Maderas Doubles Its GolfBoard Fleet In Response To High Demand
Just in time for summer, Maderas Golf Club has doubled its GolfBoard fleet to eight, making for twice as many opportunities to surf the Earth at one of the elite courses in San Diego.
Maderas Golf Club General Manager Michael Flickinger said the decision to buy four more boards came after a highly successful 60-day introductory trial period that achieved and exceeded every goal set.
The boards generated new rounds of golf for the course, drew just under 60 new golfers each month and provided a unique and new experience for golfers in San Diego, Flickinger said, adding that golfer demand drove the decision to expand the fleet.
“It’s really the consumer who made this decision for us,” Flickinger said. “They’re the ones who created the demand. There were many days when the boards were rented out and we had other foursomes who wanted to go out and couldn’t. And they’ve been rented out in advance for up to weeks at a time. Based on that demand, we made the decision to purchase four more.”
GolfBoard is a motorized surfboard-like scooter golfers use to traverse the course, an experience dubbed “surfing the Earth.” They are thought of as being enticing to millennial golfers, but Flickinger said the boards have proven popular with all ages.
“We were pleasantly surprised by the demographics and the frequency with which the boards were being rented. Many days the boards went out twice a day,” he said. “And everyone who rents them plays their round with a smile. They really enjoy the experience.”
The pace of rentals is also partly driven by an increased pace of play. According to GolfBoard officials, the average round is 2 hours, 37 minutes. Two Maderas pros played 18 in 2:18 one day.
Flickinger hopes the biggest benefit of going from four boards to eight is making them more accessible and attractive to golf groups.
“Having eight is a great fit for group golf,” he said. “And we’ve already had one of those reservations.”
Organizers of a local tournament at Maderas have also requested to have their entire 40-person field hosted on GolfBoard, further indicting the demand in the marketplace.
Besides crediting golfers with driving the demand to make the purchase, Flickinger also acknowledged their role in adapting GolfBoard to the course culture of Maderas.
“Their adept, safe and responsible use by our golfers is also helping allow GolfBoard to continue,” Flickinger said. “We appreciate our GolfBoard golfers adhering to course etiquette while enjoying their new experience at Maderas.”
GolfBoard is available at a rental rate of $25. There’s a one-time advance reservation required that involves watching a safety video. It can be viewed here – or at a kiosk in our golf shop. You can reserve GolfBoard at Maderas by calling our award-winning golf shop at 858.451.8100.
Maderas Golf Club is the ONLY San Diego public course to offer GolfBoard, making us the home of GolfBoard in San Diego.
For questions or interview inquiries about GolfBoard at Maderas, please contact Corey Ross, Director of Digital Marketing and Social Media at Maderas, at [email protected].