You don’t have to know a birdie from a bogey to care about this one.
written by mason jack
If you haven’t heard about Hopkins IX Golf Performance yet, you probably haven’t been on social media. When the facility opened its doors in Morgantown this spring, it had already racked up 2.5 million views—and that was during construction. Now that the doors are open, founder Wes Hopkins is focused on turning all that online buzz into real foot traffic, and from the looks of it, the building does most of the work.
“Everybody that walks in this place for the first time, their eyes pretty much explode out of their face and their jaws drop,” Hopkins says.
So what exactly are they walking into? The centerpiece is a 10,000-square-foot indoor short-game area, which Hopkins IX claims is the largest in the country. For the non-golfers: The short game is everything that happens close to the hole. Chip shots, bunker escapes, tricky putts. It’s the stuff that actually separates good golfers from great ones, and it’s notoriously hard to practice because most facilities just don’t have the space for it. Hopkins IX has three real sand bunkers, several turf surfaces that mimic different course conditions, and synthetic greens that roll and break like the real thing. Driving ranges are closing across the region, and even private clubs don’t offer the kind of dedicated short-game space you’ll find here. And since it’s all indoors, West Virginia weather is completely irrelevant. No tee times, no rain delays, no frozen ground in February.
The simulator side of things is just as impressive. The bays are massive: 15 and a half feet wide, 10 feet tall, with 4K laser projectors that make the graphics feel genuinely immersive. “We didn’t skimp on any aspect of this process,” Hopkins says. The Foresight Falcon launch monitors track more than a dozen data points per shot, so you actually know what your swing is doing instead of just guessing. Down the road, Hopkins plans to add a putting integration system where you finish your simulated round putting into an actual cup. Not a screen. A real hole.
On the instruction side, PGA affiliate Mark Spruill runs lessons and clinics, with an approach Hopkins describes as genuinely player-first. “He tailors his lessons to the player and what they specifically want to work on,” Hopkins says. “The people that book with him become repeat customers.”
Memberships run $150 to $350 a month depending on how much simulator time you want. And events are already happening. The grand opening featured a $25,000 hole-in-one challenge, and Hopkins says he’s just getting started. Junior clinics, ladies’ nights, putting contests, and simulator leagues are all coming soon.
Consider this your invitation to take a swing. 357 Canyon Road, hopkinsixgolfperformance.com, “Hopkins IX Golf Performance L.L.C.” on FB
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