In November, Indian Wells Golf Resort will become the first golf course in the Coachella Valley to offer GolfBoard, with director of sales and marketing Michael Tebbetts saying the arrival of the four GolfBoards will coincide with the course reopening on Nov. 1.
GolfBoard is a battery-powered scooter that allows golfers to traverse the course in a manner similar to surfing, skiing or skating. GolfBoard launched three years at the West Coast PGA Show in Las Vegas. It has gained gradual adaption and Tebbetts said success at courses in Arizona and San Diego and a positive response to the boards during a pro-am at Indian Wells last February weighed in the decision to offer the boards for rental.
“We offered it as a hole-in-one prize,” Tebbetts said. “We got a lot of questions about how it worked and overall it generated a lot of interest.”
Advancements in the design of the board and ease of operation also factored into the timing, Tebbetts said.
“The board itself has gotten much better in the last six or seven months,” he said. “It’s a much better experience for the user.”
Golfers at Indian Wells will have two 18-hole courses on which to ride the GolfBoard, an experience Tebbetts said fits and complements the resort experience.
“Everything we do is five-star,” he said. “We’re here for our guests to come and relax, and we strive to provide the best service experience and the best golf experience, and GolfBoard fits both of those.”
Tebbetts said Indian Wells will announce the rental rate for GolfBoard when the boards arrive. The course is taking advance reservations for the board. Those interested in booking the boards can call (760) 346-4653.
Even if golfers have registered to use GolfBoard at other courses, such as Maderas Golf Club in San Diego, they’ll be required to re-register at Indian Wells, Tebbetts said. The board is thought of as a lure to millennials but courses who offer it report it appealing to all demographics. Tebbetts is looking forward to GolfBoard enhancing the golf experience at Indian Wells and attracting new golfers to try GolfBoard.
“We don’t think this is a fad at all,” he said. “You’re seeing more courses adopt it and have success, and we think it’s something that will make people look forward to coming out and playing golf.”
Questions can be directed to Tebbetts at mtebbetts@iwgr.com. To learn more about the golf and resort experience at Indian Wells, visit www.indianwellsgolfresort.com. You can learn more about GolfBoard at www.golfboard.com.
