Howe2Golf in Sydney’s Entertainment Quarter is revolutionising the golf experience
Chris Howe’s six golf simulators are within a well-struck 4-iron of Hyper Karting, Strike Bowling and the fad of pickleball. If you want a measure of golf’s current ‘cool’ as a fun, entertainment option of broad reach, here it is in the heart of Sydney.
Howe2Golf is the brainchild of former Royal Sydney Golf Club head teaching professional, Chris Howe. Setting up a new indoor golf training venue, accompanied by an elegant clubhouse vibe, has put the venture on the map in the Entertainment Quarter at Sydney’s Moore Park.
“It’s a fact that a lot of golfers are time poor, so I got thinking about providing more access to a training centre with all the right tech at an inner-city location,” Howe explained. “That goes hand-in-hand with being more able to find time to hit some balls. The way I’ve designed it, I also wanted to give people a very clubhouse-esque ambience combining modern and old regal.”
Howe’s April opening coincided with strong efforts to revitalise the Entertainment Quarter. Having the three courts for pickleball as a neighbour is a positive because the array of sports options is attracting a more voluminous flow of people. The six bays at Howe2Golf have TrackMan 4 simulators installed to give members and casual visitors access to playing more than 250 golf courses worldwide.
“We find a lot of people want to play the great links courses like St Andrews on TrackMan and perhaps prepare a little for their own trip to play in Scotland or Ireland,” Howe said.
You’ll always engage Howe, 45, with a conversation about Nottingham Forest because the football club of his English roots has stayed up in the English Premier League. After some time on Europe’s Challenge Tour and Euro Pro Tour, Howe ventured to Australia and has been a Full Vocational Member of the PGA of Australia since 2004.
He remains grateful for a “rewarding” decade at Royal Sydney (2009-2019). Many of his loyal golfers still have lessons with the two-time NSW PGA Coach of the Year nominee (2010 and 2017) at Howe2Golf.
“I’m very thankful for my time at Royal Sydney. For me, it became time to expand and try something different with my own business,” Howe said.
“There has been a boom in golf, but you still have to keep evolving as a game to continue that growth into the future. The indoor space for golf is only going to grow. There was a time when eyes glazed over when you offered tech online in teaching. Now, far more golfers want the coaching combined with the metrics for validation because it helps their understanding of what they have to do to improve. Whether it is the purist or someone who plays with the shirt out of their shorts all the time, it’s all golf and you have to appeal.”
Howe2Golf has four TV screens, a bar and corporate catering for bigger groups. Howe does like golf’s interaction with the broader sporting community that the facility’s location offers.
“I was teaching a cricketer not so long ago and the Sydney Roosters have keen golfers and are based just nearby,” Howe added.
• There are indoor golf centres offering access to PGA professional coaching throughout Australia. To find a PGA professional nearest to you, visit pga.org.au/find-a-pga-pro/
