The on-going story of revival at Leeds Golf Centre reached a landmark last week with the opening of one of the most sophisticated high-tech golf swing studios in Europe. 

Leeds Golf Centre’s upturn in fortune, under new owners Parklane Properties, was acknowledged in the opening speech by Andy Herridge, the Head PGA Professional. 2011 has seen club wide renovations and development from corporate identity to clubhouse, greenskeeping equipment and of course the new Swing Studios. 

A crowd consisting of local and national media, golf industry guests and dignitaries as well as local 2012 European Tour golfer Danny Willett and Danny McGuire from Leeds Rhinos gathered to see and test-out the facility for themselves. The bays were officially and appropriately opened with a first drive by European Tour player John Parry who also trains at Leeds Golf Centre with his coach Mark Moore. 

With a prize of “bragging rights” on offer, a longest drive and putting competition was held to put the new equipment through its paces. Danny Willet took the lead right at the beginning measured by the FlightScope™ launch monitor and, whilst he was pipped to the post by Joe Feather from Leeds Golf Centre, he was consistently the biggest hitter. 


Meanwhile, Enid Gott, Lady Captain at the golf centre’s Wike Ridge Golf Club, won the putting consistency competition using the SAM PuttLab. 

Speaking at the event Andrew Keast of MIA Sports Technology, who designed and installed the systems, said that to his knowledge there was “no more a complete centre in Europe”. 

David Smith, President of the Yorkshire Golf Union said “I’ve not seen another facility like this ever” and John Parry commenting that the only place he has seen force plates (in this case the SAM BalanceLab) was at specific sports science Universities. 

One happy customer on the opening weekend was so impressed after a lesson with PGA Professional Nick Barron that he emailed these comments “This fantastic set up allowed me to see my swing in action, rather than feel it. Nick was able to not just tell me but show me how my swing needed to change which made it so much easier to learn. It's probably saved me hours and hours on the range”. 

This major investment is a positive statement of intent by Leeds Golf Centre to raise the bar and live up to its ethos of being the Home of Modern Golf. It is part of a major development that has been going on since the golf club was bought out by Leeds-based Parklane Properties in February this year and has seen new club memberships up by over a hundred and rising this season. Already completed is a new corporate image, shop refit, club locker rooms, car park, course maintenance and greekeeping equipement, software and website. Still to come over the winter months are course redevelopments and renovation of the restaurant and bar area (Wike Ridge Inn). 

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