A North Wales based company has fought off significant competition from hundreds of companies and inventions around the world to win the gold medal at the British Invention Show held at Alexandra Palace.
David Morris, managing director of DMC, showcased the company’s golf products in London, and was awarded the much sought after title, previously won by notable inventors such as James Dyson and John Logie Baird.
“It was a very hard week,” says David Morris, creator of the golf device, “the judging was lengthy and intimidating at times, but when we were awarded the gold medal I could not believe it.” But success continued later in the evening with DMC awarded a further accolade, being presented with a special platinum award for clear, outright innovation within the fiercely competitive leisure sector.
“The concept has been under development for four years,” explained David. ‘To win not one but two awards, with the calibre of other inventions as competition was incredible, and something which I still can’t believe.”
DMC’s Fairway Flyover and CaddyAid products take high resolution still aerial images of a golf course and then, by using its specialised software, convert the flat image, into a low profile, high resolution helicopter flyover, just as if they were in the cockpit of a helicopter themselves. DMC have every golf hole, on every golf course in the world and are now selling these highly marketable Fairway Flyover movies to golf courses for insertion onto their websites.
The other product winning awards at the show was the CaddyAid, which allows the golfer to calculate automatically the distance between two selected points on the hole they are playing. The golfer, by using the specially made hand held computer, simply touches the screen in two places, firstly where they are now, and secondly where they want to go to, when done, the distance is automatically calculated. “It is an automatic distance guide, bringing the tired printed format into the 21st century,” says David. “The beauty of the CaddyAid is that it is much more desirable to the visiting or corporate golfer, in addition it generates substantially more income for the club pro compared to the current booklets available. CaddyAid also allows the club pro to easily promote their stock on the device, creating a platform for sales when the device is returned to the shop, as well as allowing the club secretary to update course information such as ground under repair on a daily basis, which is simply not possible on printed goods. Finally, if that was not enough for golf clubs to look at implementing the device, adverts can also be shown, creating all important revenue streams from major manufacturing companies or more localised hotels or restaurants.”
The next move for DMC is an invitation to the multi million pound Mission Hills golf courses in China, followed by special invitation to showcase the products at the PGA Show in America.
Val Morris, operations director and wife of David says, “Since the announcement, we have already held very positive talks with companies around the world wishing to license the products, or incorporate them onto their club websites, so it looks like we are going to be busy. But it is important we control as much as possible of the manufacture here, employing as many local Welsh people as we can. The Welsh Development Agency (WDA) have supported us since the very beginning, both financially as well as with sound business advice. Without their support, we certainly would not be in the strong position we are in now.
“One of the world’s leading electronic firms came to London to meet us with a view to manufacturing the hand held device as they clearly saw the opportunities it presented for them. If they can meet our strict requirements this would create a very good alliance for both parties, given their size, power and current involvement with US Tournament golf.”
“For us a major business stream will be the Fairway Flyover movies installed on golf club websites around the world,” says David..”Second to that, we are now concluding talks with major hotel chains with golf clubs on site, to house the handheld computers within their pro shops. But of course since the announcement, we are very pleased to have received a number of enquiries from golf clubs themselves wishing to stock the CaddyAid, so it looks like we have created a product of desire within the golf industry, which was always the plan.
DMC www.dmc-golf.com
Golf invention drives forward
