Toptracer: Revolutionizing the driving range experience across the globe

The following article was published in Golfp?rlor's annual golf guide for 2023.

It’s rare for any product to truly be able to lay claim to completely revolutionising the game of golf, however the introduction of Toptracer technology on our televisions at practice facilities across the globe has done just that. With the industry’s leading ball tracking technology available to all players, of all ages and abilities, Toptracer has entirely galvanised the way in which golfers can hone their game, or just have enjoy playing with friends in a fun and relaxed environment.

Toptracer’s story began in the late 1990’s, when founder Daniel Forsgren was watching golf from his living room here in Sweden, and growing increasingly frustrated at the fact that he could not see the ball on his television. Fast forward to 2003, and Forsgren had developed a sensor-driven camera that could detect the golf ball’s flight through the air; the cameras connected to a computer that would identify the ball through each frame of the shot, and after three more years of development, Protracer (now Toptracer) was born. This technology was quickly adopted by the PGA Tour and European Tour and rapidly began to change the way in which golf was consumed on television.

A little further down the line, Forsgren and Protracer saw the technology as an opportunity to not only enhance TV viewing experiences, but also a chance to completely revolutionise one of golf’s longest standing institutions, the driving range. Toptracer Range, (as it was soon rebranded), following Topgolf’s purchase of Protracer,??allowed venues to entirely revamp the driving range experience, making it more immersive, experiential and ultimately entertaining for all golfers - from the most experienced to the complete beginner – and, ultimately, turning everyday driving ranges into??bonafide experiental destations and something genuinely fun for everyone.

Today, Toptracer is the number one driving range technology in golf around the world, powering more than 750 driving ranges in 31 countries..

Transforming the range

Toptracer is the new standard for how golf practice should look, with the technology having completely evolved the range experience through its use of different formats and gameplay options. Toptracer 30, for example, is a game mode that was launched in 2022 – it comprises 30 shots in a variety of environments, from drives to recovery shots, and once complete gives the player tangible feedback on areas to work on.

Golfers looking to challenge themselves against their friends or family, meanwhile, can opt to tackle some of the world’s best golf courses in Virtual Golf, or even test their hitting power in Long Drive, while there are also a variety of fun game modes that have ben specifically developed to bridge the gap between golf and fun, such as Go Fish. Once you’re signed in through the Toptracer App, all your practice data is stored for your reference, and to help hone future sessions and highlight areas for improvement.?

Toptracer in Sweden

Toptracer has its roots firmly grounded in Sweden, and the office just north of Stockholm is home to several of the company’s global teams. As well as the office itself, there are now a total of 18 Toptracer locations across Sweden, of which 10 were installed in 2022 alone, representing one of the company’s biggest areas of growth around the world in the last 18 months.

Thomas Petersson, Senior Product Manager at Toptracer and based at the company’s Stockholm office, believes the best is yet to come: “2022 was a real whirlwind, and to have seen such fantastic growth here in Sweden was brilliant,” he said. “Despite this superb year of growth, we genuinely believe that there is much more to come – Swedish golfers are such an engaged, interested audience, and we really think that Toptracer Range Technology has a perfect audience here. Going forward, we want to make the technology even more accessible to the general population, and ultimately offer it to more people across the country.”??

More people, more balls, more often

Toptracer has already had a huge effect not only the driving range sector, but also on the wider golf industry. The brand has grown at a rapid rate over the past few years, with the number of ranges to have installed the technology increasing drastically, while off-course participation in golf is continuing to grow and now exceed on-course participation in the US. Toptracer and Topgolf are unmistakingly the driving force behind that.?

Going forward, despite the brand already being positioned as the Number 1 Range Technology worldwide, Toptracer continues to grow and the number of 750 locations around the world is set to climb even further – with more golfers feeling the benefit of a fun, experiential, and ultimately more worthwhile practice experience on hand at their local facility.

Interested to find your nearest Toptracer Range? Head over to?www.toptracer.com/locations/