Golf for those with a busy life
If you’ve got some spare change and your clubs, that’s all you need to shoot a few holes at the New Plymouth Golf Club.
Quick Golf has arrived in New Zealand, a concept that allows players to only pay for the holes they want to play rather than committing to a full or even half a round. Quick Golf NZ director William Rowland said there were a number of advantages to the shorter form of the game, pointing out the parallels to T20 cricket and rugby sevens.
‘‘We often find it’s good for people getting into golf,’’ he said.
‘‘Time’s obviously the big one. We also see it as the cost of it as well.
‘‘I sometimes battle on the golf course and it’s quite nice to be able to call it quits after a few holes if it’s not going your way.’’
He said even if you decide to play the full 18 holes, it’s not much more expensive than the green fees for a full round, at $3.50 a hole.
‘‘It just gives you that flexibility. We don’t see the service being used by 18-hole golfers.’’
They are hoping to expand the programme throughout New Zealand. The format works through the go.quickgolf.nz website, where users check in and let the course know they are coming, and then check in at the pro shop upon arrival.
Once they have finished their golf, they return to the pro shop or the web page, select how many holes they played and their credit card is charged accordingly.
In the US, there are companies using GPS to track the number of holes, but they are relying on honest golfers. ‘‘Golf is an honest game.’’
Fellow director Nick Rowland, who is based in Auckland, said Kiwis were also ready for a quicker version. ‘‘At its core, golf is a simple game, and QuickGolf is a simple solution to making the game more accessible to busy golfers of all abilities.’’
New Plymouth Golf Club general manager Simon Rowe said it was a way of playing golf that recognised the country’s lifestyle changes. ‘‘Kiwis love golf and love the outdoors, and I think giving them a way to play within their personal time constraints makes all the sense in the world.’’