In the world of venues to practice sports, the inflatable dome has long been a timeless work of art that allows for near-unmatched versatility, while comfortably protecting its occupants from wayward weather conditions.
In Anchorage, Alaska for example, where the outdoor sport of golf can only be thoroughly enjoyed for a few months in summer, the Fox Hollow Sports Dome stays puffed all year-round to accommodate the state’s loyal players and bucket bashers.
The dome is part of what’s officially known as the Fox Hollow Golf Course, Sports Dome and Chalet, situated in a cozy corner of Alaska’s largest city that’s well known in the summer months for its outdoor course.
Since 2022, Zach Perry has worked there and serves as its general manager. Watching three years of seasonal transitions, he’s had plenty of chances to see what the dome provides.
“It gives all the golfers an outlet in the wintertime to scratch that golf itch or keep their swing going,” said Perry, who is also the membership director on the board of directors for the Alaska Golf Association. “They’re able to play in our simulator league and kind of compete, or just hit the range.”
Throughout the summer months, the dome is mostly a practice location for junior golf as well as a driving range that’s complete with six simulators. When the cooler, darker months arrive, it accommodates other youth sports like soccer, while splitting daytime hours as a range.
Whether for golf, soccer or a shield for snow, the dome is well-loved, according to Perry.
“We open the driving range at 9 a.m., and we’ll have people ready to rock and roll,” he explained.
The dome illustrates a certain level of dedication from the Alaskan golf community, one that isn’t always prominently seen in the lower 48 states and elsewhere.
“They’re bummed that they probably can’t get outside and play all year,” Perry said of his clientele, who often become talented enough to take their games national. “But they are able to come inside, hone their skills, and then head down south.”
Evidence of that very fact is documented on two college golf rosters. Anchorage locals Abigail Ante and Jack Carr, who play for University of Missouri-Saint Louis and Willamette University, respectively, both utilized the dome extensively as they practiced the game throughout their youths. From the nearby town of Palmer is Keira DeLand, who plays for Lee University in Tennessee.
That his dome can provide a caliber of golf worthy of college competition is a fact Perry is proud of.
“It’s vital for them as they grow,” he said of fledgling Alaskan competitors. “They need to be able to practice throughout the wintertime and keep doing what they’re doing.”
Indeed, junior golf is perhaps where Perry hopes to see the dome continue to make progress. In addition to its weekly clinics for juniors in the summer, the dome has begun to do more of the same indoors throughout the fall and winter.
That’s just all part of the facility’s efforts to grow the game in Alaska, and the state’s affectionately regarded golf community.
“I feel like everything in Alaska is super special,” said Perry, who was born and raised in Anchorage. “We’ve got a tight-knit golf community here that’s very welcoming.”