Computers inside balls? Minigolf meets Star Wars
We are now officially living in The Future. With self-driving cars, pizzas delivered by robots and TVs thinner than a polar bear, it’s probably about time to update the sport of minigolf as well as everything else. Puttshack, a new venture to hit London’s White City is March 2018, is doing just that.
Westfield London‘s 20,000 square foot high-tech crazy golf centre is the result of a collaboration between ping pong venue Bounce and global computerised golf phenomenon Topgolf. Topgolf already use in-ball computer technology at their golf driving ranges where players hit their ball at a dartboard-style target. Your microchipped ball sends data back to a digital scoreboard and points are scored for distance and proximity to the centre. Along with food, drinks and other games at Topgolf’s venues, it has proven popular – a new bowling alley for our times.
This leisure concept is being ported over to minigolf for the new venue in West London. Players will see video replays of their shots and will be able to participate in interactive quiz holes and pinball-style challenges. Suitably swish cocktails will be served to ride the wave of the current gin craze, and their executive chef has created a scrummy-looking menu.
“Our world first Trackaball© technology has enabled us to take mini-golf and transform it into something completely revolutionary,” gushed Bounce CEO Adam Breeden. Puttshack’s website says there will be four nine-hole courses, each one a rich immersive experience inspired by both arcade and fairground games. Current pricing puts an adult game at £12 and £8 for under-12s.
We look forward to the high-tech venue opening in March 2018, and time will tell if ‘the most incredible minigolf concept in the world’ is a hit with Londoners.
Meanwhile, if all this technology is all too much for you, we still supply traditional minigolf courses to hire for events, parties, weddings and corporate events! We don’t think the desire for good old minigolf will go away any time soon!
