Eagle’s Edge at ChampionsGate ramps up with Toptracer tech near Orlando

The new Toptracer Range combines a cool pub scene with plenty of golf tech at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.

CHAMPIONSGATE, Fla. – Want to beat a bucket of range balls near the tourist corridor in Central Florida? If you’re looking to throw in dinner and a cocktail and do it all under the lights, check out the new Eagle’s Edge range with Toptracer Range technology at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.

Hardly a week goes by without a golf club – typically multiple clubs – announcing the installation of a Toptracer Range. The popular tech tracks a golf ball’s flight with a system of cameras and sensors then projects its flight onto a screen. If you’re reading this golf story, you’ve surely seen the tech at work on TV broadcasts of the PGA Tour.

There are other similar systems, with Trackman’s radar-based system being a prime example. All such systems are designed to elevate the range experience from merely beating a bucket of balls, giving players data about their practice shots or allowing them to virtually play famous courses as a video game come to life.

Since being acquired by Topgolf in 2016 and rebranded from its original name of Protracer, Toptracer’s tech has taken off and been installed at more than a thousand facilities. The company says on its website that there are now more than 24,000 Toptracer hitting bays.

The new Toptracer Range at Eagle’s Edge at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate is just a few hundred yards out the back door of the massive resort hotel. The facility is open to public bookings. (Courtesy of Omni)

Many private clubs have installed a few bays with food and beverage options for members, especially in colder climates where courses might be closed seasonally. Plenty of public-access ranges also have installed Toptracer tech, where players can hit balls and monitor their results on a monitor. There already were several facilities in Central Florida to have installed the tech, such as Tee It Up Golf Driving Range in Oviedo, some 20-30 minutes of driving northeast of downtown Orlando on the opposite side of town from the region’s theme parks.

The new public-access Eagle’s Edge at ChampionsGate ramps it up several notches, combining a high-end pub scene and Toptracer tech on the southwest side of Orlando not far from Disney World.

Eagle’s Edge offers 30 ground-level hitting bays playing out to an un-netted range, which on the far end serves as the practice facility for ChampionsGate’s two full-size golf courses, the National and International. The new Toptracer Range was constructed where coach David Leadbetter’s golf academy formerly resided.

The 6,000-square-foot Eagle’s Edge includes dining and a central bar just a few hundred yards out the back door of the massive Omni hotel, with food and drinks delivered to each bay. Raised and lit targets large and small were built on the half of the range closest to Eagle’s Edge, giving players something to aim for night or day. Shots are tracked on monitors adjacent to the high-end hitting mats, and balls are supplied via a machine with the swipe of a club in front of a sensor, the same as at a Topgolf facility.

The total Eagle’s Edge experience is much more like a Topgolf, which helped define the industry term of “eatertainment,” than it is a regular range. Hang out on a couch watching TV with a craft cocktail and plate of nachos, or pound balls with purpose; the choice is yours.

Food and drink are an integral part of Eagle’s Edge at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate. (Courtesy of Omni)

And like the targets at a giant Topgolf facility, those at Eagle’s Edge light up when a ball strikes home and the bayside screen registers the hit. Many players will spend most of their time whaling at a driver to see how far they might be able to hit a ball, but on opening night it was just as fun for the more serious golfers in attendance to try to make the lights dance with wedge shots bouncing off the smaller targets closer to the bays.

“With Eagle’s Edge, we are transforming the way our guests partake in the game and event gatherings through an all-encompassing venue that brings state-of-the-art technology, topline service and unmatched food and beverage offerings,” Scott Tripoli, general manager of Omni Orlando at ChampionsGate, said in a media release announcing the opening of the facility.

Each of the 30 hitting bays can accommodate one to six players. Walk-ups are accepted, but it’s best to reserve a bay via opentable.com. The price of a bay varies on demand, but expect to pay $40-$58 per hour depending on date and time as judged by a recent glance at the booking site – that price is the same per bay regardless of one player or six. The facility also accommodates large groups. Players can use their own clubs or swing with clubs provided at each hitting bay.

Check out a selection of images of the new facility and its Toptracer tech below.

Here are 5 tips to take your practice session to the next level

Many who go to the driving range don’t have a proper practice routine and aren’t making the most out of their time.

One of the great things about golf is that every player is striving to get better. Improvement is measurable and the opportunity to hit the best shot of your life is always lurking around the next fairway.

Many players are quick to spend time on the course, but fail to put in time at the driving range or at short game facilities. Those who go to the driving range may not have a proper practice routine and are not making the most of their time. This has many guessing why they are not shooting the scores they think they are capable of.

The answer is simple: you are not practicing intentionally and with a purpose.

Here are five tips to optimize your time when you are practicing at the range:

ClubCorp’s BigShots premium range concept keeps growing — this time adding a Utah location

This driving range is expected to finish construction and be open to the public in early March 2022.

ST. GEORGE, Utah. — A tech-driven golf driving range is set to open soon in southeastern Utah.

The most prominent new feature along I-15 is the set of giant nets and 150-foot black poles set up for the new driving range. The area’s latest entertainment option is billed as a tech-focused driving range and will be operated by BigShots Golf.

This driving range is expected to finish construction and be open to the public in early March 2022, according to Larry Christensen, an owner of the St. George BigShots location.

The range will have two levels and 52 tee boxes in total, which could ideally accommodate six people per box, according to Christensen. The building will be around 40,000 square feet and include a private event space and a restaurant. The driving range extends out for 235 yards and is 50 yards wide.

Although St. George is known for its golf courses, BigShots will technically be the first driving-range-centric business in the city. As advertised, it will offer options traditionally driving ranges don’t, such as climate-controlled tee boxes, ball tracking software that can tell how fast and far each ball was hit, and interactive games with virtual targets.

BigShots Golf continues construction on their St. George location Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. (Chris Caldwell / The Spectrum & Daily News).

BigShots Golf is owned by ClubCorp, a company that owns and operates more than 200 golf and country clubs. Christen said ClubCorp helps provide expertise on the operations for the restaurant, which is planned to have an alcohol license and serve wine, beer, and liquor. The company already has four other locations either officially planned or currently open, including two in Texas.

Although BigShots Golf operates in a similar way to the popular Top Golf ranges, it doesn’t try to compete with Top Golf; rather the company tries to open locations in areas that have been “underserved in the entertainment aspect,” according to T.J. Schier, the chief operating officer for BigShots.

“I think with St. George, you’ve got a solid community there. You’ve got a college, tourism, and you’ve got great weather year-round,” Schier said. “It really fits into all the demographics that we’re looking to attract to BigShots.”

There are a few main groups that use BigShots including serious golfers who want to practice without worrying about the elements, large groups, including businesses renting out space, and just regular people looking for a social activity that involves some movement, according to Schier.

BigShots Golf continues construction on their St. George location Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. (Chris Caldwell / The Spectrum & Daily News).

This business is set to provide residents with additional late-night entertainment options since it will operate from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Monday through Thursday and will be open even later from Friday to Sunday with its weekend hours scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.

A group of local investors helped bring the driving range to St. George. Christensen, one of those investors, said he has been working toward the project for the last seven years.

This business is planning to hire somewhere between 125 and 150 employees by March, according to Christensen, with the hiring set to begin in February.

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The location of the driving range is within the Desert Color master-planned community, a massive new development being built along the east side of the freeway along the Arizona state line. The area is planned to function as its own community, with single-family houses, overnight vacation rentals, and a hotel. The northern end of the community will feature commercial spaces that will include dining, shopping, and entertainment options.

The BigShots driving range will be the first commercial operation to open in this portion of Desert Color but there are plans for more in the near future, according to Christensen. He said he thinks this wide-ranging development is a testament to the growth of the city and will make a positive impact on both residents and tourists.

“I think there’s a huge benefit because the city is growing so rapidly,” Christensen said. “I think that’s what Desert Color is. If you want to have steak, you go there, if you want to go to a movie, go there. This kind of brings everything together.”

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Junior golfer Lucie Strnadova hits bombs, creates buzz

In a video posted on Monday, Lucie Strnadova belted a driver at her local range, drawing a reaction from none other than Phil Mickelson.

Who needs the Distance Report?

Everyone loves to go to the range and/or golf course and swing for the fences and that’s probably not changing anytime soon.

Case in point: Junior golf Lucie Strnadova, better known on Twitter as @LucyGolfer.

In a video posted on Monday night, Lucie is seen belting a driver at her local range, drawing oohs and aahs from pros and amateurs alike.

In less than 24 hours, the video has garnered 388,000 views on Twitter.

Phil Mickelson commented on her video, used the bomb emoji in doing so, and even pointed out how afterwards she gave a thumbs up, one of his patented moves.

One of the more clever reactions came from @Andrew_Dad, who wrote “Mike Trout just called to say Good Lord.” Trout, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels, created buzz of his own Sunday by obliterating a ball at Topgolf in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Strnadova, who confirmed on Twitter she turned 10 last Friday, wrote on her website (yes, she has her own website):

“My favorite golf players are Klara Spilkova, Michelle Wie, Rory McIllroy and Matt Kuchar. I hope one day I can be good as they are.”

As a result of her video, she’s now receiving invites to tournaments and being asked to give lessons. One commenter even wondered if her ball had landed yet.

Yep, we all need to keep an eye on Lucie Strnadova.

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