Philip Reidgets to play the 18th at Pebble Beach, the 17th at Valderrama, and tackle the notorious Oakmont Country Club within hours . . . indoors

THE VIEW from the 18th tee on the Old Course at St Andrews will always send a chill down the spine. In the not-too-far distance, the Royal and Ancient clubhouse remains as imposing as ever and, closer to the tee, the Swilcan Bridge - which must be crossed to reach the wide, expansive fairway - is a mild distraction on the tee shot.

A few years ago, I'd been lucky enough to play the tee-shot down the 18th for real. In a genuine, PGA European Tour event if you don't mind: the dunhill links pro-am.

Having walked proudly off the green some 15 minutes later with a par and the applause of freezing spectators gathered in the grandstand loud enough to warrant a hesitant acknowledgement, Dai Davies, the then golf correspondent of The Guardian newspaper, greeted me with words that have stayed in whatever part of the memory bank that recounts past deeds.

"Do you realise," he asked, "you've just been applauded at the home of golf for something you did on a golf course?"

Now, I was faced with playing the 18th hole on the Old Course again. This time, though, there were no crowds gathered in the stands behind the Road Hole, no eyes of watching tour pros - Thomas Levet and Chris Gane had been my playing companions in the pro-am - and no chill wind blowing directly into my face.

This time, the conditions - as well as the view - was picture perfect. Driver in hand, I was hitting down the final hole at home of golf . . . . from the indoor comfort of the Metro Golf driving bays at the SportsCo complex in Ringsend, next door to Shelbourne Park greyhound track!

Having arrived at Metro Golf with a little scepticism, I left a few hours later with the adrenalin flowing. It was a real buzz.

After all, how often do you get the chance to play the 18th at Pebble Beach, the 17th at Valderrama, or tackle the notorious greens of Oakmont Country Club within a few hours of each other?

The man behind the concept in Dublin is David Moore, who qualified and worked as an engineer but chose a different career path that allowed him to indulge in his passion for golf and the freedom to be his own boss.

The result has been a steady stream of golfers - businessmen from the IFSC, busmen from the nearby Ringsend garage, junior Young Masters Golf clinics, corporate outings and even stag parties - beating a path to play indoor simulated golf, using full sets of clubs.

"One aspect that we've found is that it is very popular with older golfers who are no longer physically able to play 18 holes of golf.

"Here, because there is no walking involved, they're able to hit the full variety of shots, as if they're playing a full round of golf. All the fun without the same physical exertion," Moore observes.

The simulated golf concept is one that has taken urban areas by storm, with eight centres in the London area alone.

This is the first in Dublin, with plans for expansion to five full bays as part of the €15 million renovation of the SportsCo centre.

The choice of courses is quite staggering, including Pinehurst No.2, The Belfry, Cog Hill, Gleneagles, Oakland Hills, Royal Melbourne and Torrey Pines.

In all, there are 52 different courses available for play, using the very latest state of the art golf simulation. The system is used in teaching academies around the world, including the PGA of America's Learning Centre in Florida where it is used in teaching.

"It's as close to the real thing as you'll get," says Moore. "I know nothing will ever replace the fresh air and the atmosphere of playing outdoors, but this is a great way, especially when the weather is bad, to get your golfing fix.

" It's great fun, but it can also be used for training and we've had groups of children from the Young Masters programme in and they've absolutely loved it."

Tony Judd, a respected teaching professional who is attached to Forrest Little Golf Club, offers teaching clinics and one-on-one tuition.

"I was sceptical myself when I first heard of a computerised golf course, but it does accurately pick up the flight of the ball depending on your swing.

"You can see the ball slice if you hit it wrongly and you will end up playing out of the rough, or you could be blocked out by a tree and have to play back on to the fairway.

"It is just incredibly accurate," says Judd.

Moore says that each course in the system was subjected to intensive on-site research using GPS systems to accurately replicate the physical characteristics.

It means every bump and hollow, every burrow on the green, is replicated . . . and it also encourages a player to use their imagination, particularly with the short game where you have to visualise putts and chips.

The technology is totally up to date, with two 360-degree curtains of infrared beams emitted at 60,000 pulses per certain providing immediate ball flight details. It means, as a teaching aid, that the on-screen multi-coloured tracers allow for instant ball flight comparisons.

IN FOCUS INDOOR GOLF INDOOR GOLF THE FACTS

How does it work?

Indoor golf is played with real clubs and golf balls inside a simulator programmed with complete golf courses. Having chosen which course to play, you then hit real shots into a screen off a synthetic grass mat that features "tee box", "fairway", "rough" and "sand" conditions, depending on the shot required.

Two infra-red curtains track the flight, speed and spin of the ball and the simulator calculates where it would land on the golf course and shows you the line of your next shot.

After each shot, the screen recalibrates to show you the view from your new ball position to the flag, and then rests to display the next player's shot. You can set the simulator to play an entire course, or choose only the holes from a selection of courses that you wish to play.

Do you play in flat, calm conditions?

It's up to you. You can set the weather and wind conditions . . . you can even set the pin positions (from easy to nasty!) and the tee positions. If you want to play in a gale force wind, or in the rain, you can. But why would you want to do that? The system can be set up for two players or four players and there are several modes of play including best ball, skins and scramble formats.

Can you hit a full shot?

Absolutely. The idea behind the Full Swing Golf Simulator is that it accurately reflects on-course conditions. If you're playing a long par four or par five, you must hit the shot exactly as you would on the golf course. There is no place to hide. If you wish, you can even have a longest drive competition or a nearest-the-pin competition.