A revolutionary driving range complex has debuted at Omanu Golf Club, signalling a pivotal moment in the Bay of Plenty venue’s 54-year history.
The OGX (Omanu Golf Experience) facility merges outdoor practice stations powered by Trackman analytics with immersive indoor simulation technology, delivering year-round training opportunities for members and public users alike.
As noted by NZ Golf, Mayor Mahe Drysdale presided over the launch ceremony, whose grandfather Sir Bob Owens helped establish the original club. The evening’s festivities included a traditional kaumatua blessing.
According to general manager Neil Weber, the project emerged from recognising overwhelming local golf participation rates that had reached capacity limits.
“We have the number two golf course in New Zealand for rounds played at about 73,000 and we were struggling to put any more people on the golf course. So, you can either just sort of plateau at that or you can look for alternative means.”
The innovative solution took shape after exploring simulator technology at Remuera Golf Club. The unique architectural advantage of Omanu’s clubhouse, positioned above the first fairway, sparked creative possibilities.
“A lot of people have simulators these days, so we just started thinking along those lines. The orientation of the clubhouse lead itself to possibly using the fairway in nighttime.
“We had a bit of a brainwave on the way home and I just basically put it on the table ‘Why don’t we just hit off our balcony? Extend the balcony and hit balls down the first at nighttime?’ We put some lights up and here we are.”
Member apprehensions regarding course disruption have been resolved through operational protocols that protect regular gameplay. Ball collection occurs exclusively during off-hours, either after evening sessions or prior to morning starts.
“Morning definitely works because you can see where you go, nighttime’s a bit more difficult, but we’re getting pretty good at it now.
“A lot of it’s around the picker that we’ve picked to do the job and the quality of it. We did a lot of research on that and the one we picked we’re very happy with – it gets them out of all sorts of nooks and crannies, I think the record is about two and a half thousand,” said Weber.
Future plans include hosting business events and providing family entertainment options. Friday night trials have yielded impressive attendance figures, revealing unexpected demographic engagement.
“It’s been thrilling to see, we’ve had four Friday nights and at least half of the punters have been families with little kids. Watching a five year old hit it 120 metres is pretty cool.”
While Omanu Golf Club boasts competitive membership pricing within the Bay region, financial constraints still limit youth participation in the sport, particularly at entry levels.
Weber envisions the OGX as a pathway for cost-conscious players to experience golf before committing to full membership investments.
“We see it as a basic avenue into the sport when maybe they can’t afford a full membership and then later on, when the circumstances change, they can switch over to a full membership.”
Annual projections suggest 5,000-10,000 golfers will utilize the facility, creating unprecedented opportunities for veterans and novices to interact with the game through this specialized venue, irrespective of experience level.
