The Hangar Club – A Golf Event Space on Another Level

Anew golf course is coming to the Lowry Neighborhood of Denver - on the second floor of a former Air Force hangar used to train bombardiers.

Workers this month are putting the finishing touches on latest new project called ‘The Hangar.’

The facility is part golf bar, part event space, and part something else entirely. It is enormous. With 10 of the newest TrackMan 4 simulator systems, The Hangar will allow customers to hit into the largest screens available - 180 square feet. Ceilings that were raised to accommodate aircraft tail-fins soar high overhead.

It is the first such effort by the developers, led by James Love, a former member of the Canada PGA, and Daren Schmidt , one of the principals of Allante Properties in Denver. Some small gatherings are planned for a soft-open in June, with the wheels leaving the tarmac full-throttle the first week of July.

The building has quite the history. First built as a World War II-era Air Force training hangar on Lowry Air Force Base, the building was used to train bombardiers during the war. It was decommissioned in 1994 when the Department of

Defense shuttered the base. Schmidt’s father, Darell, took his oath and was inducted into the Air Force Academy in the building; Schmidt still has the photo of his father shaking hands with the base commander.

The building was among the first to get re-purposed as part of the Lowry Redevelopment Corporation’s work to transform the neighborhood; it became a manufacturing facility for Netflix DVD’s for nearly 20 years as a neighborhood of 25,000 grew up around it.

Then that work went away in 2020, and the building became available - large, heavily over-engineered exposed girders, and a second-floor installed for manufacturing that effectively doubled the square-footage.

“It will be a premier indoor golf facility with the opportunity to host the events and bring the community together in a historic building that was under-utilized for 20 years,” Schmidt said.

The project began when Love approached Schmidt with the idea of opening a small indoor golf facility - maybe one or two bays. Schmidt said they immediately began dreaming bigger. He thought about the empty building he kept riding past on his bike.

“Then we walked in here and James said ‘Oh man, we’re going to buy this building, aren’t we,” Schmidt recalled.

Love grew up in Canada, played at Denver University for four years, then played professionally for 12 years through the PGA of Canada.

After his second daughter was born in 2019 he began looking for a new opportunity that would avoid the 30-plus weeks of travel that is required of a touring pro. He was at first just looking for backers for a nice, little golf training facility and bar. “Things changed pretty quickly when we walked into this space; it lends itself to something much bigger than we had been planning on,” he said.

With an enormous, two-story opportunity - and the second floor filled with natural light from the massive windows - the team made a fascinating choice. The first floor is being converted into an indoor parking garage - covered parking for the winter season and special entry-ways for private events and parties.

The second-story is where the fun will be. The 10 enormous hitting bays are arrayed on both sides of the central space. On the backs of those bays are lounges, with big-screen TVs and those massive windows. In the middle will be the bar and food options.

The Hangar is going to be available for total or partial rental. The club is also selling memberships with an array of features available only to members. Then beginning in early July the public can book time on the simulators and play the video equivalent of some of the best courses in the world.

What you need to know:

What’s the Big Deal?

The Hangar, a new golf event and social space, featuring 10 enormous golf simulator bays, hopes to open in early July.

Where is it?

7600 E. First Place, Denver - Lowry Neighborhood

I’m intrigued; where can I find out more? hangarclub.co