Although talking business on the golf course is considered routine for many, it recently led to the formation of an entirely new product and a new division for GeneralSports Turf Systems.
The Rochester, Mich., company's primary business is building synthetic turf surfaces for athletic fields, principally used for football and soccer. But when the company's president, Jon Pritchett, kept hearing from managers of higher-end golf courses that they were looking for a more realistic alternative to the usual nylon matting on their practice ranges, Pritchett took action.
He and Chairman Andy Appleby have just launched the 4-Par Golf division of GeneralSports Turf which will serve the growing "at home" and "on course" golf market segments. They and their suppliers have developed a unique synthetic product specifically designed for practice ranges for both markets.
"On a normal golf swing on natural grass, the club goes down and through the blades of grass and even into the dirt," Pritchett explains. "The problem with nylon matting is that the head of the club can only pass above the surface. Course managers know that serious golfers want better. So we developed a synthetic fiber infill system called MaxxTee. It allows a golfer to get his club down and through the surface, similar to play on natural grass. It makes for a far more satisfying practice experience."
GeneralSports Turf's 4-Par Golf division plans to answer the demand of the emerging at-home golf market by building custom residential landscaped greens as well as interior golf practice areas. The firm will design backyard greens with multiple tiers, fringe, bunkers, as well as engineered speed variations. 4-Par Golf also has readied its capabilities for developing themed golf interiors in new or existing homes, which might include putting greens, full-swing hitting bays and swing analysis systems.