A hotel television might not seem like the best source of inspiration, but it was for Greg Norman in creating the “Shark Experience.”
With a TV remote in hand, Norman was scrolling through the deep menu of options in his hotel room some years ago when he first came up with the idea of bringing connectivity and customized content to golf carts. The concept took more than four years to deliver, but Norman – together with partners Verizon, GPSi and Club Car – is now set to roll out the technology at courses throughout the U.S. in 2018.
I recently had the opportunity to get an early look at the innovative Shark Experience, which features music and video on a high-definition 10-inch touchscreen display in the cart in addition to GPS technology that gives in-depth hole and yardage information with the touch of a finger. The connected carts – from Club Car, of course – allow golfers to enjoy curated content from Verizon, most notably streaming music via Slacker Radio that can be easily searched by artist or genre.
The carts feature built-in speakers (with Bluetooth connectivity) that produce terrific sound without being intrusive to other golfers; I noticed that even with the volume turned up pretty high, the music wasn’t audible once we were about 20-25 feet away from the cart.
There’s also a wealth of video options, from live sports and highlights to news and entertainment, if you’re inclined to stay that connected during your round. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons during the football season, that option could prove to be hugely popular if licensing hurdles are out of the way. And golfers in need of some in-round tips will find those too; a swipe of a finger can pull up Norman demonstrating the best way to hit a tricky long bunker shot.
“At the end of the day we truly believe we have an innovative, game-changing opportunity for the game of golf that’s going to be accretive to everybody,” says Norman.
“We completely understand some golf courses are not going to like this, there’s no question about it,” he adds. “But that’s their choice. That’s why I say, ‘Your game, your way.’ I’m extremely proud of this.”
