SUTTON COLDFIELD, England – Four-time Ryder Cup venue The Belfry Hotel & Resort has unveiled what is believed to be Europe’s first active-terrain golf performance suite, bringing together Zen’s programmable putting and full-swing technologies for the first time in a single bay to create one of the world’s most advanced indoor coaching and fitting environments.
Located within the VIP Studio at the resort’s PGA National Golf Academy, the installation combines a new Zen Green Stage with the existing Zen Swing Stage, allowing golfers to experience breaking putts, uneven lies and changing slopes throughout a single coaching or fitting session.
The installation also showcases Zen’s recently-launched integration with Trackman, enabling the industry’s leading launch monitor technology to respond dynamically to changing terrain. Together, the technologies narrow the gap between indoor practice and on-course performance by combining ball-flight analysis with the physical realities of the golf course.
The facility will soon be enhanced with Zen Eye®, Zen’s putting analysis and augmented reality platform, together with the Putting Index®, creating an integrated ecosystem that combines active terrain, launch monitor data, putting intelligence and immersive player feedback.
Chris Reeve, Director of Golf and Leisure at The Belfry, believes the installation represents a significant step forward for the Academy.
“We’re delighted with the completed installation and, more importantly, so are the golfers experiencing it,” said Reeve. “The VIP Studio has become a truly unique coaching environment where players can experience conditions that are much closer to those they encounter on the golf course.
“By combining Zen’s active terrain technologies with the latest performance analysis tools, we’re creating an environment that supports better coaching, more informed club fitting and richer learning experiences. We’re proud that The Belfry is among the first venues in the world to showcase what this next generation of golf technology can deliver.”
Dan Warwick, Head Professional at The PGA National Golf Academy, said the facility is already transforming coaching sessions.
“Having both stages working together has been fantastic,” said Warwick. “We can move seamlessly between breaking putts, uneven lies and full-swing coaching while capturing data in conditions that better reflect the game. It allows us to coach more of golf, more naturally, within a single environment.”
David Colclough, Head of Coaching & Sport Science at The PGA of Great Britain & Ireland, said the development represents an important opportunity for coach education.
“The Belfry has always been at the forefront of educating golf instructors. The addition of Zen’s active terrain technology creates an exciting environment where coaching, research and innovation come together. Giving our Members and students access to technologies that better reflect the game supports our commitment to continually advancing coaching practice and ensuring PGA Professionals remain at the forefront of coaching innovation.”
Zen Golf founder Nick Middleton said the installation demonstrates how indoor golf is evolving beyond simulation towards complete performance environments.
“For decades, indoor golf has measured how golfers strike the ball. The next step is recreating the conditions under which every shot is actually played,” said Middleton.
“The Belfry is demonstrating that future today. By combining Zen Green Stage, Zen Swing Stage and our new Trackman integration, we’re bringing together dynamic terrain, performance data and immersive learning in a single environment. With Zen Eye and the Putting Index joining the platform, The Belfry is providing a glimpse of how coaching, fitting and player development will evolve over the coming decade.”
The installation strengthens The Belfry’s position as one of Europe’s leading centres for golf coaching and education, while demonstrating how partnerships among venues, technology innovators, and leading performance platforms such as Trackman are shaping the future of the game.
See https://www.thebelfry.com/ and https://zen.golf/ for further information.