PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – Power Tee, innovator in technology that drives game improvement, golfer engagement and practice facility revenues, is proud to name Hall of Fame golf instructor Rick Smith as an official brand ambassador. Nine Power Tee Stations were recently installed at Rick Smith’s Golf Performance Center at Trump National Doral Resort and Smith and his team are extremely pleased with the performance and aesthetics.
“Everyone loves Power Tee’s superior hitting surfaces, auto-teeing features, and ability to improve their swings that Power Tee provides,” Smith says. “Our instructors and I have utilized the technology with some of the best golfers in the world and it has been very well received and invaluable in teaching. I highly recommend Power Tee to any leading club or resort in the world. “It enhances the appearance of the facility, is very popular with golfers, and, most importantly, helps golfers improve consistency and repetition of the proper technique.”
Power Tee will be exhibiting their cutting-edge practice stations (powered by the industry’s leading automatic teeing system) at the 70th Annual PGA Merchandise Show at Orlando, Florida’s Orange County Convention Center, Jan. 25 – 27, at ETC Stands 11 and 12 (Between the Foresight Sports and Full Swing Golf Simulator Areas). Smith will be appearing at the Power Tee location Thursday, Jan. 26, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., meeting with Power Tee clients and media while demonstrating its benefits.
The Power Tee team (minus Smith) will also be at Tee #5 at the PGA Show’s January 24th Demo Day at Orange County National Golf Club with adaptive golfer Gianna Rojas demoing her talents and story on the range. Rojas, founder of the Adaptive Golfers organization, makes inspiring, effective golf swings with one arm and encourages others to play.
Smith, along with Power Tee founder and CEO Martin Wyeth, will be showing off the new Power Tee Premier design which takes Power Tee’s breakthrough automatic teeing practice stations – with 40 different tee-height options to ensure perfect lies and turf interaction on every shot – and adds custom decking, lighting and a proprietary design that accommodates fast and efficient installation at public and private golf courses, driving ranges and golf entertainment complexes.
“Rick Smith is a legend among golf instructors and game improvement innovators, so we are honored to have him join Jim Furyk and Thomas Bjorn as a Power Tee brand ambassador,” Wyeth says. “It speaks volumes that Rick is teaching lessons to top clients on Power Tee stations. We are shattering the paradigm of what golfers think of hitting off of mats. When quality lies and reliable turf interaction matter most, one of the top teachers in history of the game is having students improve their games with Power Tee. That’s an immense endorsement.”
Often lauded as a golfing renaissance man, Smith is a renowned teacher, golf course designer, television personality and speaker. He is regarded as one of the PGA Tour’s best sounding boards for swing advice. He has been consistently ranked as one of the top ten golf instructors in the world (#2 in 2009) by Golf Digest.
Smith’s notable clients have included major champions such as Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Lee Janzen, Vijay Singh, David Duval, Paul Azinger, John Daly and Greg Norman. Additionally, Rick has assisted PGA Tour winners Rory Sabbatini, Chris DiMarco, Rocco Mediate, Jerry Kelly, Billy Mayfair, Matt Kuchar, and Billy Andrade among others. He currently operates Rick Smith’s Golf Performance Center at Trump National Doral Resort and the Rick Smith Golf Academy at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.
Already used by 80 percent of the driving ranges in the United Kingdom, Power Tee is now helping a fast-growing number of driving range and golf course owners enjoy increased revenues from Power Tee hitting bays versus traditional grass or mat bays. The reason is simple. Power Tee users get into a groove more easily, improve faster, hit more balls per practice session and spend more time at Power Tee stations. In turn, driving range, food-and-beverage and retail sales increase at these properties.
Power Tee is installed at 400 ranges and clubs across 18 countries. In the past six months, alone, there have been 15 new installations of 208 total machines. Some 6 million golf balls are now teed up daily on a Power Tee.
POWER TEE AT THE PGA MERCHANDISE SHOW The Power Tee team will be available for meetings on the PGA Merchandise Show Floor at ETC Stands 11 and 12 (Between the Foresight Sports and Full Swing Golf Simulator Areas) on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (Jan. 25 – 27) of PGA Show week. Rick Smith will be appearing at the Power Tee stand Thursday, Jan. 26, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Also, look for the Power Tee team at Tee #5 at the PGA Show’s January 24th Demo Day at Orange County National Golf Club with adaptive golfer Gianna Rojas demoing her talents and sharing her story on the range.
