GBN speaks to Elliot Godfrey and Chris Ingham, the PGA-trained founders of indoor golf game company, PITCH, which is planning international expansion following the summer opening of its third and fourth locations in London.
GBN: How did you first meet and what led you to come together and found Pitch?
Chris: We are both from Luton and first met in 1998 at our local golf club, in South Bedfordshire. I was 14 and Elliott was 15. I really started taking my golf more seriously in my early 20s, while Elliott was a late starter. We both studied for our PGA degrees at the University of Birmingham. After I qualified in 2009 I went abroad to coach in Austria for a few years, then came back and worked at Harpenden Common Golf Club in Hertfordshire.
Elliot: After I graduated from Birmingham I started teaching, and I was at Hanbury Manor for a long time, and when Chris came back from Austria we met again and talked about what each other was doing. Chris told me that it was too cold to train in Austria in the winter and that some professionals were starting to develop indoor studios so that they could continue training during the winter months, and we talked about the possibility of setting up something similar in the UK but using the latest simulation technology, so that it could be used not only for teaching, but also for playing the game and events.
Chris: Of course, we wanted to set something up that reflected what we both love about the game. I’m really into music, so when I’m not playing golf I’m playing club nights in London as a DJ, which is why Pitch is very much into music. I even got my record collection stored here.
We didn’t want it to feel like a traditional golf studio, but more of a fun place where golf was played. First time guests are always amazed by the very cool vibe, with music, great lighting, artwork, comfortable seating and a quality F&B offering.
Elliot: There were a few places in London that had started down that road, including Urban Golf, but they still had a very golf-oriented feel to them, and there wasn’t that London hospitality thing that we were looking to create. That’s why you won’t find any golf memorabilia on our sites or things like that.
When did you open your first Pitch in London?
Chris: We opened our first location in Bishopsgate in the City in 2016 and our second location in Soho in May 2022.
We were planning to open a Soho site a few years earlier, but Covid hit, and we had to find a new site. We then had to delay the launch until people were properly allowed into homes. It took us three months from the time we first moved into the building, which was in the basement of an office building, to get it fully unpacked and ready to open.
I think we would have four or five locations now if Covid hadn’t come out, so our business development plans are a few years behind where we hoped to be now. Covid was very difficult operationally and financially, as we had to open and close at different times, then we could only have one player per bay, which was not good for business. It was a difficult time, but thankfully many of our members continued to pay their dues, which helped a lot.
What are your plans to grow the business in London and beyond?
Elliot: We are on track to open in Canary Wharf in September, followed by a second City of London site in addition to our Bishopsgate site, which will take us to four locations in London. The Canary Wharf site is over 12,000 square meters and spans two floors, so it’s a much bigger project than other sites.
We will build more UK clubs where the right places are, but initially that will include Brighton, Birmingham and Manchester in 2025, with these high profile, sporting links to be announced soon. We are also expanding the business overseas and have locations in Ireland (Dublin) and Australia opening later this year. That’s just the beginning of what we plan to be a truly global broadcast.
Some of our overseas locations will be joint ventures or collaborations, but we get inquiries from all over the world, so it’s a question of sorting them out and judging each one on its own merits.
How many members do you have now in these two existing areas? And is it just open to visitors?
Elliot: We have around 900 members across the Soho and Bishopsgate sites, and we will obviously be looking to expand that when our other two London sites open. We also have corporate members.
We want visitors and corporate guests – including walk-in traffic – to be able to visit any of our locations while maintaining premium members-only space. With a major upgrade to the booking system, and a new member app, we’re making this a smart, high-tech experience. We advise people to book in advance on all sites, but if you’re new to Pitch, you’re welcome to drop in to tour the venues at any time.
Pitch has clearly enjoyed the benefits of increased interest in golf over the past few years from young people, and the growth of the indoor golf experience in general, but what do you think has set your facilities apart from other similar programs, such as and traditional golf club setting?
Chris: The pitch attracts people for many reasons, and the fast-paced nature of modern indoor golf makes it easy to fit into a busy schedule. The technology we use is so good that you can literally play golf without taking a day off work or a long commute – whenever possible, our locations are close to public transport.
Elliot: It is a premium offering in a non-traditional environment. There is music, food and drinks of the highest quality, and there are no perceived barriers to entry such as a dress code. Having state-of-the-art golf equipment on site – we stock the latest Callaway Paradym AI Smoke range at our facilities – also takes a major logistical hassle out of our customers.
We’re less intimidating than your average golf club for those new to the game to give it a go, whether that’s by taking a golf lesson or just playing on the simulator, and it’s obviously within easy reach of the big game. percentage of the small, urban market that may not have access to a car or a set of golf clubs.
How has the brand and its properties evolved since its initial launch?
Chris: We’ve moved away from the classic green-and-black-box golf simulator experience. Now we want our recreation areas to look and sound like a home theater set. We’ve added a sleek, clubhouse-decor design so people feel welcome to enjoy the Pitch before and after play, or even visit just to hang out. The first place in Pitch City was about 80 percent, now it’s like 35 percent; some are member services, and our food has changed a lot.
Elliot: Our goal moving forward is to position the club first to attract an audience beyond existing golfers. However, our launch tracking technology will continue to be at the forefront – we recently signed an investment partnership with Trackman – so the golfer will always have a home on the Pitch. We are also consistently recognized as the ideal venue for hosting product launches and corporate client events due to the experience we provide.
How can startups engage with what Pitch has to offer?
Chris: For many years, we have operated what is now called Pitch Futures, where new golfers can purchase a package of lessons and club access at a 60 percent discount. This gateway offering has hundreds of new members across our clubs and continues to be something we eagerly support to break down the main barriers associated with golf – cost.
Chris: We have also had great success attracting new female golfers to our venues through our partnership with adidas. They fund 100 free beginner course packages for women each year as part of the Women’s Beginner Academy. Each participant receives five free lessons at one of our venues, including two group sessions and three individual lessons, all led by a PGA Professional, and five hours of free practice. We had over 800 applications for 100 places during last year’s launch, and we have just announced the winners of the 2024 election.
Besides golf, what other services do Pitch venues offer?
Chris: Starting this year, Pitch customers will be able to enjoy delicious food and drinks, as well as retail from TRENDYGOLF and our new fitting concept, Radial. Many venues will be able to host live music and date nights in our new lounges, Umsindo, such as the terrace at Canary Wharf.
Pitch’s most exciting new launch is the TRENDYGOLF Concept Store at Canary Wharf, which will be open six days a week with its own entrance and staff. They will be shopping a wide range of luxury brands, including the likes of Ralph Lauren, Peter Millar, Hugo Boss, J.Lindeberg, G/FORE, Nike and adidas.
Elliot: Purpose-built event spaces have become a big part of Pitch, with clients interested in quality decor, experience and culinary enhancements. During the day, all of our locations are open as recreation and meeting spaces. Corporate memberships have become a popular alternative to country clubs, where access is limited and restricted to eligible golfers, compared to our ‘whole office’ approach.
For more information, visit pitchgolf.london.
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