Summer temps are here, but new concept Loft18 provides all the fun of outdoor sports inside a cool sports bar environment. Opened last Friday, May 30, in the former Drago’s Seafood Restaurant space at 4580 Constitution Ave., Loft18 boasts way more than just golf simulation bays.

The sports bar’s newest location marks its first in the Capital Region, following others in Mandeville; Metairie; and Houston, Texas; plus an upcoming opening in Broussard. Baton Rouge’s Loft18 is lined with wall-to-wall TVs for sports spectating, a full food and drink menu, a private room that can be rented for events or parties, and six custom Full Swing simulation bays.

Loft18’s President and CEO Greg Whitman says the business started as a concept for his senior thesis while he was studying business at Loyola University. Inspired by his love for golf, Whitman set out to create an experience that included golf but didn’t focus on it.

“It’s a restaurant. It’s a sports bar. It’s a gaming place. It’s something new,” Whitman says.

The result was a hospitality-centered business with food, drink and tons of entertainment options. The first Loft18 was built from the ground up in Metairie, but after opening a location in Houston and weathering the pandemic, Whitman says Loft18 began focusing on expanding regionally. Baton Rouge seemed like a no-brainer.

The Capital Region location spans over 13,000 square feet, including a spacious dining area, a bar and, of course, the game simulator bays, which customers can also dine in. Aside from golf, patrons can play games like baseball, rugby, Skee-Ball, darts, basketball, dodgeball and more. Customers are welcome to bring their own equipment like golf clubs, but balls, clubs, bats and other items are also provided at each bay. Whitman says it’s all about having something for everyone.

“We thought (Loft18) was mostly just going to be a golf place,” Whitman says. “Then, right away, we realized golf is such a small slither of the market pie, and we have to broaden our appeal. We have to go bigger and change.”

Loft18’s restaurant is full-service, with elevated takes on a classic sports bar menu. Think: apps like buffalo chicken dip and Birdie Wings, sandwiches like hot-honey chicken sandwiches and Poirier’s Hangover Burger, flatbreads, mains, sides, desserts, brunch and more. Though the menu is stacked with options, Whitman says you can’t go wrong with his fave: the classic cheeseburger. Wash it all down with a drink from the bar like an espresso martini or the Man-mosa, made with Champagne, orange juice and mandarin vodka. Lunch specials and happy hours offer deals throughout the week.

The bar is decorated with different sports and pop culture references, and each bay has its own vibe. Besides the glare from about 50 TVs, neon signs are scattered throughout. Purple and gold accents like chairs, barstools and Joe Burrow-themed artwork nod to LSU. Whitman says each location has slightly different decor to reflect local culture.

Patrons can reserve tables and bays online, or stop in and grab either if they’re available. Whitman says customers can expect to see an array of sports games on the TVs along with watch parties for UFC matches.

The new location also houses a VIP room that can fit up to 30 people, with its own dining areas, a private bay and a private restroom for parties, corporate lunches or other events. Whitman adds that there will soon be league nights with scramble-style golf matches on Mondays and Tuesdays, bingo nights and trivia nights on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and DJs spinning tunes on Friday and Saturday nights.

“You’re playing a tournament style, and every week is a different course,” Whitman says about league nights. “So the good thing about it is that you get to play the PGA Championship courses because Full Swing has partnered with the PGA exclusively. You can play these championship courses with your friends and compete against them.”

Whitman encourages anyone in the Capital Region to come try out Loft18. Golf lovers can get their game on and perfect their swings.

And those not into golf can get their game or grub on, too.

Loft18 is open Monday-Tuesday, 3-10 p.m.; Wednesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Loft18 is at 4580 Constitution Ave. Reserve tables and bays or find more information here.

Jessica Pegula says she feels like she is “hitting her head against the wall” over the annual discussion around the lack of women’s night matches at the French Open.

None of the night sessions during the first eight days of this year’s Roland Garros have featured a women’s singles match.

It has led to accusations that not scheduling women’s matches there implies female players are not “worthy” of the slot – something strongly rejected by French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo.

Two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur said “honouring one side of the sport shouldn’t mean ignoring the other” in an impassioned social media post on Friday.

Asked about the scheduling, American third seed Pegula said: “Every year it’s the same thing. It’s never equal.

“We are an event that is supposed to be equal. Why not give us some more chances to be?

“It feels like just hitting my head against the wall because I feel like we have been talking about this for two, three, four [years] – probably forever, to be honest, because it’s never been equal.”

I’d like to think that it was something Tom Thibodeau said on Monday or Wednesday that ignited the Knicks to those miracle comebacks, halftime speeches that inspired them toward greatness. Except there are two problems with that:

1. The Knicks played worse in the minutes after halftime in both games that at any other time in those games. So unless he saved his best stuff for random timeouts late in the third quarter, that probably didn’t happen.

2. Real life doesn’t allow for a lot of inspirational pep talks. That’s generally the purview of movie screens.

And here’s the thing: A really good locker room talk, delivered by an actor who knows how to make the words dance and sing, is about as good as sports movies get. You suspend disbelief so often when you watch a movie anyway, so why should it matter that none of these would actually happen in real life?

On an unmissable day of world-class sporting drama, Sky Sports created its own history by breaking viewership records on Sunday 13 April, delivering its most-watched day ever.

Driven by a packed day of wall-to-wall action, from the Premier League and F1 to tennis, golf, IPL, SPFL and the EFL, Sky Sports reached 7.5 million viewers on linear channels on Sunday, with a record average audience of 1.3 million tuning in between 6am and 2am, marking a record 19% share of total TV viewing, and a 39% share among under-35s – both higher than any terrestrial broadcaster.

The day culminated with Rory McIlroy’s historic Masters victory, completing the career Grand Slam in front of a record peak audience of 1.85 million viewers, commanding 37% of total TV viewership.

Sky Sports Managing Director, Jonathan Licht, said: “Sunday was a day of unforgettable sporting drama, and a proud day for Sky Sports, as the live action had fans gripped from the morning into the early hours. From Rory’s historic win at Augusta to an exciting Bahrain Grand Prix and a packed schedule of football, cricket and tennis – it was a day that had it all. These record-breaking numbers are a testament to the incredible teams who work tirelessly behind-the-scenes to bring unmissable moments to life and showcase the very best in sport across the world.”

The historic day of sport featured: