The Bourne End Golf Hub is a state-of-the-art indoor golf venue in Buckinghamshire, UK. It features three Foresight Falcon-powered simulators, offering precise feedback, immersive gameplay, and competitive events. With a welcoming social space and specialty coffee shop, it provides a premium experience for golfers of all levels.
The Bourne End Golf Hub
We spoke with venue owner, Toby Baker to learn more about the facility and why Foresight technology has helped make the project such a success.
The Interview
Tell us about your venue—what inspired you to open it, and what makes it unique compared to other golf entertainment spaces?
My brothers and I want to promote better practice, and bring the fun back into golf.
We’re not in a world where we’ll see new driving ranges being built, and many of the existing ones have low/no technology. You don’t know why the ball is moving in a particular way, and it’s not engaging to people new to the game or just looking for something fun to do.
Being able to get instant feedback to learn why your ball is moving in a particular way is valuable. And being able to simulate courses around the world and play games make the game of golf accessible to more people.
You don’t have to have played to enjoy playing on a simulator, especially in the winter months!
That’s why we opened the Bourne End Golf Hub, to make golf enjoyable for everyone, and promote better practice for those who already love the game.
What kind of experience do you want customers to have when they visit? Is it more about fun, practice, competition, or a mix of everything?
We’re trying to hit all of these markets.
We have a number of different games available to make it fun for everyone, whether you’re a scratch golfer, or have never swung a club!
We also have a speciality coffee shop and fully licenced bar at the front of the premises. So it’s a great place to come in the day or evening with some friends and have a social game.
With the library of data available on the Falcon sim, we’re the best place in the area to practice for any type of golfer, whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been playing your entire life. We put that data in the hands of everyone at a competitive price.
We run a weekly closest to the pin competition, as well as a 9-hole monthly tournament, all with prizes. So people can come and compete against each other every time they come.
The Bourne End Golf Hub
What has been the most exciting part of launching this venue, and what challenges have you faced so far?
The most exciting part is seeing it all come together. Seeing where we are now, fully set up in a space we’re really proud of, compared to the vision we had before we started is just crazy.
Being a business owner is new to me and has come with its fair share of challenges, but it’s been an amazing journey and I’m really excited to see how it develops in the future.
Why did you choose Foresight Falcon launch monitors for your simulators? Were there specific features or factors that stood out to you?
The priority for us was having a launch monitor that is mounted in the ceiling, but doesn’t compromise on accuracy or the amount of data given.
As a social space, we didn’t want a launch monitor that was on the floor creating clutter. We wanted the ability to set up a sofa and table at the back of the bay, and not require moving the launch monitor to switch between left and right handers.
The Falcon allowed us to set the bay up however we wanted, left and right handers can play together seamlessly, and we didn’t have to compromise on data – and the installation, completed by Golf Sim Rooms, provided the layout flexibility and polished finish that truly elevated our simulators.
It was also important to us that we can run software that allows us to run competitions across all of the bays, so it doesn’t matter which one you’re in, they all have the same live competition data available. And Foresight and FSX delivers that to us.
How important was accuracy and realism when selecting a simulator system, and how has Foresight delivered on those expectations?
Incredibly important. We have a number of professional players who use our space, they need the most accurate data.
We also have a number of people who come to play social games, so being able to simulate a realistic round of golf was also key.
The courses we have available from FSX Play look amazing.
The Bourne End Golf Hub
What has been the initial reaction from customers trying the simulators? Have you had any standout comments or memorable moments so far?
The feedback so far has been amazing. We get a lot of players who have never played on a simulator before, and are amazed at the accuracy and how fun it is.
Our bays have been designed to be spacious and social, we always get a “wow” when people walk around and see the bays for the first time.
The most memorable comment, which we’ve had a few times, is “I can’t believe I’ve not been practicing like this before”. When you understand some of the data and can use it to improve your game, you truly can’t believe you’ve been practicing without that feedback for so long.
How has FSX Play software contributed to the experience? Are there any particular courses or features that customers love?
The fan favourites are St Andrews Old Course and Pebble Beach for sure. But all the courses we have look amazing and play really well.
We’re not too far away from The Grove, so lots of customers have played it in real life and enjoy experiencing that again on the simulator.
The main benefit for us that FSX Play delivers is the ability to set up competitions and run them live across all our sims. Running competitions for those who want them is important to us, that’s what sets us apart from other places in the area.
With winter making outdoor golf less accessible, how do you see your venue filling that gap?
We opened in November, so our first few months were the height of winter.
We saw lots of people coming in after seeing their course had been closed (usually for rain), groups of 3-4 people wanting to still play 18 holes.
We also get lots of people who want to tick the swing over through the winter months, but don’t fancy braving the wind, rain and cold of the driving range.
Having the option to enjoy 18 holes with your buddies in the height of winter is something people really value.
What role do you think indoor golf venues like yours will play in the future of the sport? Do you see a shift in how people practice and play?
Once you practice on a sim, you won’t want to practice at a usual driving range again. The value of the data you’re given is invaluable to someone truly wanting to improve.
We’re not going to see new ranges being built, whereas outfits like ours need very little space to operate. I think it’s going to continue to grow, and we’re excited to be part of that growth.
The Bourne End Golf Hub
What are your plans for the future? Do you have any upcoming events, leagues, or expansions in mind?
We’re looking to expand our competitive offerings, to keep people coming back. We would like to launch an indoor golf league as well as our monthly tournaments, but we’re still working out the logistics of that.
The key thing for us now is making sure we’re getting people in the door through the summer, and then reducing the day-to-day reliance on the owners. That’ll open us up to being able to open the second venue in the near future!
What advice would you give to other businesses considering golf simulators?
Be prepared to put the work in yourself from the start. The process has been extremely involved and requires all of your time and dedication.
Indoor golf is still quite new to the UK, people are starting to look for it, but not everyone knows it’s something they can do. Most people are surprised they’re able to use a simulator locally to them. That means that it takes a lot of work to grow brand awareness and get people through the door.
When you get them in for the first time though, they’ll keep coming back, the product and experience does that for you.
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