Tonawanda golf dome adds new worldwide technology
Nov 26, 2024
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Paddock Chevrolet Golf Dome in Tonawanda has added new technology that will make it possible to play some of the top courses from around the world right inside the dome.
Last week, the dome added Toptracer Range technology. The new technology has been added to eight of the bays in the upstairs part of the driving range.
The system works by using cameras around the area to trace the ball as you hit it off the bay, giving speed, distance, launch angle, shape and other technologies to track where the ball lands.
The options include mini games, long drive contests and allows you to virtually play 25 of the world's most iconic courses, including Bethpage Black on Long Island, Pebble Beach in California and St. Andrew's in Scotland.
"A lot of the folks who use the indoor driving range here wanted that sense of competition," Town Councilman Carl Szarek said. "It's what drove all of this from the beginning."
Toptracer is owned by Callaway, the company that also owns Topgolf. Part of the reason why Toptracer was pursued was because there is not a Topgolf in Western New York.
"People had asked about it and were curious about whether it was something we could do," Szarek said. "[Parks and recreation coordinator] Dallas [Ford] did some research on it, talked to a couple companies, and came up with Toptracer and thought that worked best."
So far, the new technology has been popular and they have had a good reception from the public. Pricing for an hourly rental is as follows:
Monday-Friday until 5 p.m.: $35
Monday-Friday 5 p.m. to close: $45
Weekends: $45 all day
Rentals include unlimited shots within the timeframe reserved.
"Everybody who has tried it, some people who have never tried it before, they love it," Ford said. "There's people who have been to other facilities that have similar services, it's something that there's a volume for it, there's a need for it."
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Tonawanda golf dome adds new worldwide technology
Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here.