The same TrackMan technology used by some of the world’s top golfers is now available at Gold Creek Country Club. Photo: TrackMan.
Gold Creek Country Club may appear far removed from the PGA Tour in the US – but they’re more alike than you may think.
When you watch golf on TV, whether it’s one of the four majors or a PGA Tour tournament, you’ll notice something after each player takes a swing.
A golf shot tracer graphic showing the ball’s flight through the air and sometimes other key data such as total distance of the shot, ball speed and peak ball height, all displayed in real time.
This is not guesswork by sports presenters, but precise data collected by two radars and a video camera inside a TrackMan device, made by a Danish company of the same name. The TrackMan system works by recording the changing frequency of microwaves reflecting off the club and ball and translating this data into highly accurate insights to send back to the player or, in this case, the TV audience, all in real time.
Gold Creek Country Club in Nicholls is leading the charge in the ACT and Australia as the country’s first golf course to offer the same TrackMan Range technology.
“Gone are the days of just guessing,” TrackMan sales representative Scott Jolly says. “You’ll see almost no-one who’s a serious golfer get club-fitted without utilising launch monitor technology.
“I think this is only really the beginning in that it’s just going to slowly keep growing and you’ll see more and more golf clubs looking to do more with technology to enhance member and guest experience.”
Gold Creek Country Club has the largest grass driving range in the Canberra region. Photo: Supplied.
Golfers can head to Gold Creek Country Club’s grass driving range, the largest in the Canberra region, and simply pay the standard price for a bucket of range balls to try the technology for themselves.
“It’s continual insight into your golf game,” Scott says. “So if you were to download the TrackMan Golf app, go to Gold Creek and hit 20 shots, you can go back and review that session immediately.”
Gold Creek golfers can also download the same app onto an iPad or tablet and play a virtual course or golf games. “We have the bullseye game which is kind of like darts, but for golf,” Scott says.
While your average golfer can now access the same technology as the pros, Scott says a lot has changed since TrackMan launched in 2003 in response to the question, “could we track a golf ball?”
“For about 15 years in the company’s history, the core focus was the equipment manufacturers such as Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade and the tour players, club fitters and teaching pros,” he says.
“It wasn’t until about five or six years ago that we had a TrackMan product that could cater to a broader demographic and help facilities like Gold Creek broaden their customer base.
“The tech offering has gone through the roof in the past 20 years, to the point where we’ve now got our virtual golf offering where we can put a simulator into any home.”
For all those without in-home golf simulators, Gold Creek Country Club’s TrackMan driving range will be free to try at an open day on Saturday 9 September.
Loading ...
