FORT WALTON BEACH — Golfers in Fort Walton Beach now have a new way to practice and play at the city’s driving range, thanks to a high-tech TrackMan system that uses Doppler radar to track every shot and touchscreen monitors to gamify the experience.
The upgrade, approved by the City Council in a 5-1 vote on June 24, comes through a five-year, $6,950-per-month lease with TrackMan Golf Solutions. City officials state that user fees, not tax dollars, will fund the $417,000 contract.
“This is a long day coming,” said Golf Course Director Jacob Hill, who has advocated for the system since last year.
“It solves a lot of things. It lets people practice a little bit more of a purpose; it gives another option. If someone doesn’t have four hours to go play 18 holes. You can play courses, we can do live tournaments, it’s got stuff for kids as well.”
The TrackMan system employs a series of Doppler radar units mounted behind the tee and along the range to measure ball flight until it hits the ground.
That sets it apart from optical systems, like the one at the Blackwater Golf Club in Crestview, which estimates the trajectory based on photos of the first few feet.
“It’ll give you ball speed, launch angle, peak height, total distance, carry distance, and tell you how far offline [your shot] was,” Hill explained.
The TrackMan library includes about 400 courses. The Fort Walton Beach system can store 10-12 at a time, with Hill rotating them to match the golf calendar.
“Right now, I put [Bethpage Black] on here for this week because of the Ryder Cup’s going on,” Hill said. “In the spring time, when they go play TPC Sawgrass, I’ll take one off and put Sawgrass on. We can keep it fresh at all times.”
For those interested in trying out the new TrackMan system for themselves, please note that you will be charged for using a bucket of balls, not the tee itself.
Prices for a bucket now range anywhere from $5 to $15, depending on bucket size.
The system is now up and running, with hours set from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, except on Mondays, when it opens at noon.
Hill hopes the system will draw locals as well as visitors staying at nearby hotels.
“It just gives a lot of different options to people who want to come hit a bucket of balls on a lunch break or play nine holes,” said Hill.
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