“The off course stuff has got so good it’s kind of, it’s like an alternate sport,” said Your Golf by NCG podcast host Tom Irwin.
Golf has long been challenged with getting more young people into the game, and retaining their interest. That challenge may now be easing and much of the progress is happening away from the fairways.
Across the UK, many golf clubs have modernised their driving ranges to feature Toptracer or TrackMan technology.
Many people believe this simulator technology is becoming a crucial component of getting more juniors into the sport, offering them an alternate experience and one that is potentially more engaging.
Speaking on the Your Golf by NCG podcast, both Irwin and Jack Backhouse believe that technology-driven practice areas are reshaping how young people view the game.
“It’s definitely getting better,” said Backhouse. “The ability to go and learn on a range with technology and there will be some sort of fun game on the Toptracer or the TrackMan that is engaging for kids.
“I used to play four holes (when first starting out as a junior) and walk off thinking it was crap. I’d walk back to the driving range and hit more balls thinking that this wasn’t fun.”
