Meet the UK’s newest indoor golf centre

MEET THE UK’S BEST NEW INDOOR GOLF CENTRE

When it comes to golfing paradise, the sweet smell of Azaleas at Augusta springs to mind, or perhaps the fresh sea breeze whipping in off St Andrews Bay as the Swilcan Bridge appears beneath the fog on the Old Course. How about a musty carpet scent wafting under your nose from Wetherspoons as you climb the staircase to Kings Golf Studio in East Grinstead? Okay, maybe not, but welcome to the indoor version of golfing heaven.

Opened for business in May this year and located in the town centre, co-founders Joe Favata and European Tour pro Gary King set out with a vision to create the UK’s most comprehensive indoor golf centre.

From the moment you reach the entrance, you are immediately presented with a monolithic print of a pristine driving range dwarfing the front doors and covering the surrounding walls. The mountain backdrop and clear blue skies suggests you are about to enter somewhere special.

As you step into the venue, you then notice little orange boxes scattered across the turf-like flooring that every serious golfer will instantly recognise.

TRACKMAN; THE HEARTBEAT OF KINGS GOLF STUDIO. The orange box that is synonymous with the world’s best players, powers nine simulator bays, allowing you to play some of the world’s best golf courses, whilst spitting out continuous streams of data; angle of attack, path, face angle, dynamic loft and the holy grail for Bryson DeChambeau fans... clubhead speed and ball speed.

In fact, Trackman is only just the beginning. Perched just above the main floor (where seven of the bays are located) in its own amphitheatre, lies the ‘PuttView’ green where a light projection beams the exact break of any putt to hone your green reading skills. Some would say it’s cheating, others would argue it’s the ideal practice environment providing real-time feedback on start line, break and pace. Throw in a session with one of the resident professionals who will fit your putter with Capto, a high accuracy sensor to deliver immediate feedback on the iPad, and you have the complete package to optimise your stroke.

Now if you want the really juicy stuff, enter the Elite Performance Studio. Situated in its own little cave off the main floor, access can only be granted with the swipe of a special key card. Golf’s version of MI6, this secret laboratory is the Studio’s piece de resistance.

The Elite Performance Studio houses hundreds of clubheads and shafts from premium manufacturers, creating its own fully stocked custom fit centre. If you class yourself as bit of a golf geek, then this is the room for you. In the private simulator bay, Trackman joins forces with Swing Catalyst 3D Motion Plate to measure a players’ weight distribution and ground force.

In addition, the bay is the only publicly-accessible facility in the UK installed with GEARS – a full body 3D motion capture system allowing for an entirely new dimension of golf analytics. You can even compare your golf swing to the likes of Dustin Johnson & Rory McIlroy, frame by frame.

Powered by eight 240fps cameras, GEARS places Kings Golf Studio as the ultimate playground for serious golfers and coaches alike; who by the way, are encouraged to use the facility with their own students, which is a refreshing approach to collaborative golf tuition.

Whilst we all love a bit of tech, some people don’t want to know how slow their swing is, how off balance they are, and how unflattering their 3D body projection looks on a computer screen, but this is where Kings has gone beyond purely a golf centre. Instead of using the putting green for practice, there is the option to set the projector to ‘Putt Pong’ (more commonly known as Beer Pong on a traditional table tennis table) or jump on the Shuffleboards and American pool tables, bringing a whole new competitive edge to the venue that doesn’t involve golf.

Then comes the VIP room nestled away in the far corner of the studio which allows up to 12 guests to enjoy a private bay, an 85-inch TV, a huge sofa, waitered service and a pool table, with the ability to control music and lighting.

The social scene at Kings is supported by a fully-stocked premium bar including fine wines and cocktails, and seating for up to 120 people. Whilst seated, it is physically impossible to face any direction without being able to see 1 of 21 screens on a continuous loop of live sports.

Many social events are held such as bottomless brunches, quiz nights and late night DJ sets when the floor transforms from funky golf swings to even funkier dance moves. All of this plus weekly kids clubs, a cinema/ meeting room and the opportunity to develop partnerships with local businesses, shows that Kings Golf Studio is very much opening its doors to everyone.

This is just the beginning of the journey for Joe, Gary and their team. Whilst becoming a social hub for the local community, golfers are travelling far and wide to sharpen their skills at the Studio.

As the dark nights draw in and with winter looming, it begs the question... does anyone fancy a knock at Pebble Beach? We’ll order the beers!

For further information or to book visit www.kingsperformance.co.uk 01342 779 999 info@kingsperformance.co.uk