GolfSpace | IndesignLive

February 16th, 2022

Hitting the green has long been one of Australia’s favourite club sports – but it’s the innovative experiences like GolfSpace that are bound to keep it up there well into the future. Born out of the desire to create a better learning experience and a more accessible, egalitarian and inclusive way to engage with the sport for golf enthusiasts at every level, this pioneering project carves out a new space on the contemporary golfing scene. “It’s the space golf has been missing,” Dean Dewhirst, the Founder and CEO of GolfSpace, puts it simply.

Somewhere between the driving range and the full on-course setting, the trailblazing destination is a sophisticated yet attainable fusion of the best in performance and entertainment. “It’s not an indoor simulator centre, not an indoor coaching centre, not an indoor entertainment golf centre – GolfSpace is an indoor golf club,” Dean says about the venture that allowed him to combine his two biggest passions – architecture and design, and golf.

With the design brief centred around the idea of delivering an indoor golf facility that’s never been done before – and the incredibly accomplished project team consisting of Scott Carver Architects and Building Guild behind the endeavour – GolfSpace delivers a unique interior that puts the participant’s experience front and centre.

“Typically, similar facilities are set up by golf coaches who don’t tend to have passion for design,” Dean says. “I looked at the space from a golf enthusiast point of view, thinking ‘what would a golfer want?’ I think what we’re created is very unique in that respect,” Dean adds. And it would be impossible to disagree.

Hidden behind an unassuming shop front facade, this state-of-the-art fit-out extends across the impressive 1,700 square metres with a defined sense of flow and intrigue which draws the participants in, through an expertly-balanced combination of considered design and high-end tech.

Welcoming the members and visitors are a beautifully appointed cafe and bar, and one-of-a-kind Wedge Calibration Area, designed specifically for the pioneering venue to coach where the player would want to land the ball. Grounded by steel support columns – a nod to the industrial heritage of the warehouse – the space pulls the visitors in, to where Australia’s only PuttView interactive learning environment is located, and then further, revealing the spectacular line of simulator Trackman bays just around the corner. Positioned to encourage interaction between the players, the bays are in keeping with the overarching design intent that consistently places the experience of the player at its very heart.

The ambition to ensure an unmatched player experience is also expressed through a meticulously curated palette that sets the venue apart from other facilities. Reflecting GolfSpace’s premium proposition – and fusing effortlessly with brand graphics incorporated throughout the space – the visual identity of the interiors is built around a sublime blend of reconstituted stone, terrazzo and feature tiles. This tactile palette is mindfully dotted with eye-catching details that add depth to the interiors and emphasise their unique nature, such as antique mirrors, brass trims and mesh joinery.

Alongside the masterfully laid out spatial configuration and colour and material palette, what takes this groundbreaking space to another level is the incorporation of world-class golfing technologies. Designed for a new generation of golfers, GolfSpace features software used by many of the world’s professional golfers – TrackMan 4 and Playmaker 6. This advanced technology makes it the only facility like it in the Southern Hemisphere, while enabling the participants to hit a ball on over 135 leading golf courses all around the world from the undeniable comfort of a private bay. “We have Pebble Beach on the big TV at the weekend, plus you can play Pebble Beach in the virtual course, too,” Dean offers as an example.

Apart from the ability to peruse a world-wide selection of locations, the players can lean on one-on-one PGA coaching sessions to improve on their game as the incredibly advanced software provides a complex analysis of every aspect of their game. The world-class software also analyzes the premium green – a custom-made synthetic turn expertly installed by South West Green – to provide exceptional levels of precision and equip the players with development and progression data.

“But technology isn’t the hero,” Dean points out. In contrast to many facilities of this kind globally, GolfSpace balances out the presence of tech by creating a truly inviting ambience, rooted in a sense of warmth and refinement; a place people want to visit and be social. “When the lights come on in the evening, this place is just gorgeous,” Dean says, acknowledging the work of the project team to create this stunning interior. “They’ve detailed this bar to light up at night with the technology around it which makes it such a wonderful place next to the big sports bar. And it all just blends in together,” Dean adds, comparing the interior to a high-end Barangaroo cocktail bar. “We have achieved this sense of welcoming warmth and cosiness that’s so difficult to accomplish in such an expansive warehouse space,” he sums up with pride.

And there is still room to grow. With such a pronounced point of difference the facility offers to the golf aficionados, the incredibly engaging fit-out and its founder’s ambition, GolfSpace is bound to scale up – with the innovative interior devised specifically to enable it in the future. “By construction of a mezzanine level, we increased the floor space, giving GolfSpace the ability for greater future expansion,” explains Alex Johnson, Building Guild Director.

Aptly combining the considered and future-proof layout, sophisticated palette, world-class software and bespoke green, Building Guild has delivered an unrivalled indoor golf club like no other, bringing a sense of elevated yet welcoming style and immersive fun into the world of golf Down Under. “GolfSpace was an inspiring and motivating project to be involved with – innovation was a key driver behind its concept,” Alex says. “We thoroughly enjoyed delivering this high end project. It was a fantastic experience; great client and exciting to see the concept come to life.”