AboutGolf Europe has been selected by leading European sports retail group Decathlon to install 6 state of the art Indoor Golf Simulators into selected stores across continental Europe. The installations will take place in Paris, Lille, Madrid (2) and Bilbao as part of a long term strategic plan, to introduce leading technology into Decathlons golf retail environment. more

AboutGolf—producer of blockbuster PC golf games such as Microsoft Golf and Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge Golf—has introduced Loyal H. “Bud” Chapman’s Infamous 18 to avid gamers in time for the holiday season.

In one of the most incredibly detailed PC games ever created, the renowned Chapman’s legendary paintings of fantasy golf holes are sure to challenge both the mind and body of serious gamers. The Infamous 18 whisks players around the world to never-before-seen golf adventures—from atop the buildings of a bustling New York City skyline to the dreary surroundings of dimly-lit caverns, and from the breathtaking Grand Canyon to deep in the Redwood Forest.

Infamous 18 also includes two additional golf courses—Teeth of the Dog and The Myrtle Beach Tour—plus the Infamous 18 screensaver. And for online enthusiasts, the Infamous 18 Tour offers online tournaments, and closest-to-the-pin and long-drive contests.

Chapman’s holes are brought to life in amazing detail thanks to AboutGolf’s talented technicians. Reproducing Chapman’s holes was extremely laborious—the game took more than three years to produce—and was meticulously handled by AboutGolf’s highest-ranking course developers. The company added to its team of 3D graphics developers to produce high-end particle-effect and multilayer-texture technology to enable stunningly vivid, realistic effects such as volcanoes, flowing waterfalls, grass blowing in the wind and crashing surf worthy of Chapman’s hole locations. Chapman also created some amazing art for the game by painstakingly sketching the parts of the holes you don’t see in his paintings.

“It’s just amazing on how close this game comes to recreating my golf holes,” Chapman says. “It’s just how I imagined them to be. What a shock and thrill to actually see them come to life.”

Chapman also designed the four characters featured in the game. One of them, Big John Steele, is a unique individual based on Chapman’s regular caddy many years ago. While Steele was a homeless alcoholic, he was also a genius with a photographic memory, and was able to recite everything he’d ever read verbatim.

The Infamous 18 goes well beyond the other PC golf games on the market in terms of accuracy, physics, and playability relative to the real game of golf.

“Computer golf games have been stagnating for over 10 years,” says Bill Bales, AboutGolf’s CEO. “Where other golf games have gotten obsessed with player expressions and crowds whose body movement follows the ball, our focus has been to deliver a more fulfilling experience in actually playing the game. The spectacular scenery and graphics of the Infamous 18 course, coupled with our extremely accurate shot physics, to me provides a much better user experience.”

Infamous 18 is available now from Edwin Watts’ catalog and website, and at all Edwin Watts stores nationwide. Infamous 18 will also be available at PGA TOUR Superstore and other locations in time for Christmas delivery.  Infamous 18 will also be available at www.aboutgolf.cz.

Maumee, Ohio-based AboutGolf has two things in common with Tiger Woods. Like Woods, AboutGolf – offering the latest in high-tech golf simulators – can track a 300-yard drive. And just like Woods, AboutGolf is taking the game by storm, thanks to its realistic and beneficial simulators. more

Faced with the possibility of extinction, home recreation rooms are ushering in some surprising new players more

MAUMEE, OHIO—Ben Witter, a PGA Professional and Trick-Shot Artist with a specialty in power training, has entered into a partnership agreement with AboutGolf. Witter will represent AboutGolf in his golf shows and appearances, and assist with the growth and development of AboutGolf Performance Training Centers. more

Check out Ben's amazing tricks

MAUMEE, OHIO—Golf Galaxy—one of the world’s largest golf retailers—is using Ohio-based AboutGolf ® indoor golf simulators as Golf Galaxy’s exclusive game-improvement golf simulator technology.

Golf Galaxy, which opened its first store in 1997, now has 61 stores in 24 states, each averaging 17,000 square feet in size. Golf Galaxy is a first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art interactive golf retailer, and part of that experience includes the use of AboutGolf’s indoor golf simulators at all of its newest locations nationwide. Golf Galaxy prides itself on its world-class selection of brand-name golf equipment, golf apparel, golf accessories and golf gifts for golfers of all ages and abilities.

“Golf Galaxy is an ideal location to utilize the benefits of our simulator technology,” says Bill Bales, CEO of AboutGolf. “We are indeed thrilled that AboutGolf’s simulators are a key component of the Golf Galaxy interactive consumer experience, and are proud of our relationship with such an outstanding company run by such outstanding individuals.”

The AboutGolf indoor simulator combines AboutGolf’s industry leading PC golf simulation software technology with groundbreaking technology developed in partnership with EDH Sport.  This collaboration is constantly re-writing the indoor golf standards.

“Because AboutGolf’s unparalleled technology is the best in the world, we felt we had no choice but to partner with them by making their indoor golf simulators an exclusive part of our stores nationwide,” says Ron Hornbaker, Golf Galaxy’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations. 

AboutGolf’s indoor golf simulators have been installed in all new Golf Galaxy locations since February 2003 for club fitting and testing.  The unparalleled accuracy and extensive software fitting and data tools have aided Golf Galaxy’s club sales efforts. .

AboutGolf—which has earned a strong reputation for innovation and technology—is an 18-year-old Maumee, Ohio-based company that’s a subsidiary of Friendly Software.  AboutGolf has produced Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge Golf, Microsoft Golf and World Tours, which is the world’s most widely distributed golf simulation.  AboutGolf® is a registered trademark of AboutGolf Limited, Maumee, Ohio.

For more information and product images contact:
Mary Beth Lacy at mb@mblacy.com or
Phone: 760-202-1181.

AboutGolf Ltd.
1628 Henthorne Drive
Suite 200
Maumee, OH 43537
Phone: 419-868-6091

MAUMEE, OHIO — Parmasters Golf Training Centers—the world’s first year-round state-of-the-art indoor golf training center franchise that literally guarantees results—has chosen Ohio-based About Golf’s indoor golf simulators as Parmasters’ exclusive game-improvement golf simulator technology.

Parmasters Golf Training Centers are the ultimate golf training and practice facility, and following five years of research and development, Parmasters Golf Training Centers has just opened its first location, in Memphis, Tennessee. The semi-private golf training center features 25,000 square feet of golf training facilities—including AboutGolf simulators—a large short-game area, bunkers, fluency bays, golf-fitness equipment and much more.

“Parmasters’ visionary approach to indoor golf training is not only the ideal venue for our simulator technology, but will make a powerful contribution to the growth of golf and in increasing the golfer’s enjoyment of the sport,” says Bill Bales, CEO of AboutGolf. “We believe Parmasters has an extremely solid business model and unlimited potential, and we’re thrilled that AboutGolf’s indoor golf simulators will be a key component of the Parmasters experience going forward.”

The AboutGolf indoor simulators use the latest in sensor technology and golf-software design. Parmasters realizes that any effort to accurately replicate the game of golf indoors must feature intricate technology and focused technologists with a thirst for continual improvement. Enter AboutGolf’s indoor golf simulator, which is the collaboration of two seminal golf-technology companies—AboutGolf and EDH Sport—who are constantly re-writing the indoor-golf standards.

“It was really an obvious choice to use AboutGolf’s indoor golf simulators in our Parmasters Golf Training Centers,” says Tom Matzen, Parmasters’ president, CEO and co-founder. “AboutGolf’s incredibly accurate technology is second to none, and we decided at the outset that we will spare no expense in making our Parmasters Golf Training Centers the world’s finest, most state-of-the-art training center franchise.”

Parmasters will utilize the AboutGolf indoor golf simulators for club fitting, teaching, league play and social rounds, and Parmasters’ members can use the simulators to play more than 30 fully three-dimensional, real-time courses, including Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Caso de Campo’s Teeth of the Dog.

AboutGolf’s Sim Sensor applies patented 3D phased-array microwave technology that operates at 7,000 cycles per second, providing an amazingly accurate tracking view of the ball during its entire flight. AboutGolf’s physicists continue to perfect algorithms that translate the Sim Sensor’s tracking data into accurate shot results, including precise collisions with 3D trees, rocks, cart paths, sloped lies and all types of terrain.. The Sim Sensor, once properly calibrated, needs little or no ongoing adjustment.

AboutGolf’s unparalleled graphics feature greater resolution and detail than other golf simulators, including highly-detailed terrain, reflective water, varying weather conditions, tee signs that can be read, and moving clouds, grass and flags that blow in the direction and intensity of the wind.. Only AboutGolf’s simulators provide a fully 3D-rendered environment, critical to realistic play.

Perfected through more than 10 million competitive rounds with its World Tours PC golf simulation, AboutGolf’s complete online facility for tournament and event play is a value-add to all Parmasters’ clients. Closet-to-the-pin and long drive contests have proven to be hugely addictive, and tournaments encourage repeat play. Results and leaderboards are tracked automatically and can be viewed with any internet-capable computer.

DataTrac will enable users to log in at the beginning of each simulator session and have all their activity tracked and ported to their personal website.. Users can visit their sites to analyze stats, review practice data, get instructional tips based on their practice sessions and replay their best shots.

AboutGolf—which has earned a strong reputation for innovation and technology—is an 18-year-old Maumee, Ohio-based company that’s a subsidiary of Friendly Software. AboutGolf has produced Greg Norman Ultimate Challege Golf, Microsoft Golf and World Tours, which is the world’s most widely-distributed golf simulation.

Parmasters Golf Training Centers are fun, climate-controlled indoor facilities where members can enjoy numerous amenities, including AboutGolf’s simulators, driving bays, undulating putting greens and bunkers. Most importantly, Parmasters takes it a step further by demystifying the golf swing with a golf training system that guarantees a 25 percent handicap reduction using the proven sports technology, Straight-Line Golf™, developed by Scott Hazledine, a Class A PGA professional and Parmasters’ co-founder.

For more information and product images contact Mary Beth Lacy at mb@mblacy..com or 760-202-1181.

MAUMEE, OH – Mark Twain once said (paraphrasing), ‘Everybody gripes about the weather, but nobody ever does anything about it.’

Well, now we can honestly say, somebody’s doing something about it – at least when it comes to the game of golf.  In our twenty-first century technological world, earthly limitations such as temperature and precipitation are being defeated at the hands of folks who’re fighting to bring the game into more climate controlled environments, courtesy of an invention that will certainly change every golfer’s life at some point.  If you’ve been to a large golf retailer, you’ve probably seen one – it’s a golf simulator. more

Having opened with an unprecedented six simulators for club fitting and teaching, the store's initial success has necessitated adding two more. "We certainly thought six simulators would be enough, but store traffic has been very heavy and the AboutGolf Simulators have been an even greater draw than we had anticipated", states Bill Baraban, Director of Teaching and Club Fitting and a PGA Master Professional whose Masters thesis was in Club Fitting. "The AboutGolf Simulator is definitely the best tool available for fitting clubs indoors, and its visual realism makes it a very strong draw."

AboutGolf launched its simulator product in early 2003. Their simulator has since become the best selling simulator to large golf retailers who need an inviting and accurate environment to fit clubs. "We continue to strive to not only produce the best indoor golf experience, but to provide the most accurate data and the best tools for indoor club fitting", states Bill Bales, CEO and founder of AboutGolf.

The simulator market is taking notice. AboutGolf's sales quadrupled in 2004, and AboutGolf sales will more than double over 2004 this year. Bales projects that sales will continue rapid growth for the next several years via international expansion and the increase in the overall market made possible by the groundbreaking accuracy and functionality of AboutGolf's technology.

The two Martin's PGA TOUR Superstores in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina also utilize AboutGolf Simulators. The Roswell store is the third in a planned national expansion of the PGA TOUR Superstore concept.

For more information, see: www.pgatoursuperstore.com or www.aboutgolf.cz

WorldPlay is an advanced derivative of AboutGolf's World Tours online facility that has been in commercial use for over three years. Over ten million competitive rounds have been played on World Tours, which has over 200,000 members. WorldPlay enables simulator operators to manage its own "tour" of events for local play, and also open up play to its clientele in worldwide events where users can earn appearance fees and prize money in the form of virtual cash called "skins". Users will accumulate skins to a private account and use them to purchase gifts from an online catalog. All play is tracked to live leaderboards accessible via the worldwide web.

DataTrac will enable users to log into any AboutGolf simulator in use worldwide and track all practice and club-fitting data to a private web page for later analysis. Users will be able to analyze launch data, sort through individual shots, compare shot groupings, and compare sessions to track progress. A future capability will provide users with analytical feedback of their practice and club-fitting data via artificial intelligence designed to play the role of a professional teacher or club-fitter.

AdKit is being introduced as an ever-expanding component that draws from AboutGolf's industry-leading golf advergaming technology which as been used extensively by the likes of Chrysler, WCI Communities, Inc., and the American Advertising Federation. AdKit will offer a growing list of advergaming and CRM capabilities to enable owners to maximize the advertising revenue capabilities in their AboutGolf Simulators.

To help celebrate the formal launch of WorldPlay, many of AboutGolf's international distributors will be present at the PGA Merchandise Show in AboutGolf's booth. International partners will be present from England, Sweden, The Czech Republic, South Africa, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Australia, Guatemala, and Canada. Hourly skill events will be offered, sponsored by Top-Flite/Ben Hogan.

AboutGolf has been in the golf simulation technology business since 1988, having produced Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge Golf, Microsoft Golf, and the world's most widely distributed golf simulation, World Tours. AboutGolf released its groundbreaking indoor golf simulator in 2003, and is the fastest-growing golf simulator producer in the world.

AboutGolf will be displaying its simulator in booth 6821 at the PGA Merchandise Show, and will be entertaining guests for private demonstrations in meeting room 304A.