I just discovered that Kenilworth Golf Club (a private members’ club founded in 1889) will host the UK’s and Europe’s first Toptracer Indoor facility! It made me consider the many benefits of investing in a 4-bay driving range. What’s your opinion?
Toptracer Indoor brings the cherished range experience golfers love right indoors. This innovative setup lets players enjoy their favorite Toptracer games using the most precise indoor system available.
By integrating Toptracer‘s ball-flight data with impact data from Foresight Sports, a leader in optical launch monitor technology, golfers can enhance their skills like never before.
Lessons can be conducted through Toptracer Coach, and users can book bay time online in partnership with Sweetspot.
What is the expected return on investment?
The driving range at Kenilworth Golf Club is relatively small, with annual revenue likely to be between £10,000 and £30,000. This revenue range is typical for a four-bay club facility without advanced technology.
The exact payback period depends on factors like
- local market demand,
- pricing strategies,
- facility size, and
- how effectively the range leverages the technology.
The annual cost of Toptracer is £8,640. The standard contract length is 3–5 years.
In the absence of any initial capital expenditures beyond the subscription model, the payback period for operational return on investment (ROI) is as follows:
- Conservative: ~1.4 years. Incremental Net Revenue: £6,360
- Moderate: 3-4 months. Incremental Net Revenue: £29,360
- Optimistic: cca. 1.5 months. Incremental Net Revenue: £66,360
In practice, facilities often generate additional revenue beyond the basic range fees:
- Range events and competitions using Toptracer game modes (social and member events).
- Junior/practice programs tied to the technology.
- Increased coaching revenue because of enhanced analytics.
- Food & beverage and facility usage growth as range users stay longer.
These can materially improve ROI beyond the base case.
For a small club like Kenilworth Golf Club, I expect their investment will pay off within 2 years. This is a conservative estimation.
The golf club’s investment has a good chance of yielding returns within 3 to 18 months.