When Chris Ingham and Elliot Godfrey first met at South Beds Golf Club in 1999, they had no idea they would continue to run one of the most watched golf businesses in the UK.
But fast forward 26 years, and that's where two lifelong friends find themselves co-founders of Pitch Golf.
The stylish indoor golf club just opened its fourth venue in the heart of Canary Wharf, and – two more locations this spring – and more.
“Although we competed together as juniors, over the next fifteen years or so, our careers followed a completely different PGA path – our first major collaboration was Moorgate’s CityPoint Golf Studio,” Ingham said.
“We have several bays for teaching and club fit, but we’ve seen the way the real golf progresses, the traditional simulator experience is left behind.
We think modern simulator technology is perfectly borrowing something more social and inclusive. ”
The reaction of the two was Pitch Golf, which debuted in Bishopsgate in 2016. Six years later – Despite obvious reasons, Pitch became a multiplayer club with the opening of Pitch Soho.
Selling overseas
The brand expanded overseas for the first time last year with a new venture in Dublin and will soon open later this year in Melbourne, Australia and the United States along with other European venues.
As Godfrey puts it, “It is no accident that we look for location in busy, fast-paced major cities.
For those who live and work in these places, finding time to go to the golf course and play 18 holes can be so difficult. Indoor golf is easier to adapt to busy schedules. ”
But no matter which venue you enter, the nature of Pitch's signature style is the same.
“All of our venues use the best technology, but that’s only half the story. We always offer cocktails and Asian-style menus, each venue has an exclusive member area, and many of them have built-in live DJ suit space.
These are some places for socializing, relaxing and enjoying yourself, whether it's golfing or challenging Schaff board games for friends. ”
As the pitch continues to expand, new ideas are still being developed and implemented (within a few months, Birmingham and Manchester will be the next city to join the stadium revolution).
Concept Store
One such example is the first trendy concept store in the UK, which opened in February with Pitch Wharf.
“TrendyGolf and Pitch feel like a natural health, they value style, inclusion, they like to try different things, which is closely aligned with our own spirit,” Ingham said of his partnership with online retailers.
Inclusion is one of the keywords for every pitch position. “We want visitors to be welcome at any time. Quite or unfairly, there are a lot of golf-related obstacles. When you break these obstacles and introduce new friends to the game, everyone wins.”
