Estero golf fans swing along with Masters pros at The Cave simulator

ESTERO, Fla. (WINK) — Golf's biggest day brought people together in Southwest Florida, not at Augusta, but at a local hotspot where fans turned Masters Sunday into a full-on experience on Sunday.

At The Cave, fans weren't just watching the Masters. They were stepping up, swinging and competing like they were in the final round themselves.

Green jackets, golf swings and groups gathered around every screen filled The Cave as Masters Sunday unfolded. Fans tried to replicate what they saw on TV, though the pros made it look easier than it was.

"They make it look so easy, and then you come here and you try and do the same thing, and it feels near impossible," local golfer Jeff Cody said.

That challenge is part of the fun. Jasmine Hoskins, general manager of The Cave, said the goal is "just to get people to feel like they're more involved in something they may never actually be involved in."

For some, the day was also about growing the game from the ground up. Students at FGCU recently brought back their golf club.

"You don't have to be good at golf. I'm not the best," Jon Hurst, a member of the FGCU Golf Club, said. "We have other people who are good, but we just kind of swing around and talk."

The university helps cover simulator time at The Cave, but limited resources remain a challenge. James Joffe, another member of the FGCU Golf Club, said the club applied for funding and received $800 from the school, but they could use more money for tee times to actually go out and play.

Even so, the club continues to grow. Joffe said any student can come and play golf, and if they've never played before, they can come and learn, especially in the simulator at The Cave where it's easy to give beginners tips.

On a day like Masters Sunday, inspiration was just a swing away. "When I'm watching these guys, it just gets me motivated, fired up to work on my game," Joffe said.