With advances in technology constantly pushing performance on course, whether in apparel, footwear or hardgoods, a couple of new technologies drove the development of interesting products designed for use off the course.
SEW does not usually bother with covering training aids, but occasionally one warrants mentioning. In this case, THE Golf Mat has quickly become a buzzword amongst range owners and operators as the company developed a product that allows swings off an Astroturf-like surface without the shock of hitting hard concrete. In fact, hitting balls of its proprietary substrata feels exactly like hitting off a fairway, if not slightly softer.
For 2008, THE Golf Mat partnered with Zelocity to sell a small, portable ball speed measuring tool. The company hopes that the combination of the Zelocity device with its mats will help to increase sales to the residential market for those looking to improve their game at home.
AboutGolf has become one of the dominant forces in the golf simulator landscape through constantly pushing the bar both in the playing experience and in the feedback generated for the player. The company sees its growth going forward in the green grass and residential markets. Additionally, AboutGolf has seen tremendous growth internationally, especially in the UK, China, Japan and Korea.
At the show, the company launched 3Trak, which will be ready in April. 3Trak utilizes high speed photography to process nearly 2,000 frames per second from 3 different perspectives, allowing the simulator to triangulate ball flight and swing characteristics and generate extremely accurate representations on screen.
