By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
Based out of Oviedo, Florida, Cover the Tees is offering driving range solutions that help golf course and driving range operators create stellar experiences and change the way golfers play and practice the game.
Cover the Tees’ mission is to “Support the game of golf by providing facilities with a better opportunity to be successful. We want to give owners and operators the best covered driving range solution possible to increase revenue while reaching a larger demographic of current and potential golfers.”
Matthew Towell is the owner of Cover the Tees. He says, “Creating additional revenue streams for golf facilities only helps grow the game of golf. If facilities are struggling to keep their doors open, the experience is typically not very good for the golfer, and someone new to the game could lose interest easily. We provide an affordable solution that focuses on how to tap into those potential revenue streams by creating a user experience that is fun and engaging. We want customers to keep coming back!”
“My background is in modular design and construction. In 2008, we developed several proprietary products that helped keep costs low,” he boasts. “We saw a need for creative solutions for large construction projects with tight budgets. Working with my construction manager at the time, Jeremy Turner, we were able to continually tweak the product to make it fit into different sectors. With Jeremy involved, I knew that the customer would always be happy at the end of the project, so it was easy to have the confidence to push our products.”
Towell and Turner have been together ever since. They’ve traveled all over the country installing and working with municipalities, hospitals, military bases and school boards.
“I have always tried to look for different markets that our system would work well in,” Towell says. “I have always loved the game of golf, so I naturally have spent a lot of time at driving ranges in the blistering sun. In 2019, I started designing a cover solution for driving ranges that would keep golfers out of the rain and sun while generating additional revenue for the facilities. Customers could keep hitting golf balls during times when they normally wouldn’t be able to.”
When a friend of Towell’s, Nick Franze, owner of Tee It Up Driving Range, also in Oviedo, spoke with Towell about a company that he was going to try out at his range – Toptracer Range, Towell immediately saw the opportunities for both companies, his and Toptracer. He was soon introduced to Mark Caster, whose resume includes working for Topgolf on installations in the early 2000s and leading the Toptracer Range installation team from 2016-2023. Caster is also a long-time member of the Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) Advisory Board.
“I completely pivoted on how I could apply our cover solution to the driving range world, subsequently giving consumers a true entertainment experience,” Towell says. “I figured out a way to keep costs down by using my modular construction background and experience with engineering to develop a product with individual bays. We keep costs down even more with speedy installations, still providing a quality product that will last for many years.”
Towell leaned on Franze and Caster for their feedback since they had the driving range experience. In fact, they were instrumental in making sure that Towell developed this new driving range cover with the golfer in mind, though still keeping it budget-friendly for the range owners so they could get the best return on their investment.
“I wanted to give Toptracer a cover solution that would help scale their business quickly and efficiently,” Towell adds, “and I knew we were on to something big. We already had the crews who were used to traveling and installing in different parts of the country, so it was a natural fit.”
Towell cites an installation at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where he met Stephen Arnold, the General Manager of the resort’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Course at the time, with really opening his eyes to how much revenue his covered solution could produce for the golf facilities he served.
“We have been able to extend the season for ranges by providing a covered solution that would keep golfers dry in the rain, warm in the cold and cool in the heat. Add the ability to have an F&B presence on the range and you’re almost guaranteed to increase revenue at your facility,” he details proudly. “Our solutions help bring in more ball revenue, create a food and beverage presence on the range that wouldn’t normally be there, extend the season in certain climates, keep ranges open rain or shine, increase lesson volume and increase tee times at courses as well. All of these things give our customers the best opportunity to be successful.”
What started as a great idea for driving ranges and golf courses quickly turned into a passion project to help grow the game of golf in a different way. Through his covered range solution, Towell and the Cover the Tees team are making it easier for kids to connect to the game and families to spend time together. In addition, piggybacking on the Topgolf social golf experience model, people who have never played the game before are frequenting the driving range and having a great time with friends. Cover the Tees is making its mark on golf by helping people engage in the game.
“It feels great to know we may have a small hand in the transformation of the sport,” Towell admits. “Not everyone has the time and money to play a round of golf, but you can still enjoy the game in a different way at the driving range.”
Speaking with several facilities who’ve worked with Cover the Tees on building out their new driving range amenities, I’ve heard many golf professionals sing the praises of Towell and his team. “We pride ourselves on the fact that we have the most well-rounded and experienced team to work with. Our expertise will help you be successful as a course or range owner,” Towell states. “We no longer consider ourselves just a structure company providing a great product, but rather a full driving range solution. We can help with consulting, design, engineering, full structure installation, lighting, heating, walls and roll-up doors and many other accessories that can help your structure be ready in whatever capacity is needed. We can dive into your business model and look at your site to help you be successful with your new range improvements and get the best return on your investment.”
At Augusta Ranch Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona, PGA of America Vice President Don Rea, Jr. welcomes new golfers every day. Rea and his partner, Curt Hudek, a Quarter Century PGA Member, installed Toptracer on the range at Augusta Ranch in November of 2022 – 21 bays (six of which are expanded to comfortably accommodate small groups of 6-8 people) – all lit for night play. The six expanded bays have patio furniture so guests can relax and enjoy the golf, as well as food and beverage services.
“These gamified ranges with Toptracer are the future of the driving range,” Rea says. “It’s bringing out new people every day and contributing to the growth we’ve seen in the game in recent years.”
In speaking about Towell and his staff, Rea had rave reviews for the Cover the Tees team.
“Matt and his team were awesome to work with. They paid attention to detail, worked ahead of the project timeline and worked well with local permitting. Although adding Toptracer to your facility can seem like a daunting project, there is no doubt that Cover the Tees was the easiest vendor to work with. From the minute I started working with Matt and his team, I felt much better about the installation, mobilization, permitting and opening day.”
According to Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort COO Brad Marra, “We saw an opportunity to offer a different golf experience to our resort guests. Cover the Tees played a vital role in creating a space on the Robert Trent Jones range for folks to come together to relax both day and night. The building process was simple and straightforward, and Cover the Tees’ vision of driving range revenue aligned with ours. Implementing Toptracer Range technology and the Cover the Tees range solution at Palmetto Dunes was an investment in the growth of the game.”
Del Ratcliffe, a Quarter Century PGA Member and the COO at Pinnacle Golf Properties in Charlotte, North Carolina confirmed the effectiveness of the Cover the Tees team. He says they enjoyed a full range installation at The Divide Golf Club in August of 2022 and are in various stages of permitting and construction at four other facilities that they own or manage. Their portfolio currently contains 19 courses.
Ratcliffe says their vision at The Divide was rather unique – they added a bar at one end of the covered structure. “That’s one of the good things about working with Cover the Tees,” he says. “They’re very flexible in their designs. We asked for some special modifications because we wanted ours done a certain way and they happily accommodated us on that.”
In reflecting on the benefits of having a Cover the Tees structure and Toptracer Range technology on their range, Ratcliffe commented, “The trend is in offering alternative golf experiences. This investment complements the traditional driving range and adds diversity among the customers. We’re seeing people we might not have otherwise reached had we not made the investment. The covered space is nice and comfortable – the sun’s not beating down and it’s more of a social experience because your friends and family can be there taking turns hitting golf balls.”
As the trend to provide engagement and entertainment experiences at facilities of all types continues to grow, Cover the Tees is committed to providing a solution that combines its structure with technology that creates a fun, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for golfers of all abilities. To help with this growth, the company has added several industry veterans to its team in recent years.
In August of 2023, Stephen Arnold (formerly of Palmetto Dunes) came on board as the Chief Operating Officer. A few months later, Patrick Cherry joined the team as Vice President of Business Development. Cherry spent 21 years at PGA Magazine as the general manager for the magazine and the Golf Range Association of America (GRAA), an organization whose mission is to assist ranges at all facility types to grow their revenue and create Time On Property opportunities.
Mark Caster, an industry executive for over 40 years and a PGA of America Member, joined the team in January of this year. We spoke of his resume earlier. His addition enables Cover the Tees to provide a full solution to facilities looking to expand their practice facility offering.
I think Del Ratcliffe said it best, “It’s definitely an elevated experience.”
