Special to SpikeonfGolfandTravel.com
Connecticut’s Chris Cote has been an innovator in golf retail and practice facilities since coming on the scene in the early 2000s. He was ahead of the curve in offering expert club fitting, instruction, and top of the line equipment under one roof. By offering the latest in name-brand equipment along with programming and creative game improvement opportunities to his clientele, Cote’s namesake golf businesses, the Chris Cote Golf Shops in Portland and Southington, CT., have become synonymous with all things better golf throughout the region.
With lesson programs like the Get Outta Jail clinic and Wedge Wednesdays and staple innovations like Power Tee, Toptracer Range, a minigolf course, indoor simulator bays, top-tier golf retail, and cutting-edge custom fitting at the Chris Cote Golf Shop complexes, one would have to think there’s a little bit of P.T. Barnum mixed with a dash of Jeff Bezos powering the prosperity of Cote’s golf business empire. However, he will tell you the formula is basic, but, to him, non-negotiable.
“One of the keys for businesses is that we are always trying to improve and get better daily. I have done that since I opened. I think a driving range today that wants to thrive and grow its business but doesn’t have Power Tee, Toptracer and good range balls – those three essentials – is missing the boat. You can add superior quality targets, music and food and beverages, but you need the technology of Toptracer and Power Tee, along with good, new range balls, to stand apart in this business and create customer loyalty,” Cote says.
To meet the demand of an evolving clientele that is trending younger as well as more family-oriented, Cote makes sure his facilities have a “destination” feel where there’s something to attract every member of the family while maintaining a cool, energetic vibe for the growing throngs of 20- and 30-somethings who use the space for social engagement as much as game improvement.
“Our clientele has definitely gotten younger since this post-pandemic boom kicked in. We have kids, teenagers, men, and women in their 20s and 30s that probably make up 75 percent of our new customers and they’re smart consumers who embrace the technology and they really like working on their games. This is great for our business and the industry as a whole,” Cote says. “Women and seniors are still a growing part of our customer base, so we feel like golf is in a great place.”
Accessible entry points to the game for beginners and families like TopGolf, simulator bars and deluxe range complexes like Cote’s have proven invaluable to making golf not only grow, but thrive, in ways the industry has not seen in decades. “All the data I have seen over the last couple of years says there are more off-course rounds played than on-course rounds, and we know the golf courses are booming, too. That tells me we can continue to grow the game and get people across multiple demographics to come and enjoy the game on their terms,” Cote says. “Either with gamified golf on a range with Toptracer and Power Tee, in an indoor simulator like we have at our properties, or on the course, people have ways to enjoy golf that matches their lifestyle and budget. Some people just want to wear what they want and not have to follow the rules and etiquette on a golf course. Finding golf in a more relaxed, welcoming setting has been a gamechanger for so many newer golfers.”
“I love what the range business has become and where it’s going. The challenge of constantly staying ahead of the curve with things like music, lights, highchairs – things you never saw on a range in the past – is fun for us,” Cote adds. “Covering the range stations, so people can hit in almost any weather conditions is important to us, too. Little touches make a substantial difference.”
One of the subtle touches Cote swears by are Power Tee hitting mat systems with automatic tee heights and turf surfaces that are realistic and enjoyable to hit shots from. “Our old mats were rubber-based and constantly shifting and did not feel realistic. Power Tee is always aligned and the mats always either feel like you are playing from the fairway or from the perfect tee height that you’ve chosen. People notice that the tee line looks really nice and clean, and they never complain about the performance of the hitting surface,” Cote says. “Power Tee brings value and quality to the range experiences and the efficiency of auto-teeing helps us earn more revenue as golfers have smoother, quicker range sessions. They hit more balls, and our clientele is willing to pay a little more for a premium experience. Working with Power Tee has been a great enhancement to our ranges aesthetically, but it also boosts our business efficiency and profit.”
Cote is as aware as anyone that there’s temptation nowadays to keep leveling up the range experience with live music, elevated food, and more attractions that turn your golf range into a full-scale entertainment complex. He insists that while it has been beneficial to add minigolf, simulator bays and more family friendly accommodations at his ranges, there are still those three keys to success that create the cornerstone of quality practice range experience.
“It’s fun to talk about the evolution of ranges and to even be in the middle of it. The key for attracting and retaining customers these days, though, is you have to have TrackMan or Toptracer Range for the interactive part of the experience. Power Tee, of course, is particularly important, to keeping the experience clean, realistic and efficient. Then, always having brand new range balls, I think if you just keep doing that, customers will appreciate the level of quality you provide on a consistent basis.”
Discover more at PowerTee.com and ChrisCoteGolf.com.
Photo Courtesy of Chris Cote