Kiwi tech company takes golf to the world's gyms

A screeen from the Golf Gym system.

An Auckland company that has developed a golf practice and fitness facility is now taking the concept to the world, via China.

The Golf Gym features pods which give players computer versions of 40 actual courses from around the world and, after each virtual practice, analyse their individual performance.

It also has a 3D Doppler radar system, as used by the military for targeting missiles, which provides statistics such as launch angle, back and side spin, club and ball speeds, smash factor, and shot distance.

The concept, developed by Golf Addiqtion NZ, has taken more than $2 million and the best part of 4-1/2 years to reach the production stage.

Managing director David Jenkinson is not thinking small either. The New Zealand market is being catered for but he sees much bigger and potentially lucrative markets, firstly in China, then further afield.

He has already made good headway on that goal because the company has secured a deal to manage the Nanshan International Golf School in Shandong, China, via 55 per cent-owned subsidiary NZ/China Golf Academy.

"Nanshan is one of China's top 500 companies and its many assets include 15 golf courses and the world's largest golf club, which our Golf Academy is part of," Jenkinson said today.

New Zealand coach Reon Sayer has been head-hunted to lead the academy and will conduct his first holiday programme this month, followed by a new intake of students in August.

" We've invested a significant amount of money in the venture and, to give you an idea of how popular golf is over there, China has 1.4 million golfers and that number is expected to grow 40 per cent a year over the next six years.

"Getting into that market now means we're well positioned for growth."

He said negotiations were under way with a potential Australian franchisor, while talks had also started with several potential New Zealand franchisees as well.

Jenkinson told NZPA that The Golf Gym's backers refused to be spooked by the present economic climate.

"The recession thing made us take it on board as a challenge to see if we can use it as a test environment.

"If we can grow membership and offer a proposition that people want to buy, during that time in New Zealand...given our population it is probably the hardest place in the world to do it in."

He saw a bright future here and abroad for a facility which aided those wanting to practice. "It is definitely not about playing golf. This is about how improving how you practice and train for golf, so when you go out on a course you enjoy yourself more."

He said The Golf Gym was not the finished product and it would continue to be tweaked and improved.

"It is still a work in progress and will continue to be for a number of years to come."

- NZPA