By Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Kenmure Country Club opened in 1982 and now offers a 6,509-yard championship course designed by Joe Lee, a Florida golf course architect who passed away in 2003 with over 200 course designs and redesigns to his name. According to PGA of America General Manager David Ford, Kenmure Country Club has about 470 members, of which 200 are golf members.
The Kenmure Country Club practice facilities were enhanced earlier this summer when Toptracer Range was installed – 10 covered bays with monitors and Toptracer Range Mobile on the rest of the teeing area.
“Our driving range has been one of the best in the Hendersonville area for a while,” Ford explains. “We have a nice short game area with greenside bunkers and room to accommodate shots up to 80 yards, a large putting green and a great range where you can hit all of your clubs. But we wanted to enhance our facility with Toptracer technology to have another amenity for members to use, while also creating a special social space at the same time.”
With discussions starting back at the beginning of the year, the Toptracer Range technology was unveiled to members in June during the week of the club’s Member-Guest tournament. Member-Guest participants were the first golfers to use the new amenity.
Within a covered hitting area where the 10 monitored bays are located, the club has added soft seating and tables with umbrellas where members and their families can relax and enjoy time on the range. “We have a beverage cart that will serve members during the many special events we have planned going forward,” Ford adds.
He also mentioned that the clubhouse is nearby, so any F&B purchased there can easily be consumed in the new social space created by the addition of Toptracer Range. As a year-round facility, this amenity is destined to be a member favorite – in the past, they might convene indoors.
“We’re starting a golf league on Thursday afternoons,” says Stephen Thomasson, the club’s PGA of America Head Golf Professional. “There will be a four-man captain’s choice format for nine holes, and the beverage cart will surely be stationed nearby. It’s a great alternative to being out on the golf course when it’s 90+ degrees in the late summer.”
After writing a plethora of stories about the many benefits of Toptracer Range, it’s evident that the Kenmure Country Club team will be able to create a variety of memorable events for their members to enjoy. After all, of the many new trends in golf since the pandemic, the desire for new and innovative social experiences has been one of the most popular. The driving range has become that primary space at a club where members want to gather, have a drink or a quick bite to eat and enjoy some music and the company of others. We know that golf has long been a vehicle used to bring people together, and today’s stellar golf technology is aiding those efforts at clubs worldwide, just like at Kenmure Country Club in Western North Carolina.
Thomasson and Ford say that member feedback has been great. “They love it!” Members are practicing more and staying on the property longer, leading to increased revenue across the facility.
Thomasson and his team are using the technology to enhance their player development programming, and Ford understands the advantage the investment provides in attracting new members to Kenmure. He also wants to attract his current non-golfing members to the space and hopes after getting their feet wet on the range, a membership upgrade might be their next move.
