Low tech, high impact: How Stone Golf Centre drives revenue

29/01/2025

In an age where many driving ranges are investing heavily in high-tech solutions, PGA Fellow Professional Chris Long, owner of Stone Golf Centre, has demonstrated that success doesn’t always come from expensive tech installations. By focusing on customer needs and feedback and maintaining exceptional essentials, he has turned the business into a thriving one. His story offers valuable lessons for other PGA Professionals and driving range managers looking to grow their businesses utilising alternate methods.

When Long took over Stone Golf Centre five years ago, the facility was already well-built but had spent years without reinvestment. “The facility has been where it is for 15 years as a new build. I’ve been there since its inception and for five of those years, have been the owner. It was a pretty solid business to start with. The original owner did a superb job of setting it up. No expenses spared,” Long explained, however, “the numbers were dropping off fairly considerably.”

Since taking ownership, Long has steadily turned things around with year-on-year growth in revenue:

9.3% increase in the first year
13.1% increase in the second year
22.25% growth in the third year
16.72% increase over the past six months (based on half-year tracking)

While many driving ranges have rushed to install cutting-edge technology, Long decided to take an alternative approach. Before making any decisions, he conducted a survey in February 2023, asking 100 customers if they wanted technology in the bays. “I just kept it dead simple,” he explained. “Would you like some form of technology in our bays?” The responses were revealing:

22% said yes
43% said they weren’t bothered either way
35% said no

When customers were asked if they’d prefer tech with a price increase or improvements on the existing setup at current pricing, “88% said we would prefer you basically doing what you’re doing and keeping the pricing competitive,” Long recalled.

“People were going, ‘Yeah, it’d be quite nice if you had it, Chris, but I don’t really want to pay a premium for it.’ The most interesting one was, ‘Yes, it’d be nice, but I wouldn’t want to use it all the time, so therefore I don’t want to pay for it.’”

Rather than chase trends, Long has focused on improving what every golfer interacts with: the balls, mats, bays, and outfield. “What are you hitting? A golf ball. What are you hitting it off? A mat. Where are you hitting it from? A bay. And what are you hitting it to? An outfield. Now, they’re never going to change those variables,” he said.

Here’s how Long improved these essentials:

Premium Golf Mats:
Long changes the mats every year and takes his time choosing the right ones, testing them to ensure they have the right balance of durability and spring. “The key is that it's as close as you can possibly get to real turf. It’s got to have that little bit of spring, but not too much,” he explained.
High-Quality Golf Balls:
“The balls should have a decent dimple retention. That’s the key one because, obviously, as they get used, those dimples wear out,” Long said. He ensures all balls are clean and sticks to a single brand and model for consistency, replacing the poorer quality balls with new ones throughout the year.
Well-Maintained Bays:
Each bay is equipped with bright LED strip lighting, sturdy dividers, furniture, artwork and mirrors. “Other than the obvious things - the balls and mats - the two things that have got the greatest feedback have been our mirrors and tables and benches. Even those who don’t physically comment about the tables and benches, guess what? They’re sitting on them,” Long remarked.
A Vibrant Outfield:
“We've reshaped our outfield, added new targets and relit the outfield with brighter LED floodlights,” Long said. Annual re-flagging and re-sanded bunkers also keep the venue visually appealing.

Although Long considered installing technology, the high costs and lukewarm customer interest didn’t justify it. “We toyed with the idea of all singing and dancing tech, but the problem is you’d have to charge a premium to the customer,” he said.

Long also highlighted the ongoing costs: “Yes, I can turn it off with a switch, but I’m still paying the monthly rental. And I’m not getting any more money for it.”

Instead, his focus has remained on delivering a clean, friendly, and well-maintained experience. “We get feedback as well on how tidy and smart-looking it is,” he said.

To further enhance the customer experience, Stone Golf Centre offers complementary facilities, including a 2,500-square-foot golf store, a 300-square-metre putting green and a coaching team of four fully qualified PGA Professionals and two Trainees.

Chris Long’s success offers clear takeaways for other driving range owners:

Listen to customers: Use surveys and feedback to guide your decisions
Focus on essentials: High-quality balls, mats, and bays could make a bigger impact than tech
Maintain your facility: Cleanliness, regular updates and build customer loyalty
Be cost-conscious: Weigh the ROI of expensive upgrades carefully

By prioritising the basics and listening to his customers, Long has shown that you don’t need cutting-edge technology to grow a driving range business. “We’ve endeavoured to improve the essentials as best as we can. It's important to source high-quality materials from a good supplier. We get all of our products - the mats, bay dividers and benches - from Range Solutions,” he said.

For those debating whether to invest in the latest tech, Long’s advice is clear: “Sometimes, simpler is better.”