THE SUN BEGAN TO SET As players pressed their first game choice on their Toptracer display. We then turned on the targets. Then, like any other customer, I pulled out my phone and watched the best player in the place blast through 9 TARGETS IN JUST 14 SHOTS…on his first try. As a result, Josh Heptig, Dairy Creek superintendent and the “SLO county golf guy” set the bar for a new kind of live target golf game that truly tests a golfers game and greatness.
THE DAIRY CREEK STORY In a nut shell, Dairy Creek is possible because it only uses water from the adjacent county correctional facility. Since California let many of the inmates out, there simply are not the molecules of water coming through the pipes to support an 18 hole course. So, they were forced to close 9 holes and it put the golf course in serious financial distress.
Then, in a move to replace this lost revenue, while not consuming too much water, they built a 10 bay golf entertainment lounge overlooking the 18th green and fairway. To make sure it would be a success, they commissioned Smarttarget.golf to create a field of targets that would become the hook that kept players in their seats – or at the tee box.
Since the range slopes sharply downhill and is built on a rock ledge, we were unable to build a more flat range target system. Instead we went topographical with a low profile sealed air targeting system. It allowed for easy installation and all weather durability. (In fact, as I write this story the course just made it through a very serious storm with sustained 25mph winds with 65mph gusts. Bravo) This style of target affords a bright body glow and super bright pin flag.
WHAT WORKS ABOUT THE DAIRY CREEK MODEL
VISUAL STAGE: It’s clear when you walk in that you are in a neon bowling alley. The targets are clearly the real world “band on the stage” and the focal point of the experience. This isn’t a place to simply practice your swing. It’s a place to have fun and entertain with a date, friends or co-workers. Without the field, it simply would not work.
EVERYONE IS SHOOTING PHOTOS: “It’s amazing to see what customers do over their time at a bay. Nearly everyone takes photos or videos with their phone before they leave” comments Robert Peterson, CEO of Smarttarget.golf. With venues that only have the scoring kiosks, customers do not post on social media. “People simply don’t instagraph a video screen like they do a field of lights.” says Mr Peterson.
TIME OF DAY IS EVERYTHING: Golf courses are like beautiful restaurants that close at sunset. But sunset is when most people are available and spend their leisure dollars. Retrofitting a range to access the unavoidable math of evening business has never been more affordable and profitable.
PROFITABILITY: When combining scoring and smart golf targets, you are able to keep customers longer and generate between $6-9K per bay, per month. These are numbers a normal driving range cannot comprehend. By offering a complete and compelling night golf experience, venues are able to hang a robust food and beverage operation on that drives back bar sales and more importantly attracts events, party bookings and corporate outing business.
TO LEARN MORE contact smart target at: (800) 203-9173 or gwen@smarttarget.golf
