Golf has come a long way from its inception in the 15th century, with technology reinventing and incorporating techniques that would have been nigh impossible decades ago. There have been vast improvements in equipment, kit, course design and clubhouse rules and regulations. The ‘new age’ aim of the game is to attract more players to the game.
No doubt, in the 21st century we live in, technology has been at the forefront of a lot of these endeavours. And lately, the craze has hit the driving range space in a big way. And companies like Inrange® are leading the way.
Inrange® - with headquarters in Stellenbosch South Africa, and London UK, is all about golf reimagined. With the sport being extremely traditionalist at heart; Inrange® embraces technological advancements to create something new and exciting for every kind of player, no matter their skill level or experience.
This is the key to their - and their partner ranges - success. Because simply put, the driving range isn’t what it used to be. To keep the game alive, it must attract players from multiple generations, from the novices wanting to have a swing with friends while enjoying cocktails, to the serious players trying to perfect their swings and hone their skills.
This dual-sided offering is quite rare to find, and even harder to master. Inrange® has been able to do so by putting the player experience at the forefront of everything they do, then enhancing it and keeping players at the range satisfied and coming back for more, all with technology they have mastered and continue to perfect.
The Inrange+™ product (included in their standard offering to ranges) allows for an immersive gaming environment for the social player, even those who have never picked up a club in their life. Because for them, the ‘experience’ is time spent with friends laughing with one another and high fiving the shots that do hit a target. This new crowd that their software attracts, leads to an influx of additional revenue for the range both on and off the range.
The final hurdle when introducing anything new into a business is, are the current customers going to enjoy the upgrade. And from what I can tell, Inrange® gets a resounding yes.
“As someone coming back to golf after an 18 month break, Inrange is just what the doctor ordered!” - Simon (Greenwich, London)
"The ability to export the data means I can do my own analysis, which is something I love” - Mark (Randpark, South Africa)
“Inrange does for golf what Strava does for running” - Samo (App store review)
Inrange® ’s innovative approach doesn’t only benefit the user. Range owners also get the reward of offering a better player experience, which is worth coming back for more often, and the power of peer-to-peer marketing, where their happier players tell others to consider their range above others.
The game is changing. And player expectations of value-for-money are higher than ever. So, clubs that don’t adopt systems like Inrange® sooner rather than later, are at risk of being left behind in a golfing world that is quickly shedding its traditionalist coat, for a technological one.
