Indoor Golf Simulator Birdie Club Plans South Philadelphia Opening Beside Isgro Pastries and Angelo's Pizzeria

A corner of South Philadelphia near Swanson and Wolf Streets is on track to combine pastries, pizza and indoor golf by the end of this year. Birdie Club, a golf simulator business, plans to take over much of the ground floor at 21 Wolf St.

The address is part of a former warehouse that Isgro Pastries hopes to open this summer as a commercial bakery with a small cafe. Across Wolf Street, Angelo's Pizzeria is also growing, moving into the closed Federal Donuts & Chicken space. Farther up Swanson Street, the former Inolex Chemical plant site has been cleared for a retail development.

Owner Adria Rebbecchi and her husband, Brad Ricciardi, intend to install five Trackman simulator bays suited to practice, casual rounds and family-friendly games. The Philadelphia location would be the third for Birdie Club, whose first site opened in Tampa, Fla., in 2023. The couple is licensing the concept from a friend who started the original, and Rebbecchi said a second Florida location is expected to open soon. They are aiming to open in October.

"We're really golf-first," said Rebbecchi, a Philadelphia native who moved back to the area about five years ago after living in Tampa, where the couple met while she was in college. She said the simulators let players try courses from around the world and include mini golf and children's games, "but the emphasis is on the golf."

Rebbecchi acknowledged that her husband is the more devoted golfer. She said she mostly sticks to mini golf and the games, while Ricciardi plays to about a 20 handicap.

The food and drink offerings will be limited. The couple is seeking a liquor license but expects to serve only beer, wine and canned hard seltzers rather than operate a full bar. The menu will be simple and golf-themed, with hot dogs and toppings, soft pretzels and other snacks meant to be eaten between swings.

Rebbecchi said the neighborhood's blend of industrial buildings, long-established rowhouse blocks and easy access to I-95 made it a natural choice. She and Ricciardi were married in 2019 at the nearby 2300 Arena. "We always felt that part of South Philly had so much potential," she said. "There are a lot of families nearby. It just felt like the right place."

Birdie Club arrives as indoor golf simulators spread across the Philadelphia region, blending sports practice, nightlife and corporate entertainment. Five Iron Golf runs three Philadelphia locations. In Conshohocken, Fairways & Dreams Indoor Golf operates a six-bay facility with memberships, lessons and leagues for serious golfers, while X-Golf Garnet Valley in Delaware County pairs simulator play with instruction, leagues and a bar.

South Jersey has seen openings and expansions in recent years, including Dogleg Golf in Cinnaminson, Elevate Golf Lounge in Barrington and Sector X in Cherry Hill, which combines simulators with an arcade, restaurant and full bar, a sign the category is shifting toward broader "eatertainment." Businesses outside traditional golf are joining in as well: Ballers Sports & Social in Fishtown includes simulators among its attractions, and private clubs such as Fitler Club offer them as member amenities.