The driving range will soon collect balls itself

Over the winter months, we're investing around 150,000 euros in the driving range. In the coming weeks, it will get new technology: a robot collects the balls, a conveyor system washes them and brings them back to a new ball machine. Payment will be by QR code from now on. There's also an 8-metre-high fence around the range, new tee mats, 8,000 new balls and new distance signs. 

This brings the range up to date and gives our members and guests real improvements in ball availability and cleaning quality.

A robot collects the balls

We've ordered a ball-collecting robot, the Echo Robotics RP-1250. It drives around the range on its own, navigates using GPS-RTK to within a few centimetres, and detects obstacles with four sensors. It works quietly, around the clock — even while you're practising — and can collect up to 15,000 balls a day.

Washing and transport run fully automatically

The robot drops the collected balls off at a ball trench. From there, they're cleaned automatically and fed straight into the ball machine. The new machine — a Range Servant Ultima 8 — holds 8,000 balls. An empty machine will be a thing of the past.

A 6-metre-high fence all around the range

The driving range will get a 6-metre-high fence all the way round, keeping the balls on site.

New mats, new balls, new signs

The tee mats will be replaced, and 8,000 new balls will be added. The damaged distance signs will be swapped out.

QR code instead of tokens

Instead of tokens, you'll pay at the new machine with a QR code. You can get one individually at the office, or online as a pack of 10; the codes will then be available in Mein Bereich. At the machine, show a code on your smartphone and scan it — each code is valid for one basket. That means you can also just take a single basket and keep the rest for your next visits.

Your dongle still works

If you have a dongle, you keep it: it will still work on the new machine.