Long Beach Coffee + Tee expands; adds golf simulators, revamped menu

For those on the South Shore looking for food and play, Long Beach Coffee and Tee, formerly a coffee shop with one golf simulator, recently expanded.

"Now we have the coffee shop, a full bar and three golf simulators," says Natalie Arnold, who co-owns owns the establishment with her husband, Rich.

The  upgraded menu now includes nachos, hot dogs, pizza, empanadas, churros and other small bites in addition to coffee and tea — all food you can eat while you play.

"It’s kind of like a clubhouse menu," Arnold says. "Stuff that would sustain a round of golf."

The golf simulators entail hitting an actual golf ball at targets with a golf club. The screen absorbs the impact of the ball. Clubs can be rented for $10, but guests are encouraged to bring their own.

"There’s technology overhead — cameras and infrared — that looks at the ball, looks at the impact moment and does all the calculations and makes the projection" on the screen, Arnold says of how far the ball carries, its backspin and angles. "Then it makes an image of the shot tracer."

People can choose virtual settings, including hitting at a driving range, playing matches with multiple players, taking target practice, playing mini golf and even breaking glass windows. The venue also has physical games such as  cornhole, darts and lawn pong.

Typically, you get more golf in playing with a simulator than via the traditional outdoor golf course, says Arnold. "You have to find the ball; you have to wait maybe for slow players ahead of you," Arnold says. "None of that applies in here. You can do a full 18 in two hours."

Another difference: there’s no dress code, as you’ll encounter on most golf courses.

"I have people golf in here barefoot," Arnold says.