ORLANDO, FLORIDA | Justin Meyers has been a PGA of America professional and worked in the golf business for nearly 20 years, starting at historic Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. As senior director of marketing for Uneekor, he is confident that his company’s simulators and launch monitors are ready for the mainstream golf spotlight.
Once the nearly exclusive province of the uber-wealthy and high-end private clubs, the use of simulators nationally has mushroomed in recent years. The high-tech products can be found in airports, bars and restaurants, city social clubs as well as public and private courses catering to clients looking for an escape from the winter weather, hot conditions, and golfers simply wanting to tune up their games.
The fast-growing simulator market was one of the largest industry segments on display here at last month’s PGA Show, and Uneekor, a manufacturer in Lake Forest, California, southeast of Los Angeles, is among the companies leading the charge in 2024.
“The growth of simulators has been huge with bars, clubs, houses, and airports, and we’re trying to spearhead that entire movement right now,” Meyers said. “We have access points available to make the entire market bigger, with solutions and new technology and features, including ground vision, projected launch-monitor readouts on the ground.”
The National Golf Foundation reports rapid growth in the sector in recent years. As of late 2023, more than 1,600 businesses in the NGF’s database reported using simulators, and 6.2 million Americans hit balls with a club in a golf simulator within the past year. Golfzon, which has built a massive presence in South Korea, expanded into North America and rivals SkyTrak, FlightScope, Optishot, aboutGolf, Foresight, Full Swing and others for space in a crowded U.S. market that is expected to approach $1 billion in 2028.
Founded in South Korea, Uneekor debuted in the U.S. in 2015. Its name was derived from two key principles that are “uniquely core” to the brand: golf and engineering. Uneekor has grown with the funding, technology and innovation from parent company Creatz.
“Everybody is looking for new ways to have a lot of fun in golf, to bring down the barrier for participation,” Meyers said. “It doesn’t always have to be the traditional method of going to a course or going to a club. You do this [with Uneekor’s simulator and launch monitors] with your friends and your family and have a really cool vibe. With the variety and technological innovations we have, it’s fun for beginners and experienced players. That’s one of the reasons we’re seeing a growth in the simulation business.
“We’re trying to push advanced technology to show people what we have, but use those innovations to push down the price point so more people can do it on a regular basis.”
To that end, Uneekor, which considers itself to be an upper-end, high-technology brand, introduced some new products at the PGA Show that position the company among the lower price points.
“We’re going to cover all ends of the market: the high-end super-technology market for those who want to have the best regardless of cost, to expanding the segment to those who haven’t been in before …” – Justin Meyers
The Eye Mini Lite features cutting-edge technology and multi-launch data points and, at 13.9 inches tall and 6.5 inches wide, is simple to set up. Available for pre-order, it is priced at $2,749 ahead of the expected delivery in late March.
The Eye Mini, at 15.75 inches tall and 6.6 inches wide, can be used indoors and outdoors. It provides clear vision simulation and dozens of launch-monitor situation points in a package small enough to be carried from course to practice to indoor golf room and local club. It is priced at $4,500.
“We’re going to cover all ends of the market: the high-end super-technology market for those who want to have the best regardless of cost, to expanding the segment to those who haven’t been in before but still want a really high-tech solution at an affordable price,” Meyers said.
Among the Uneekor products on display at the PGA Show was the original rear-mounted launch monitor, the QED ($7,000), which sits quietly on top of a ceiling or club roof using two cameras and marked-ball technology, allowing the camera to pick up the flight. Later models include the EYE XO2 ($14,000) and the EYE XO ($10,000), all designed with convenience, technology and value in mind. Infrared and camera technology are key points of difference.
The products are available on the company’s website direct to consumer and through a variety of national and international retailers.
The biggest reason for the explosion in the golf simulator and the launch monitor segment of the golf market is the growing desire to participate in golf at all levels for all players, from thoroughly hooked hackers to newcomers to the game.
“The locations who have the space for new technology and foresight to do this know it’s a money maker,” Meyers said. “Not only does it bring in the hard-core golfers but the customer who doesn’t play golf but just wants to try it and can be converted to a hard-core golfer. It doesn’t matter if it’s a husband, wife, family or friends. This can be a fun, social event; then they want to go out to a real 18-hole course and try it out. It’s an invitation to the game.”
These days, that invitation is being issued in a variety of places. Uneekor has a project underway at Denver International Airport and recently installed four simulators at Stick & Feather, a Denver sports bar/restaurant, which runs weekly leagues.
Uneekor has 15 direct installations underway in the first quarter of 2024.
“We’re always going to have the best for people who want the best.” – Justin Meyers
Another growth area has been in the Northeast, where cold winter weather often renders not only the golf course but areas of the clubhouse to be underused.
“One of the things we’re seeing from clubs is sometimes they have spaces that are not always being utilized – maybe a ballroom or wedding space,” Meyers said. “Drop the simulation in during the winter months, then take it out for summertime. Use the space when you need to use it, and take it up when you want to use the space for other things. The Northeast winters are so terrible, but people still want to play golf, and this is a perfect solution.”
Meyers said that Uneekor will keep trying to meet all segments of the ever-growing market, including fully custom simulators 15-18-feet wide in a variety of design options for homes or clubs. Uneekor offers dozens of different courses on the simulators, and users can have their home club scanned on their individual unit.
“We’re always going to have the best for people who want the best,” he said.
Uneekor founder Jey Suk and CEO Yun Lee have recruited industry veterans from companies such as Callaway, Golfzon and TrackMan to drive its growth. Last year, the company acquired a controlling interest in Evnroll Putters to help Uneekor in research and development.
For more information on Uneekor, visit the company website at www.uneekor.com.