OLIVER — You’ve likely heard of golf carts, but have you heard of GolfBoards?
They look like a Segway, ride like a motorized skateboard and function as a golf cart. Nk’Mip Canyon Desert in Oliver is the first golf course in Western Canada to have the GolfBoards, which are attracting plenty of attention.
“I was very excited when I saw [the GolfBoards] because I’m a big Segway rider so I thought it would be a cool thing to try out on the golf course,” says golfer Brian Sieben.
Sieben is visiting from Alberta and has never seen anything like like the GolfBoards before.
“It takes some getting used to but once you do, it’s such a cool device,” he says.
The GolfBoards sell for $6,500 U.S. a piece. A sales rep for the company approached Nk’Mip’s manager Dave George to see if he would be interested.
“We jumped all over it,” says George. “Other courses were apprehensive because of the price tag but I thought we’d get that back and then some within two years.”
George believes the investment is paying off. There are fourGolfBoards available for rent for about $25 and they’re being used frequently.
“When you create buzz, you’re going to get people and get golfers in here who want to find out what this is all about and we’re getting a lot of people coming in to see the boards,” says George.
According to GolfBoard, the devices dramatically increase the speed of a game, making it possible to play 36 holes in five hours.
Nk’Mip’s head golf pro says the GolfBoards add adventure to each round of golf.
“It’s an individual experience so you’re having a lot of fun in between shots. So, rather than sitting in a cart and riding around, now you’re interacting between shots,” says Jim Schular.
There are about one hundred golf courses in North America that are embracing these devices, but only six of them are in Canada.
Nk’Mip Canyon is teeing up the GolfBoard experience, hoping to generate excitement that’s more than par for the course.
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