GolfPod has opened its third UK site, a 10-bay, Toptracer-powered range at Rickmansworth Golf Course in Hertfordshire, and says work on its fourth will start before the end of the year.
The compact driving range is called ‘The Anywhere Driving Range’. It was delivered with Everyone Active, which manages the course on behalf of Three Rivers District Council, and follows GolfPod’s sites at Cranham Golf Course in Upminster and Basildon Sporting Village. It is the second GolfPod built with Everyone Active.
GolfPod was built on the idea that a range doesn’t need several acres. Its footprint is about 40 metres square, so it can turn an under-used corner of a golf course or leisure site into a practice and social venue. At Rickmansworth it sits opposite the clubhouse, on part of the former par-three and footgolf area.
The 10 covered, floodlit bays face a synthetic outfield, so golfers can play in any weather and into the evening. Every bay has Toptracer ball tracking, which gives instant data on distance, ball speed, launch angle and accuracy, as well as games and virtual golf aimed at families, juniors and beginners alongside regular players. Balls are dispensed and collected automatically, which keeps staffing to a minimum, and golfers pay by contactless with no booking or app.
A bucket of 30 balls costs £5, 60 balls £9 and 100 balls £13, and a top-up offer gives £50 of play for £40. Club hire is available from the clubhouse, and a coaching programme for all ages and abilities, including junior and beginner sessions, is being introduced.
Despite a stormy final week of the build and a wet opening weekend, GolfPod says it has made a strong start, with positive feedback from visitors. Everyone Active’s opening-day video had more than 17,000 views within days.
Mike Stone, managing director of GolfPod, said: “We’re delighted to open GolfPod Rickmansworth with Everyone Active, our second site together. Our goal has always been to get more people playing golf, and that means facilities that are accessible, welcoming and easy to use. What we’ve seen at Cranham and Basildon shows there is real appetite for a different kind of golf experience, and Rickmansworth has made a fantastic start despite the weather.”
GolfPod will start building its fourth site before the end of 2026, with an opening planned for early 2027. Its standard build takes about seven weeks from start on site to opening, and further UK openings are planned through 2027 with leisure operators, local authorities and golf venues.
Leave a Reply