The UK’s largest golf club operator, Crown Golf, has installed SkyTrak launch monitors at 22 venues after a successful year-long trial at several of its clubs.
SkyCaddie will also be supplying each venue with a Net Return portable net to enable indoor custom-fitting and golf simulator facilities in the venues’ function rooms and golf academies.
SkyTrak, which is part of the SkyCaddie product family, is the first personal launch monitor of its kind, offering a realistic and real-time golf practice and play system which connects wirelessly to iPad or PC.
Initial SkyTrak trials took place at seven Crown Golf venues throughout 2016, under the supervision of Sam Pleshette, Group Retail Manager at Crown Golf. “At the trial clubs our staff used SkyTrak in 90% of club fittings and sales – most of which were indoors – so it proved itself emphatically.
“Not only did SkyTrak contribute to sales, but it also helped to engage staff with their customers, particularly with members, and it was this factor – as much as its ability to drive equipment sales – which convinced us that SkyTrak was the right solution across all of our venues.”
Crown Golf had been looking to upgrade its custom-fitting offering across all venues. “SkyTrak’s price made it interesting, and its performance, ease of use and portability, the quality of its data, and most of all the positive response we received from our members during the Cams Hall test proved that it was right for us,” said Pleshette.
The remaining SkyTraks were delivered group-wide in early 2017, where they are managed by the Golf Development Professional at each venue. SkyTrak has initially been used as a custom-fitting solution, but Crown Golf also plans to involve it in more coaching applications, as well as in indoor golf entertainment situations aligned to its member and golfer engagement strategy.
“SkyTrak gives our customers a great fitting experience, and it also has the potential to keep people at the golf club even in bad weather, or at night” said Pleshette. “As it is so portable, it is the ideal pop-up teaching and fitting centre, suitable for most indoor spaces.”
SkyCaddie’s UK & European Sales Manager, James Holmes, said: “We are delighted to have received such a major commitment from the country’s leading owner and operator of golf clubs. This is an opportunity for SkyTrak to show that a professional-level golf launch monitor and golf simulator is truly available at an accessible price, making multi-venue purchases possible, and giving both golfers and PGA pros the data they need to find a new set of golf clubs, or have a productive golf lesson.”
As for SkyTrak’s ability to act as a gateway to over 100,000+ virtual golf courses, Holmes says that the system’s full potential is only just beginning to be used. “Customers at Crown Golf can already enjoy a spectacular 9-shot challenge at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course, as part of the SkyTrak’s Game Improvement software package” he said. “However, as time passes we are hoping that some venues will dig deeper into its potential as an indoor golf entertainment system, with thousands of golf courses available to keep Crown Golf’s members and other customers happy during the bad weather, or perhaps after the sun goes down.”
Stephen Towers, Chief Executive Officer of Crown Golf, said: “Offering a professional launch monitor service across the group is further proof our commitment to make memberships at Crown Golf clubs the most desirable and value-packed in the country.”
Try SkyTrak at your nearest Crown Golf venue by visiting www.crown-golf.co.uk and using the Club Finder function on the Home Page.
SkyTrak www.skytrakgolf.com
SkyCaddie Distance Measuring Devices www.skycaddie.co.uk