Estero's The Cave turns Masters Sunday into interactive golf experience

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.

At The Cave, it wasn't just about watching the Masters. Fans stepped up, swung, and competed like they were in the final round themselves.

From green jackets, golf swings and groups gathered around every screen, Masters Sunday was in full force at The Cave.

"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.

But that's part of the fun, bringing the game down to earth.

"Just to get people to feel like they're more involved in something they may never actually be involved in," Jasmine Hoskins, general manager of The Cave, said.

For some, it's 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. We have other people who are good, but we just kind of swing around and talk," Jon Hurst, a member of the FGCU Golf Club, said.

The university helps cover simulator time at The Cave, but limited resources remain a challenge.

"We applied for a bunch of stuff and got like 800 bucks from the school. But we could definitely use some more money for tee times and actually go out and play," James Joffe, a member of the FGCU Golf Club, said.

Even so, the club continues to grow.

"Any student can come and play golf, if they've never played before, they can come and learn, especially in the simulator here at The Cave, super easy, just to kind of give beginners tips," Joffe said.

And on a day like Masters Sunday, inspiration is just a swing away.

"When I'm watching these guys, just it gets me motivated, fired up to work on my game," Joffe said.