What golfer doesn’t want to get better?
The obvious answer is that all golfers desire to improve their games. But they don’t have to do it on their own. Sure, there are lessons from golf professionals but coaching can be costly and isn’t always accessible. And, while there is no end to the tips and suggestions from friends and better players, such advice is not always sound.
Help is out there.
Meet TruGolf Inc., a Utah-based developer, manufacturer and distributor of golf simulator software and hardware. Established in 1982, TruGolf is known for driving the virtual golf industry. Indeed, the company was the first to develop a 3D simulation engine.
Microsoft purchased TruGolf’s parent company, Access Software, in 1999. Following the transaction, TruGolf maintained the core programming and graphics team that worked on its wildly popular Links franchise of PC golf games.
Since then, the company, whose motto is that “golf is for everyone”, has continued to grow with the help of partners like Protocase.
Going Public
Levi Johnson, VP of Hardware and a longtime custom simulator designer, says the company has no plans of slowing down. He cited the recent merger of TruGolf, Inc. and Deep Medicine Acquisition Corporation as proof that the company, now called TruGolf Holdings, Inc, is continuing to grow. TruGolf became a publicly traded company on February 1, 2024. It trades on the NASDAQ stock market under the ticker symbol “TRUG”.
“Going public is exciting,” declares Johnson, who has been with TruGolf for more than 12 years.
“We’ve already seen some growth and excitement generating from the launch of our stock - it’s a good sign of the potential ahead,” he says. “And, we’re always looking at the latest technology breakthroughs to see if there is a possible utilization in the simulation industry.”
New Technologies
Within six weeks of going public, TruGolf Holdings stock was trading at 52 percent higher than at launch with shares up to $1.75. That increase is, in part, attributed to TruGolf’s recently-announced partnership with mlSpatial, an AI and machine learning engineering firm. Together, the two companies jointly developed an advanced AI engine that aims to enhance the accuracy of TruGolf’s APOGEE launch monitor. The agreement also grants TruGolf the option of acquiring future mlSpatial assets.
Today, TruGolf has about 75 employees and offers up its latest technologies in a range of mind-blowing products. The company bills its E6 Connect as the highest-quality, most lifelike, customizable golf simulator software ever created. That software, which comes with the E6 Product Launcher, powers the TruGolf MAX, TruGolf MAX + Technology and TruGolf MAX + 4K simulators. Those simulators also feature APOGEE Launch Monitor (which measures club and ball data) hardware, MAX frame, impact screen, projector, tee-box, first-cut turf floor and side netting. Along with the TruGolf MAX series, the company offers professional, commercial, custom and portable golf simulators. Other products include a slate of multisport arcade games, including Breakaway Soccer, Slap Shot Hockey, Rally Baseball and Zombie Dodgeball.
Growth of Golf
The latest study conducted by the American Golf Industry Coalition claims that more than 40-million people found their way onto a golf course in the United States in 2022. The coalition estimates golf has a $101.7-billion direct economic impact.
According to Johnson, TruGolf markets is golf simulation products to commercial facilities setting up indoor golf clubs and resorts, golf coaches who use the tools to teach, professionals who looking to improve their game and homeowners who are adding to their residential amenities and seek both training and entertainment.
“My own game has improved dramatically because of my continued use on the simulator and that’s due to the constant data feedback,” says Johnson. “I have to admit that most of my golf is now indoors. My favorite courses, digitally, are Pebble Beach and Pinehurst #2. But I still get outdoors – I go camping and hiking in the many great national and state parks we have here in Utah.”
Working with Protocase
In the world of professional golf, players are hitting the ball harder and further than ever before. Even average golfers can propel the ball off the tee at speeds greater than 150 mph. That can prove dangerous at an indoor golf facility.
And with no guarantees of where the ball might go, it makes for a potentially destructive environment. While the screens are built to withstand the impact of a high-speed golf ball, TruGolf turned to Protocase for help with the fabrication of its tracking system chassis. Indeed, Protocase has been manufacturing chassis assemblies, housing, parts and components for TruGolf’s tracking systems since 2016.
“Protocase provides a sturdy and visually strong enclosure for our technology to be safe in an indoor sports environment where golf balls travel very fast,” says Johnson, whose firm also recently utilized Protocase’s design services team on an order of APOGEE Epsilon chassis assemblies.
“Protocase has been a reliable and prompt partner for myself and our company. I have been saved on many occasions with the 2-3 day turnaround time that Protocase provides.”