POCATELLO — Rare is the ardent Idaho golfer who doesn’t spend winter days dreaming of warm temperatures and green grass. Idaho State University graduate and former Bengal football player, Dane Simmons wants to transform those dreams into a reality — albeit a simulated one.

    Simmons seeks to establish a new Parfive Indoor Golf Lounge next to the Museum of Clean in Pocatello.

    If he can secure investors, he plans to create a golfing paradise that would be impervious to the weather outside and provide golf enthusiast with a chance to sharpen their skills and socialize.

    He also plans to establish a golfing academy to help youngsters learn the sport.

    Right now he’s trying to gauge community support for his plans and has posted a quick survey at www.parfiveindoorgolf.com to find out if the interest is there.

    “I started golfing after I stopped playing football,” Simmons said.

    He fell in love with the sport, but discovered what all Southeast Idaho golfers suffer through — months of winter.

    “I thought, ‘what if we could golf year-round,’” Simmons said.

    The former wide receiver from Southern California put his entrepreneurial skills to work and researched similar facilities located in the U.S. and Japan.

    He currently owns Simmons Surgical, which distributes surgical instruments throughout the Northwest, focusing on Microline MiFusion products.

    Although his education, including a master’s degree in athletic administration, was secured with the goal of going into sports marketing, Simmons found the health field lucrative and has enjoyed success.

    But his love of golf is bringing him back into the world of sports.

    After visiting a number of indoor facilities that featured simulated golf environments, Simmons said he became convinced he could build something better in Pocatello.

    “I felt we could do it better here,” he said. “Other facilities were missing the social aspect.”

    Simmons envisions an indoor facility with food and beverages, a social lounge, a small pro shop and multiple 3-D high-definition simulators for golfers to “journey” onto famous golf courses around the nation and play rounds of golf.

    The state-of-the-art facility would include equipment that evaluates a golfer’s swing and staff that could offer tips and advice.

    The high-definition simulators that Simmons plans to use are more lifelike than earlier generation golf simulators.

    “It actually looks like you’re really there,” he said about the courses.

    Simmons said an ideal location would be space adjoining the Museum of Clean and he has already entered into negotiations with museum owner Don Aslett.

    “The structure is ideal,” Simmons said.

    The entrepreneur has already had specifications for the interior design completed for the simulators, a lounge and private meeting rooms.

    To make the project feasible, Simmons said he is looking at establishing a reasonable monthly membership fee of about $35.

    Once the business becomes established, he wants to start an academy for youths interested in golf and give them an opportunity to catch the golf bug.

    “I believe if you build something right, the community will support you,” Simmons said. “There are some nay-sayers about starting a business in Pocatello, but I say you can.”

    The first step is to determine the interest in Parfive.

    The survey that Simmons has created will take less than a minute to complete and the Parfive website has a simple button on its homepage for access to the survey. The survey will be active for the next three weeks.