Traditional Golf in Canada
Canadians would agree that golf is a favourite activity country wide. Home to 2,298 public and private golf facilities, with 77% of the total golf supply located in Canada’s four most populated provinces- Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia. Almost six million Canadians play sixty million rounds of golf per year. With the sport being so readily available to most Canadians, some are beginning to wonder how golf is changing with the younger generations?
Turf for Alternative Golf Games
With the ever-increasing price of real estate, courses are being bulldozed for new developments. Many Canadians wonder if the 18-hole game will attract younger golfers to the sport. The traditional sport has seen many attempts to bring some new sense of fun to the game to attract a wider range of players. Arguably the most successful attempt in North America would be Topgolf, which is coming to Canada later this year.
“Topgolf operates multi-tiered driving ranges with players using micro-chipped golf balls, which they aim at giant targets in the landing area. Instant feedback is provided to the golfer and different games can be played using the system.
However, the atmosphere is much different than a traditional driving range. Each climate-controlled hitting bay includes a lounge area with music, televisions showing live sports, and food and beverage service. In many ways, it’s like putting a driving range in the middle of a sports bar. It’s become a huge hit in the 33 current locations it operates, attracting a diverse demographic of customers.” –TSN, 2017.
Ripped Links is another new idea that has emerged this past year with events in Vancouver, BC. The game is staged in various locations like a beach or urban setting, with golfers hitting off elevated platforms with synthetic turf hitting mats, to the artificial turf putting green where they putt and sink the hole. Add in the music festival atmosphere surrounding the crowds and you’ve got a unique and fun golf event catered directly to the younger generations.
Synthetic turf allows these new games to continue to flourish year-round. While most of Canada is knee deep in snow, these new indoor driving range facilities allow players to get out and practice or enjoy the entertainment value year-round.
Synthetic Turf Tee Lines
We know that even though these new games are a hit, nothing will take away the original golf game on a natural course from avid golfers. To ensure the natural tee line is as pristine as the course requires, it can be beneficial to allow it time to rest for some periods of the year while it is maintained. A great alternative is to have a synthetic tee line in one area to allow continuous use of the driving range. EZTee® synthetic turf is the preferred option by top courses around the globe.
Synthetic Turf International of Canada’s EZ Tee® nylon tee line surface is an innovative artificial turf system, designed specifically for driving range tee lines. In addition to being able to hit down and through the ball, golfers can also hit from a regulation golf tee placed directly in the EZ Tee® surface. This is a stark departure from the white plastic tube that serves as a tee in other synthetic tee line surfaces. In addition to the realistic playability of EZ Tee®, club owners and equity members benefit greatly from its cost-effectiveness. EZ Tee® permits continuous use, eliminating the need to relocate and reseed driving range areas. Appropriate for tee lines and hitting mats, EZ Tee® can be installed over natural base or concrete.
Fall is the time to begin planning, budgeting and scheduling, to have the new tee line installed for the start of the upcoming season. Golf and country clubs strive to hit the ground running soon as weather permits in the Spring. Having a synthetic turf tee line available to members on the first nice day of the year not only allows the course to begin earning profits much earlier than expected, but members will be raving about the incredible customer service by lengthening their season!
EZTee® Products
We offer two main hitting or tee line products in our EZTee® product line, EZTee® Poly and EZTee® Hybrid. The product specs can be read on our website here for both options.
Satisfied EZTee® Customers
A few of our favourite EZTee® projects we’ve worked on recently, for a complete list of courses with EZTee®, please visit our Satisfied Customers list here.
- Two Eagles Golf Course
- Pebble Beach Golf
- Riverbend Golf Course
If you want to Experience a Greener World, contact us today at [email protected] or 1-800-279-8873