3 essentials for a successful golf practice facility

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, Connecticut, 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.”

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