) -- tapas, appetizers, and sandwiches for snacks in the afternoon and evening (club sandwich, tuna melt). There's four or five main courses: a burger, fish and chips dish ("Snapper Fillet"), a bangers and mash dish, and a few others.

Atmosphere: The concept is tailored around a very rich toy for very rich boys. This Full Swing simulator is apparently in high demand by millionaires and bazillionaries all over the world. They all want this thing in their private villas, next to their private theaters and bowling alleys. Despite that, Urban 18 a little bit more laid-back and open-to-the-public. It's nice, sporty, clean, and sleek (interiors by Lime388) and feels real lads-friendly.

It's a mature and upscale kind of place, but built for groups of friends. And the lounge is really quite nice. Nice and airy kind of space -- small and comfortable.

Damage: I could write all the prices out, but it's a lot easier to send you right off to Urban 18's webpage. Rates are split into "peak" and "off-peak" prices. Off-peak is before 5pm. The basic off-peak price is 200rmb for 30 minutes, and then it climbs from there. They also offer membership packages for individuals or groups looking to buy a lot of time in chunks. They also have an ongoing opening promotion, again details on the webpage, but get on that -- significantly reduced membership fees until July 31.

Food and drink: Food is up there in the 100rmb range for a meal. Cocktails, pints, beers, mixes are all around 60rmb or so. Wine by glass starts at 50rmb, by bottle starts at 180rmb. Happy hour is 5pm to 8pm (two for one).

Booking simulators: It's set up like renting a squash court. If one is free and unbooked, it's yours. Hire it out at the front desk. I would think Urban 18 is going to take off in Shanghai though -- similar ventures are already flourishing in Hong Kong, London, Beijing and a few other places -- so it's wise to call them in advance to book your simulator.

You don't need clubs or balls, but you have to bring your own glove or purchase one there (150rmb for a glove I think).

Who’s going: Hmm... Mesa's crowd. All those hordes of Shanghai Englishmen with one foot in childhood, one foot in adulthood, and three sheets to the wind.

No, just kidding. I jest. I'm 'avin' a laff.

The basic idea is that it satisfies an apparent and growing interest in professional golf in Shanghai, for westerners, Asian expats, and Chinese. They're open and hosting golfers from 10am -- people looking to improve their game and maybe employ the services of their golf coach. Then at lunch, it's an office crowd on lunch hour, and then in the evening it's everyone: friends, colleagues, dates, -- anyone looking to "play golf" on state-of-the-art machines and get a few drinks in.

That said, the two VIP lounges are set up for the big fish -- rich-ass tycoons looking to go all out with their own simulator, private bar, amenities, and more. Seems like it would be a great place to close a demonic business deal. Huzzah for capitalism. Just try to stop us.