Whether you’re a golf enthusiast or have never swung a club, Atomic Golf in Las Vegas promises an exciting experience as you compete in interactive games that feel more like party activities than serious competition. Spanning four floors with over 100 high-tech golf bays and eight putting areas, Elation lighting effects boost the festive ambiance and enhance the interactive entertainment experience. 

Atomic Golf is located on a seven-acre site next to the STRAT Tower, just north of the Las Vegas Strip. What sets it apart is its state-of-the-art technology, including advanced lighting systems, which prominently feature Elation’s PROTEUS MAXIMUS LED profile luminaire, enhancing and supporting the venue's lively party atmosphere. Multiple fixtures are mounted above the top level of driving bays, providing bright, exceptional light that projects hundreds of feet onto the driving range, bathing the space in dynamic color and pattern and reinforcing the interactive experience for guests.

Coherent Design

Creative design solutions company, Coherent Design, handled lighting design on the project, with Ellen Kuklinski, Tonya Neely, and Jarrod Hetzer heading the team. Coherent designed the lighting for all front-of-house spaces, such as the driving and putting areas, and all other areas within the building, and also encompassed lighting controls. Coherent collaborated with Simply Connected on the audio-visual design, low voltage, and access control. 

Ellen Kuklinski, Director of Lighting Design at Coherent Design, states, “Teamwork was pivotal in achieving Atomic Golf’s vision of a dynamic and interactive environment. We worked closely with Bobak Mostaghasi, CEO of Atomic Golf Las Vegas, whose vision and inspiration were key. Our design process was highly collaborative, involving back-and-forth discussions to refine the concept and ensure the lighting met the high expectations.” 

Entertainment experience

Atomic Golf, which opened in March, is outfitted with multiple bars, lounges, VIP suites, a top-notch kitchen, and more. Tonya Neely, Senior Lighting Designer at Coherent Design, states, “It was important for the owner that the facility stand apart from other similar driving ranges in town. It’s an entertainment experience and the atmosphere is very fun, very much a party vibe.”

The facility includes a variety of tech spaces, each with distinct lighting needs, says Neely. Some have static white fixtures to ensure they’re getting appropriate light levels, while others are color-changing to support the charismatic, fun atmosphere. “In addition, there is dynamic lighting and interactivity in the driving range,” Neely explains, “so when a golfer hits a particular target there is a lighting effect that triggers both on the driving range and in the hitting bays.” Proprietary technology presents a suite of games designed for all ages and skill levels—Bulls-eye, 21, Warships,  team competitions, and more. 

PROTEUS MAXIMUS

Coherent Design collaborated with 4Wall and selected the PROTEUS MAXIMUS fixtures after extensive mockups, determining they were the best solution for lighting the driving range and covering a substantial distance. 

Neely emphasizes, “The PROTEUS MAXIMUS fixtures are crucial for our design, providing moving lights with an adjustable beam, focus, and color change, along with gobos and effects, all in an exterior-rated fixture. To find that in one fixture was amazing and made it easy to be able to achieve the owner’s vision of a dynamic, interactive driving range. They have performed fantastic, even during the daytime, providing the high lumen output required and enhancing the overall party experience.” Neely adds that the PROTEUS MAXIMUS also helps differentiate Atomic Golf from similar venues during the holidays and special events by offering custom effects that enhance the visitors' experience.

Team effort

One project challenge was the tight timeline, requiring Coherent Design to ensure that any fixtures specified could be delivered and installed in time for the opening. Coherent Design collaborated with lighting service provider 4Wall to ensure that the integration and entire theatrical lighting installation met the owner’s vision. The lighting control system, designed by Jarrod Hetzer, is actually comprised of several different control systems, between the general area lighting, the hitting bay lighting, the LED matrix circle fixtures, and of course, the Elation fixtures, that all needed to talk together to deliver the advanced technological experience. Coherent Design worked closely with 4Wall’s team, led by Barbara Brennan and Will Witner, to deliver an overall system capable of triggering all of these fixtures with interactive moments in the game play.

Relation Lighting Agency (RLA), Elation’s sales representative in California, ensured that the lighting fixtures met the project's stringent time requirements. Coherent also collaborated with lighting service provider 4Wall to ensure that the integration and entire theatrical lighting installation met the owner’s vision. “It was a team effort to make sure the entire project came to fruition,” Kuklinski stated.  

Atomic Golf is a sports entertainment venue that's not just for seasoned golfers but for anyone who wants to have fun. With so many options in Las Vegas's vibrant entertainment landscape, it can be hard to stand out, but thanks to a unique concept and engaging golfing experiences, Atomic Golf has done just that.