COLLEGE TOWNSHIP
A cutting-edge indoor golf facility — with 10 Trackman golf simulators and a full-service restaurant/bar — is expected to open later this month in the State College area, and company founder Logan Mummert is hoping Centre County’s newest business doesn’t just attract golfers but “anybody with a pulse.”
The spacious 12,500-square-foot property housing The Golf Loft is designed with the greater community in mind, Mummert said. A 28-seat bar will complement a dining room and terrace that can fit about 24 tables, with “elevated bar food” that — outside of a lobster roll and four entrées — prices every dish under $20.
The Golf Loft has even partnered with Rotunda Brewing Co. to develop its own light lager, called “Fore 09” in reference to Joe Paterno’s win total. And there are small touches around every nook and cranny in hopes to make visitors feel more at home.
A beer named Fore 09 made for the Golf Loft by Rotunda Brewing Co. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
“We have a little bit of everything,” Mummert said. “With our food and beverage program, entertainment, friendly staff, nice parking and young professional/college living all around, I think we’re trying to create a product that caters to this person and that person and that person — and, when you add all those people together, you have everybody.”
Mummert doesn’t yet have an exact date for the grand opening. But when The Golf Loft does open at The Plaza at Aspen (250 Squirrel Drive), likely later this month, he expects it to remain open seven days a week — from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
The Golf Loft initially hoped to open by March 2026 but, due to delays in building permits, that estimate was pushed back significantly. Still, Mummert intimated he’s spared no expense — even going so far as installing a five-figure augmented reality PuttView putting green, believed to be the only such publicly accessible system in Centre County. Mummert said it required engineers from Germany to be flown in for setup back in July.
The putting green, which utilizes an overhead projector to show putting lines, is free to use. “We did it for the customer,” Mummert added. “It’s completely for their benefit; we’re not profiting off it.”
Here’s what to expect from The Golf Loft.
The Golf Loft, which will feature 10 golf simulators and a restaurant, continues construction on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com Food, drink & darts (for the non-golfers)
Although plans for The Golf Loft were first publicly announced around November, Mummert and others have been preparing for a location like this for much longer — including culinary director and executive chef Tessa Stambaugh.
Stambaugh, who attended culinary school and previously worked at Harrisburg area’s well-reviewed Millworks and Watershed Pub, said she and others have spent at least two years on building the new menu. They wanted to make it approachable but unique, affordable but still high quality.
“I would describe it as elevated bar food,” Stambaugh said. “We want to keep some classics — what people know, what’s approachable — but put a twist on it and make it different. Like one thing specifically is we’re going to have a wagyu corn dog … and, hopefully, it’s the best corn dog of their life.”
A look at the tentative menu at The Golf Loft’s location in Happy Valley. Courtesy of The Golf Loft
Many foods will be sourced locally, with Centre County favorite Fasta Pasta set to partner with The Golf Loft on its spinach & artichoke pierogies — The Golf Loft will send its spinach-and-artichoke mix straight to Fasta Pasta — and the local pasta maker will also be responsible for part of the pappardelle entrée, which will also include grilled chicken, spinach, blistered tomato, Parmesan and garlic cream.
Nearly a dozen appetizers will be available to diners, from corn ribs ($13) to truffle fries ($10) to ahi tuna crispy rice ($18). Three different burgers, with half-pound beef sourced from New York’s Plymouth Beef, will range from $17 to $19. And there will also be sandwiches such as Nashville hot chicken ($19), entrées like steak frites ($36) and salads like the Caesar ($16).
Sous chef Nick Swanson, who previously helped open local staples Nittany Lion Inn and Carnegie House, said they’ve taken a lot of pride in constructing a menu that should appeal to much of the community.
“We really want to focus on putting the best food out that we can,” Swanson said. “I know that we have a bar, but we really want to take it a step further than being bar food — and me and Tess both have great experience working in this industry.”
Construction continues for the restaurant and bar area of The Golf Loft on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Mummert put significant resources into the bar, which includes a glass chiller for cocktails like espresso martinis and craft ice storage for drinks like Old Fashioneds or a simple whisky on the rocks. A dozen beers will be on tap, in addition to cans and seltzers also being available, and 12 cocktails will initially be featured on the menu.
In an effort to be a little different, three golf-themed cocktails — the John Daly, Water Hazard and Transfusion — will be served in custom, hard-plastic cans with removable pop-tops so golfers can enjoy a beverage between swings, without worrying about spilling it near the Trackman bays.
Three made-to-order cocktails will be made in a Golf Loft plastic can, the Transfusion, John Daly and Water Hazard. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
The venue is for all ages, and servers can take drink orders throughout the property.
In addition to the bar and restaurant, The Golf Loft will also have four Dartsee Dart Lane machines that will be priced around $30/hour.
Dartsee is basically a high-tech form of darts that uses state-of-the-art technology to track scores, show replays and even animate targets.
One of the Dartsee bays at The Golf Loft on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com For the golfers
Centre County has seen a number of golf simulators spring up around the area over the last few years, with many from competitor Centre Swing 24/7 — including a new space just a half-mile from The Golf Loft.
Mummert declined to address the competition directly, saying he wished nothing but the best for Centre Swing. But he intimated the experiences should feel very different, which is why The Golf Loft is priced higher at $65/hour. (The overall hourly price does not increase based on the number of participants, as 1-6 golfers can play at a time on a single simulator.)
The Golf Loft is utilizing 10 of the newest Trackman iO indoor golf simulators with industry-maximum 18.5-foot screens and two additional swing feedback screens, one of which can instead be tuned to TV or a football game. The installation cost for each bay was about $50,000, Mummert said.
“The Trackman iO is the best of the best,” Mummert added. “That’s the best of the best across the industry with its data and ball-tracking capabilities. … It captures your ball data with Doppler radar technology, as well as imaging, too.”
One of the 10 golf simulator bays at The Golf Loft on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Trackman is the official measurement technology of the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LPGA Tour. Trackman contends on its website that it is trusted by 90 of the top 100 PGA Tour players.
More than 500 highly detailed, licensed courses are available to play on Trackman, from Pennsylvania favorites like Aronimink Golf Club and Merion Golf Club to international staples such as St. Andrews and Royal County Down Championship Links.
And, thanks to a partnership with TaylorMade, golfers who decide to try out the simulators are also free to use the clubmaker’s newest Qi clubs at no additional cost. Mummert envisions formal fittings with TaylorMade and other manufacturers in the not-so-distant future.
Each simulator bay will include a table with four bar stools and a 94-inch leather sofa. And technically, Mummert said, those renting a simulator are welcome to use it in any capacity — as the 18.5-foot screens are also capable of displaying whatever’s on TV, including Penn State and Pittsburgh Steelers games. (Although, Mummert acknowledged, most people just use one of the two swing feedback screens to watch sports.)
Mummert anticipates The Golf Loft offering golf lessons, simulator leagues and one-day tournaments. In other words, as far as the latter, Mummert said his business plans to host one-day tournaments to reflect whatever major tournament is being played that week. If it’s the Ryder Cup next year, for example, The Golf Loft will host a simulator tournament using the relevant course — in that case The Golf Course at Adare Manor.
“Those tournaments are really popular,” Mummert said.
Between all the Trackman bays, near the entrance, is the unique PuttView putting green. Although it can be used to play augmented reality golf games like tic-tac-toe and putt pong, it’s typically installed as a training aid.
A PuttView putting green in the lobby of The Golf Loft on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. The system uses an overhead projector to show putting paths. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
The Golf Loft’s green measures 18×15 feet, and an overhead projector can show the topography — and putting lines — of the green. Put another way, it can inform golfers exactly where to hit the ball to get it into the hole.
PuttView counts PGA pros such as Tiger Woods and Tommy Fleetwood among its notable users.
“Our staff will happily show anyone how to use it,” Mummert added.
Looking ahead
Mummert has invested a lot in The Golf Loft — but this isn’t his first such location.
He first opened a smaller location in Hanover in 2023, one that currently boasts a 4.9-star rating on Google based on 41 reviews. And, after market research involving factors such as days with precipitation, annual temperature, average household income, and more, he decided to open his second — and larger — location near State College.
Buoyed by Hanover customers who told him they loved the business even if they didn’t golf, Mummert has tried to cater to as many audiences as he can in Happy Valley. For example, the bar features three 85-inch TVs — but the dining room itself is largely void of televisions.
“We wanted to keep this a dining room for the diner and not make it feel like such a sports bar,” Mummert said. “… So we’re trying to cater to everyone — that’s the big thing.”
The bar at The Golf Loft on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
The golf activities are designed for beginners and experts alike, while the restaurant menu has something for vegetarians, those who are gluten-free and more.
“We want to establish ourselves as a place that, whether you’ve never golfed a day in your life or golf every day, we want to be considered for your dinner and lunch options,” Mummert added.
“We’re here to put out the best possible product we can. We have the right people in place. We have the right team. We have the right technology. And we’re extremely detail-oriented.”
Future updates on The Golf Loft can be found at thegolftloft.us and facebook.com/hanovergolfloft.
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Josh Moyer earned his B.A. in journalism from Penn State and his M.S. from Columbia. He’s been involved in sports and news writing for more than 20 years. He counts the best athlete he’s ever seen as Tecmo Super Bowl’s Bo Jackson.