Hever Castle golf club transforms pro shop with new swing studio

Hever Castle Golf Club in west Kent has transformed a space in its Pro Shop into a new hi-tech golf studio that allows golfers to undergo swing analysis or be custom-fit with the latest technology.

In a section of the Pro Shop that was previously used as a store room and ad hoc workshop, the golf club has installed Swing Catalyst video analysis, SkyCaddie’s Sky Trak & the Foresight GC2 launch monitor systems.

In addition, the club has included a simulator as part of the new set-up that will enable members and visitors to play 92,000 different golf courses from around the world.

Golf manufacturers Titleist, Callaway, Ping and Yonex have all partnered the club in the initiative by providing the latest equipment that will be used to custom fit golfers for a new set of golf clubs or just a single club.

Head Professional, Peter Parks, hopes that by introducing golfers to the concept of the new facility that they will come back at some point for some club fitting (which start at just £20), a lesson or simple to have some fun with friends playing one of the many courses available up on the big screen.

“To be honest, this area was a bit of a dumping ground and a huge waste of space previously. Now we have a fantastic new studio that is useable for a variety of different activities that include teaching, club fitting and entertainment. Moreover it is now somewhere that is generating income, as opposed to simply dead space,” says Parks.

Hever Castle Golf Club boasts over 600 members, four PGA professionals, excellent outdoor practice facilities and 27 holes of championship golf set in the magnificent parkland grounds of the historic Hever Castle Estate. The new studio will no doubt come into its own in the winter months and allow members and visitors to have a lesson, try out some new clubs or have a go at playing a whole host of courses on the simulator when the weather turns cold and wet.

The club is a member of Golf in Kent, a partnership between Visit Kent and some of the county’s premier golf courses and hotel providers, that promotes the Garden of England as a golfer’s paradise, thanks to the quality of it courses, accommodation and off-course attractions. For more go to www.golfinkent.co.uk

The August issue of GOLF RETAILING magazine will include a comprehensive two-page feature on Hever Castle Golf Club’s indoor swing studio.