11 minute read
Driving excellence
Mount Maunganui’s only driving range brings technology and pro coaching together to make improving your golf game even more enjoyable.
WORDS DAN COLLINS / PHOTOS JAHL MARSHALL
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It’s a cheerful day and we’re standing in one of the 19 covered bays at Golf 360, the only golf driving range in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. As we chat, a steady stream of golfers trickle in and out.
In the far bay, a middle-aged chap who looks like he knows what he’s doing effortlessly whacks his golf balls down the range, while beside us a retiree practises her swing. Next to her, two teens share a bucket of balls and a laugh, and a couple of bays away, a 20-something works on her swing under the watchful instruction of one of the facility's PGA pro coaches, who happens to be a former New Zealand champion.
The diverse group of players here this morning challenges preconceptions and proves how much golf has changed in recent years. No longer the preserve of stuffy, wealthy older gents, the sport has worked hard to attract new players and become welcoming to all who want to give it a shot.
This is something Scott is passionate about. Since taking sole ownership of Golf 360 four years ago, he’s worked tirelessly to make the facility as welcoming and friendly as possible to new players, while providing the depth of knowledge and expertise that top players demand and is invaluable help to anyone looking to improve their game. “One of our philosophies is, ‘Golf is hard, so let's try and make the game a little bit easier’,” he says.
That philosophy drives, excuse the pun, every aspect of Golf 360. Every bay in the driving range sports the latest in fancy golf technology that you can use to analyse your game; you can get private lessons to identify, zone in and work out your problem areas; you can play a challenging round of mini golf on their Mount Maunganui-themed course; and you can even get fitted for your own set of personally tailored golf clubs, the ultimate experience for golfers wanting to reach the next level.
It’s one that’s also surprisingly affordable. Scott tells me that a set of fitted clubs doesn’t cost more than a set of off-the-rack clubs. Best of all, there’s no charge for the fitting experience, during which your swing is analysed and you’re run through various combinations of club heads to find the absolute best one for your playing style. During the process you’ll see, in real time, how the different club heads impact your shot and the improvements the various brands and shapes are making.
“Everyone’s got a unique swing DNA – the way they swing – so we’re trying to match the clubs to that as best we can. It’s great that it doesn’t cost them any more,” Scott says. “We’d much rather sell them a set of clubs that are custom-fitted, designed for them, than something that’s off the rack.”
As experienced fitters, Scott and his team have a good idea about what might work for individual golfers, calling it an educated trial-and-error process that works off the data their process provides.
“But also with their goals in mind as well. What are they trying to achieve?” Scott adds. “Sometimes we might be convinced that a particular model and brand is going to work out great, but it doesn’t always work out. We let the clubs do the talking. We’ll interpret the data, the technology and the clubs rather than steering them too much in a certain direction or to preconceived ideas.”
Because as anyone who’s ever played a round will tell you, all the data in the world can’t compensate for that most intangible quality of all: Feel.
“Exactly right,” Scott exclaims. “When I’m fitting someone I can’t feel what’s going on, but we’ll ask the customer throughout the process, ‘What does that feel like?’ That’s important. If they say the club feels heavy or clunky, we take that advice on board.”
Scott says that one of the best parts of the job is calling people to tell them their custom-fitted clubs have arrived. “It’s exciting,” Scott smiles. “You’re keen to see what they’re going to do for your game and usually they will make a difference.”
The club fitting and some of the lessons take place inside, not out on the range. To the right of the entrance when you walk into Golf 360, there’s a giant, wall-sized screen with an artificial hitting mat in front and a small box set up to the side on the ground. This unassuming box is Golf 360’s secret weapon.
It’s called the Foresight GCQuad, and it’s a quadrascopic high-speed camera system that precisely measures every aspect of how your club hits the ball to create an accurate picture of your shot, capturing everything from launch angle, ball speed, spin, impact strength, angle of club… Basically, every aspect of how you hit the ball and where the ball goes after you’ve hit it.
“Golf’s a highly technical sport, and using this technology helps so that neither the player nor the coach is guessing as to what’s going wrong,” Scott explains. “We can see what the club’s doing and that has an effect on what the ball does. Because of that, we can make changes and then see what that does to the club information and how that affects ball flight. We can get very quick changes and results because of it. We can see results very quickly.”
But against the backdrop of numbers and data, you don’t want to forget that golf is a game. And games are supposed to be fun. Which is something else the GCQuad caters for.
“It makes it entertaining,” Scott says of his recent decision to fit out every bay in the driving range with their own GCQuad unit. “You can actually play real-world courses on it.”
This means that you can hit your ball down Golf 360’s 240m long driving range and the full-colour touchscreen in your bay shows you how you fared on a virtual course. You can even directly compete in a virtual round of golf against your mate in another bay, and then compare your play data at the end. It’s a true game-changer.
“There’s a great little pitch and putt course which is ideal for a beginner golfer who is a little daunted about going out on the golf course but wants to work on their technique,” Scott enthuses. “They can come along and hit every club in their bag playing that little course. It’s very realistic, they have their shot, it tracks it and you can see the result on the screen."
Whether you want to pop in for a quick hit with a 45-ball bucket, spend some serious time working on your technique with the Mega Bucket of 175 balls, or anything in between, Golf 360 has you covered – even in bad weather, as the bays are fully covered, or at night, as the range is floodlit, with Scott saying late-night Thursdays are especially popular. And if golf’s something you’ve wanted to try but aren’t sure whether it’s for you, club hireage is just $5. As Scott says, golf has never been more accessible, and they love seeing new faces come through the door.
“We’re always seeing people we haven’t seen before. It’s exciting,” Scott says. “A lot of people haven’t been exposed to golf, and for many this will be their only taste. For us, it’s about people having a go.”
New players of all ages, genders and ethnicities started showing up during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when golf was one of the few sports you could play under Level 3 restrictions, with Scott saying ladies’ golf has seen one of the biggest upswings.
“Larissa Blackbourn, one of our PGA pro coaches, is heavily involved in our ladies’ coaching and she’s not had a problem at all filling up her ladies’ clinics,” Scott says. “There’s so much interest there from ladies in the game.”
He says the improvements he’s made to Golf 360 since taking over have completely re-energised the place.
“It’s more golfer-friendly,” he smiles, as the diverse batch of golfers around us thwack their balls down the fairway. “There’s a good buzz around.”
GOLF360.CO.NZ
Rachael Stanwa y
ROZELLA PRESENTS
Specialising in luxe, bohemian events held in unique and intimate locations, Rachael Stanway is an events planner who can conjure up a bespoke bash you’ll never forget.
WORDS CATHERINE SYLVESTER PHOTOS JAMES STANBRIDGE + IGNACIO NABULEN
Gathering friends, curating beautiful spaces, and providing musicians and performers a place to shine was apparent in Rachael Stanway from a young age. What started out at age 13 as a bit of fun in the front flat of her parents' property has transformed and grown into boutique events business, Rozella Presents.
Speaking of those early days, Rachael explains, “I was never allowed to go out. My parents were really strict, but I was always allowed people over. So I’d have parties.” On leaving school, in true Kiwi form, Rachael embarked on an extended OE, travelling on and off for almost 18 years. It was while working on superyachts in the Mediterranean that she was tasked with styling the dining tables of the wealthy. There she was able to expand her flair and natural talent for creating fabulous settings and experiences.
On one of her trips home, Rachael teamed up with a like-minded friend whose folks owned a kiwifruit orchard in Paengaroa. They saw the potential to host a multi-day music festival for friends there, featuring 15 bands, fire dancers, DJs and food stalls. “Sundaise” was born, and was so successful, they moved the festival to a larger property in Dickey’s Flat in the Karangahake Gorge the following year – with a larger team planning and expanding the vision. The final Sundaise was unfortunately flooded out in 2017, and was to feature more than 50 bands.
In the midst of travelling and staging Sundaise, Rachael looked around the local music scene and recognised a gap in the market for original music held in intimate settings. As is often the way, great ideas can start in the simplest forms. Rachael says, “I thought, ‘I know lots of musicians. I’m going to have some friends around and play music’.”
She continues, “I love and collect lamps and I had a favourite red one, so I decided to call it the Red Lounge Sessions.” She invited a mate with a food truck to set up out front, charged $10 a ticket to pay the musicians, and in January 2014, 30 of her friends joined her and a handful of performers for the first of what would grow into the events business Rozella Presents is today.
In 2015, the Red Lounge Sessions moved to the larger venue of Totara Street. Over the years these events have included a lineup of a Māori opera, punk acts, and even a burlesque show.
As well as creating her own events, Rachael enjoys collaborating with other artists. Joining forces with event planner Mamamanagementnz aka Sarah Crowther (or better known as DJ Mamadafunk), these inspiring wāhine have created the Thrift Shop Ball, which was held at Totara Street in The Mount recently.
“The Thrift Shop Ball is a celebration – an extravaganza of colour,” explains Rachael. “We wanted to do a ball where everybody dresses up. It’s an exclusive showcase of dance, music and live performance artists. It’s more than just an event – it’s a full immersive experience.” The event will include DJs, performance artists, a stiltwalking “Op Shop Queen”, and more. So, what’s on the horizon for Rozella Presents? Rachael is bringing back the Red Lounge Sessions – particularly one of her favourites, Red Lounge Goes Roaming. These are held at unique locations that attendees are ferried to by bus. The original event was an afternoon experience of drinks, canapés, jazz and beats, at the Falls Retreat in Karangahake Gorge.
Offering opportunities for training and internships in event planning for polytechnic students is also on the cards.
With so much out-of-the-box creativity, wonderful originality with such a broad range of expertise, it would appear that the sky’s the limit for this local bespoke events queen.
