Up-to-date information, articles and nonsense about the indoor golf industry in the NorthEast area....and if worthy from other reaches of the world. PGA TOUR Simulators by aboutGolf
Showing posts with label PGA TOUR Simulators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PGA TOUR Simulators. Show all posts
Things are finally gearing up for the winter in the "off season golf world" All of us bubble golfers hope that mother nature behaves this year and gives us a turn. Last year when it was 70 degrees and sunny in January it was a little tough to justify playing golf indoors. Despite the mild winter we were surprised that there were so many people playing indoors. Throughout our facilities in the northeast the attendance wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. We found that it came down to the accuracy of the tracking technology in the simulators that helped keep the screens turned on. The local golf pros were indoors giving lessons, the evening leagues were at full capacity and the daytime crowd was consistent. While we never intend to compete with the green grass it was good to see that even though the courses were open and our simulators were at an acceptable capacity. It comes down to having the right tracking technology under the hood and actual 3-D terrain to play in the simulators that keeps people coming back every year even when they can be outdoors.
On the residential end, the installation calendar is quite full and we are doing our best to get all our anxious customers installed by the holidays. Below you will see some photos of our most recent simulators during installation.
We are very excited for whats coming in the next year and the innovation that aboutGolf and the aG development team is working on. As a technology company that creates everything that they put in the field it's always nice to see that they are working on the next best thing to keep our customers and partners excited for what's to come.
Poughkeepsie, New York finally has a reason for golfers to be happy during the winter months and when they can't be on the green grass. DC Indoor Golf features the latest indoor golf simulator technology from the industries best! Featuring 2 Classic PGA TOUR Simulators and 2 WideScreen PGA TOUR Simulators from aboutGolf as well as a full bar and grill your winter months are now filled with golf game accuracy, good time, entertainment and a great atmosphere.
Come join in the Grand Opening festivities Saturday September 20th from 1 pm-5 pm and experience what everyone will be talking about. Get more information on winter golf leagues, lessons, holiday parties, gift certificates and more. Bring your clubs and see the PGA TOUR Simulators for yourself. For more information check them out on line at dcindoorgolf.com or call 845-486-4004.
the 19th hole.....never too far
check out the golf ball filled bar
two private PGA TOUR WideScreen Simulators.
Regarding aboutGolf
aboutGolf is a world leader in golf simulator and golf performance technology. The more than 20-year-old,
Ohio-based company is committed to developing and applying innovative, state-of-the-art technology to
enhance and improve the game for golfers at every level. Its products, including PGA TOUR Simulators,
aG Studio and Henry-Griffitts Custom Fit Golf Clubs, enable substantive learning and improvement in the
game of golf. Learn more at www.aboutgolf.com.
EverGreens Golf is the exclusive New York/New England dealer for aboutGolf handling all sales, service, installation, and consulting for aboutGolf simulators in all residential and commercial applications throughout New York and New England. EverGreens also has the placement program allowing existing business to bring in a simulator at little cost. EverGreens has handled residential simulators big (25' wide) and small (11' wide). EG has installed as many as 18 commercial simulators in a single trip. We consult clients considering an indoor golf center of their own, and customers thinking of a simulator in existing and new construction.EverGreens is the absolute golf resource.
WALDWICK – As dozens of young kids hit golf balls into the PGA Tour simulators in front of him, and their instructors stepped in to give them tips and tweak their swings, Rich DiMartino stood in the background smiling.
George Cultraro, left, hitting a shot while using a simulator as his friend Kyle Roberts looks on at Greenhouse Golf.
His vision has come to life. His desire to create an indoor golf teaching facility is now a reality. And as the afternoon campers on this day enjoyed the finished product, DiMartino couldn’t help but think he’s helped create something special at Greenhouse Golf.
"What we tried to do was make a facility that was built by golfers for golfers," said DiMartino, the co-owner and general manager of the facility. "This is nothing like any other simulator facility in the nation because it’s not just about the simulators. It’s a training center where children and adults can come and learn the game or improve their game."
Greenhouse Golf, located on Hopper Avenue, is certainly a golfers paradise.
They have 10 PGA Tour simulators, a 575-square foot putting green and an outdoor-themed, 18-hole mini golf course all inside the 21,000-square foot, two-level facility.
But what makes Greenhouse Golf unique from most other simulator facilities is its focus on professional instruction.
"Everything here is designed to help teach people how to play and improve their game," Greenhouse Golf instructor Ozzie Carlson said. "We like to say we can help anyone 4 to 84."
In addition to having three professional instructors on staff, Greenhouse Golf also has slow motion cameras used to break down a player’s swing and a balance plate simulator, which measures a player’s center of gravity as he hits the ball.
When you combine those two instruments with an instructor’s knowledge and the information the simulator provides — club head speed, ball speed, ball flight, launch angle, ball compression, etc. — you have a powerful teaching tool.
"It’s a dynamic way to learn," Carlson said. "It’s exciting to me as a teacher to see how fast people can improve here."
Two players who can attest to that are Franklin Lakes resident Jay Iturralde and Woodcliff Lake’s Jared Mactas.
Iturralde, a 14 handicap, has taken a handful of lessons with professional instructor and former college All-American Cory Stelick and already has noticed a difference in his game.
"It’s amazing how quick you can see what you’re doing wrong with your swing when you work with an instructor in a simulator," Iturralde said.
Mactas, meanwhile, is a rising senior at Pascack Hills and a scratch golfer. He has been working with Carlson for four years but has learned even more about his swing since working on the balance plate simulator.
"It’s given me more of an edge on how to get better," Mactas said. "The foot sensors tell you how your weight distribution is divided on each foot and that’s helped my game because I’ve learned new kinds of angles that I come in at. It’s definitely helped me become a more consistent golfer."
Greenhouse Golf is still in the process of building a café on the first floor, installing Wi-Fi Internet access throughout the facility, bringing in more TV’s and staying true to its name, building a solar-paneled parking lot before its official grand opening in September. But as the grade school kids on this day could attest, it’s already open for business and ready to help golfers improve their game.
"We make people better golfers here because of the delivery of feedback from the simulators and the world-class instruction," DiMartino said. "I don’t think anyone else can say that."
They don’t have to. The results speak for themselves.
This past week was the FootJoy National Sales Meeting in Newport, R.I., which featured an impressive display of new products, industry updates and, of course, networking with colleagues and friends – a great group of people who couldn’t be more passionate about the products they produce and represent.
Throughout the week, we had the opportunity to see the latest shoes, gloves and apparel from FootJoy, as well as what the company has coming down the pipeline. Along with their standard sales meetings, presentations and breakout sessions, FootJoy Product Development/R&D Department, based out of Brockton, Mass., wanted to show what has been working in the “Shoe Box,” a state-of-the-art research and development testing facility.
Within the Shoe Box facility are some if the industry’s greatest technologies, including an aboutGolf PGA TOUR Widescreen Simulator, complete with weight-transfer analysis technology, 3D modelling, aG Flix video capture, and much more. Utilizing aboutGolf’s technology, FootJoy is conducting extensive research on future golf shoes and capturing detailed information on how the golf shoe plays an enormous roll on the score card, as observed through the golf swing.
With their facility tucked in the FJ R&D center many of their sales representatives throughout the world aren’t able to see what the organization is working on or how research affects the product development. So, FootJoy decided to bring its research to Newport – including our PGA TOUR Simulators.
Some results comparing spike-less and spiked golf shoes
aboutGolf and my company, EverGreens Golf, were happy to work with FootJoy to install two aboutGolf PGA TOUR Simulators and allow the company to demonstrate current research first-hand, as well as allow the sales force to compare different shoes within the FootJoy line. One specific aspect of research that was highlighted was a comparison between the new spikeless and traditional spiked golf shoe. It was great to see the sales agents in the aboutGolf PGA TOUR Simulators hitting a couple shots wearing each of the shoe types, experiencing for themselves the results as related to stability, control and distances. It was also a nice way to break up the meetings and have the people who represent the FootJoy line actually hits balls to see the results through their golf swings, rather than just look at stats
FootJoy Team testing out different FJ Shoes in the aboutGolf PGA TOUR Simulators
It has been a pleasure working with the team at FootJoy R&D for the past year and look forward to the future and seeing what they come up with next. I also want to thank them for their hospitality this week in Newport, a perfect setting with great weather.
Our PGA TOUR Simulators are employed by clients and golf enthusiasts for an array of reasons, from strictly entertainment to golf game improvement.
(Maumee, OHIO) - aboutGolf, a world leader in golf simulator and golf performance technology, announced today the signing of a partnership with Dixon Golf, the first manufacturer of high performance eco-friendly golf balls.
aboutGolf will join Dixon in its philanthropic mission as an official sponsor of the 2012 Dixon Challenge. The Challenge, which included more than 800 charity tournaments throughout 2011, is a fun Par-3 game that helps non-profits increase revenue at charity golf tournaments.
As a 2012 sponsor of the Dixon Challenge, aboutGolf will offer a new Golf Performance Technology Suite, including an aG Studio launch monitor, aG Balance Pro weight transfer analysis system, aG Flix video swing analysis system and Perform Pro software, as a raffle prize to one lucky winner who registers at a Challenge event.
"Dixon Golf has an impressive history of progressiveness," says Chuck Faust, President, aboutGolf. "Our partnership with Dixon Golf is natural, as both companies embrace the modern values of golfers through technology, sustainability and social accountability."
The Dixon Challenge has been held at tournaments benefiting such well known causes as the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the March of Dimes and many others.
In addition to collaborating on the Dixon Challenge, aboutGolf will also soon begin offering Dixon Golf balls as the official eco golf ball of its simulators and will be available for use in its PGA TOUR Simulators.
"Bringing the best-in-class simulator and golf technology provider on-board with the Challenge will have a significant positive impact on the results for the charities we work with and for Dixon products," says William Carey, CEO, Dixon Golf.
Dixon Golf joins aboutGolf's list of distinguished partners, which includes PGA TOUR, Golf Channel, European Tour Performance Institute and David Leadbetter, as well as a lineup of golf experts on its Board of Innovation. The Board of Innovation, which includes world No. 1 golfer Luke Donald, is a group of industry experts who advise aboutGolf regarding research, development and market trends.
EverGreens Golf and their New Hampshire partner The Cedar Mill Group will be at this years New Hampshire Home Builder Show March 2nd - 4 th. Along with showcasing the extreme talents of the Cedar Mills Group they will be featuring the latest technology from aboutGolf and the PGA TOUR Simulators.
Current and new golf enthusiast homeowners can see what can be added to their homes or incorporated to their new construction. From custom hard wall A/V integrated PGA TOUR Simulators to a garage bay entertainment golf improvement simulator EverGreens Golf and the Cedar Mill Group can work with you to design your space to your needs. See what's happening at this years show and stop in for more information.
aboutGolf and EverGreens Golf are proud to be part of Rochester New York's exclusive High Performance Golf Center. This year round golf performance fitness facility can help anyone with their game and show them immediate results. Utilizing all the latest technologies and instructional methods High Performance Golf is the source for improvement. With the addition of a custom Compact Classic PGA TOUR Simulator they the one stop shop for your golf game.
World-renowned retailer Brooks Brothers recently ‘teed-off’ an exclusive celebration of Scottish textiles in New York with a little help from Steve North, Director of Instruction at St Andrews Links.
Showcasing the wealth of tartans, cashmere and of course Scotland’s ‘champagne of fabrics’ – Harris Tweed, which is celebrating the centenary of the world-famous Orb trademark – Brooks Brothers opened the doors of its flagship Madison Avenue store to over 500 guests.
“Brooks Brothers has a long standing tradition of offering our customers the finest Scottish textiles,” said Claudio Del Vecchio, Chairman and CEO of the global retailer. “We proudly celebrate generations of collaboration, quality and value.”
Established in 1818 and considered American’s oldest apparel retailer, Brooks Brothers has a long-standing history with Scottish knitwear and fabric mills including Robert Noble, Barrie, Hawick Knitwear, Reid & Taylor, Harris Tweed, Todd & Duncan, Johnstons of Elgin and Begg Scotland – all of which had their products from the new Autumn/Winter collection on show at the event.
“Brooks Brothers is one of more than 200 leading retailers and fashion labels that come to Scotland season after season to develop new textile products and work closely with Scottish mills to enhance their brands,” said Danny Cusick, President, Americas, of Scottish Development International.
As Brooks Brothers is the Official Clothier of St Andrews Links, Steve North, Director of Instruction at the birthplace of golf gave guests tips on their swing in a state-of-the-art, full-scale indoor PGA Tour golf simulator, thought to be the first system of its kind in an apparel retailer environment.
Donald Martin, Chairman of the Harris Tweed Authority was also in attendance to thank Brooks Brothers for being a loyal customer, presenting them with a special Heritage Award. He said: “Harris Tweed has had a fabulous year celebrating 100 years of the Orb trademark, that marks the authenticity of a cloth which is loved the world over. As our centenary draws to a close we are delighted to formally recognise Brooks Brothers, one of our key retail ambassadors, with a special Harris Tweed Centenary Year Heritage Award.
“Over the years Brooks Brothers has been a loyal customer of the ‘cloth from the land’, ensuring it is available to discerning customers season after season. This award is a small token of thanks from everyone in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland for this support, and we hope it will continue for hundreds of years to come.”
More than 500 VIP guests attended the event enjoying a taste of Scotland which of course included ‘a wee dram’ of Macallan.
Published Nov 20, 2011 at 3:00 am (Updated Nov 19, 2011)
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Pease Golf Course is attracting more golfers than ever to their 27-hole course at Pease International Tradeport in Portsmouth after building a new $2.3 million clubhouse last year.
(COURTESY)
Pease Golf Course had a banner year after completing a $2.3 million clubhouse. Until this season, the Pease clubhouse was closed three months out of the year, but now it’s open year-round. Gretyl Macalaster
Scott Devito, PGA general manager at Pease Golf Course, demonstrates the new PGA TOUR simulators added during the $2.3 million clubhouse project completed last year. Revenues from simulator rentals doubled expected projections in the first year. gretyl macalaster photos
PORTSMOUTH — Rebuilding the clubhouse at Pease Golf Course last year not only saved the area’s oldest links, but revitalized them.
The previous clubhouse had little to offer golfers after a round and was closed three months of the year.
The $2.3 million clubhouse project completed in April 2010 offers everything the last building lacked, including a year-round restaurant with a full bar and full menu, a self-contained function room, an expanded pro shop and a modern feel.
Starting an Indoor Golf Center? I wish I had all the answers.....
What are the secrets to building a successful indoor golf center? Will people want to play indoors during the outdoor season? How will we maximize our indoor season? These were the key questions that haunted me as I attempted to build my business. As the owner of an indoor golf center and a partner with numerous indoor golf facilities throughout New York and New England, I have experienced many of the trials and tribulations of the indoor golf center world. After 8 years we are still doing our best to figure out the best business models.
What are the secrets to building a successful indoor golf center? The most important element to a thriving indoor golf center is the golf simulator technology that is pushing it. When it comes to your core business do not cut corners you want your customer experience to be the best. Stay away from used golf simulators and inferior technology. As tempting as the price points may be, in this industry you will get what you pay for and I’ve seen centers founder immediately because of such maneuvers. When someone walks into your facility for the first time and experiences your golf simulators the last thing you want to hear is” that was fun and I’m sure I’ll be back.” If you have chosen the right technology you will more likely hear something along the lines of “that was amazing and I need to come back and work on my game or get my group together and start a league.” The technology you select will make you or break you. The beautiful thing about golf is that it is one of the most addicting sports and golfers love to talk! With accurate and stable golf simulators your customers will be back and they will tell their friends, Guaranteed! The best thing you can do is go out there and test all the major simulator companies. If you’re not a good golfer, bring someone who is and get their feed back. There are a lot of smoke and mirrors within this industry that put a haze over how accurate and real the simulators are. Don’t be fooled. When you go to play the different systems really play the ball and the environment within the game. Can you play a push fade, a bump and run and how accurate is the spin of the ball and the short game. Can you put yourself into trouble, i.e the woods and can you get yourself out of it. Some systems are a merely 2 dimensions pictures not allowing you to change your aim and play a punch shot from the woods to the fairway. In the end you want the experience to be as real as it can get. Are there any simulators that are 100% accurate? Nope! But you’re going to want to find the closest possible!
Will people want to play indoors during the outdoor season? This is the toughest question to answer. With my experiences I have found that it comes down to location and what other amenities are offered to go along with the golf simulators. I have seen 2 business models successfully prove that indoor golf center are not just for winter play;
Golf course location. Having golf simulators at a golf course or a country club will not only increase your winter revenue but will also keep people playing golf when they can’t get outside. Whether it’s evening play or during in climate weather people will tend to flock to the golf courses during the outdoor season and if the option to play indoors is available when they can’t play outdoors they will choose to do so. The PGA TOUR Simulators from aboutGolf are a great way to keep your game in tune when you can’t be outside. From the accuracy of every shot to the detailed information that is delivered during each post shot analysis your customers will see the benefit in having them at the green grass facilities. In the summer of 2010 we relocated our flag ship golf center from a strip mall shopping district to a local 9 hole golf course and in doing so we have seen a tremendous increase in the outdoor season simulator play due to our on course location.
Sports Bar/Restaurant Atmosphere: Whether it's an over the top sports bar with 25 56" flat screens or a cherry trimmed country club style atmosphere, having another source of revenue on top of the golf simulators will help increase the outdoor season numbers. Over the past 8 years I have spoken to a lot of eager entrepreneurs looking to get involved with the indoor golf world and the most common piece of advice I have given is "figure out your summers/outdoor season, don't worry about the winter/indoor season." If you have an additional revenue stream such as a bar/restaurant that people will patronize for that reason alone then you have all your bases covers. In the indoor season your customers will come in to play golf and also eat and have a cocktail or two. During the outdoor season it will be opposite, they will come in to eat and drink and while they are there maybe play nine holes or have a Par-3 or Clostest-To-The-Pin challenge. Either way, there are creative ways with a captive audience to keep them engaged and spending money.
What are the best ways to maximize your indoor golf season? Just like any amusement facility or restaurant there are proven formulas that you can use to ensure a positive experience for your customers while maximizing your time and income. No matter where you are it's a short season so get what you can. Besides the standard indoor practices of golf leagues, clinics, lessons, private parties, corporate functions, memberships and required tee times there are some other practices to help get a little more juice out of the orange. If you're up for the challenge the one thing I can say is never turn down a tee time no matter what time they want to play. If your appointment book is filled during business hours and you have a group of 4 that want to come in and play at 5:00 am and you don't open til 8:00, take the reservation. Now you have the opportunity to add more reservations in that time slot with your other simulators. With the instant communication world of mass texting, FaceBook, and Twitter you can send out a blast message or posting that will tell your customers you have availability at 5:00 am on this specific day. You'll be surprised how fast it fills. Obviously an eager staff is needed for such practices but having some sort of incentive program in place will help get the key in the door.
There is no true text book format to starting and operating an indoor golf center. If there was, the indoor golf franchises would be available and successful. Hopefully some day soon someone figures it out and gets McGolf off the ground and on every coffee shop corner. For the most part it is a localized business model that needs to be created around what that specific area needs such as a sports bar, restaurant, golf performance/fitness or even renting bikes and selling ice cream in the summer. Regardless of how you operate during the outdoor season and if your area is saturated with golf courses and golfers and you are offering the best experience possible expect to have a very busy indoor season.
EverGreens will be following along with Anthony Finley, head designer at aboutGolf, and his blog talking about different installations and creative applications.
We have had the pleasure of working with Anthony over the years and are excited to see what he has to say. The great thing with the aboutGolf product is that it can be completely customized to any room that can fit a golf swing. There really are no technology limitation except for swing height, unlike other systems that need specific room sizes to accommodate their simulators. Stay tuned to our blog or the aboutGolf blog to see what "the artist" has to say.
In the spring of 2011 Foot Joy's R&D facility in Brockton Mass. began construction on their new testing lab "The Shoe Box". With construction finally wrapped up the facility features some of the golf industries greatest swing analysis tools, including an 18' wide x 20' deep PGA TOUR Simulator by aboutGolf. www.aboutgolf.com.
After doing their research on golf simulators Foot Joy saw the value in what aboutGolf has to offer across the board. With the accuracy required by their lab technicians aboutGolf's 3Trak technology was proven to be the best in the industry. 3Trak, aboutGolf's proprietary 3D machine vision tracks ball and club data, providing the golfer with the most accurate data and shot dynamics in the indoor golf performance/entertainment industry. With accurate ball data such as ball speed, back-spin, side-spin, rifle-spin all launch angles and detailed club data the aboutGolf system was exactly what the Foot Joy team was looking for. Along with the aboutGolf accuracy Foot Joy was extremely interested in detailed 3D course graphics, system flexibility and integrated performance tools such as the integrated weight transfer technology and aG Flix swing analysis tools. The perfect performance tool for what this team needs to stay at the top of their game in the golf shoe industry.
aboutGolf will join Dixon in its philanthropic mission as an official sponsor of the 2012 Dixon Challenge. The Challenge, which included more than 800 charity tournaments throughout 2011, is a fun Par-3 game that helps non-profits increase revenue at charity golf tournaments.
The Dixon Challenge has been held at tournaments benefiting such well known causes as the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the March of Dimes and many others.
The Dixon Challenge has been held at tournaments benefiting such well known causes as the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the March of Dimes and many others.
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