The Future of Golf is Modular. How Cover The Tees is Building the Next Generation of Driving Ranges.

Ever wished you could hit balls year-round, rain or shine, while hanging out with friends and family in a social atmosphere that feels more like a theme park than a driving range?

Host Colin Weston sits down with Matthew Towell (Founder/CEO) and Stephen Arnold (COO) of Cover The Tees to explore how modular construction is revolutionizing the golf entertainment space. From 40-bay facilities rising in hurricane-ravaged Asheville to Chicago ranges hitting a million balls before the snow melts, discover how powder-coated aluminum structures are extending seasons, creating community hubs, and giving newcomers an inviting on-ramp to the game.

Watch as Colin takes you behind the scenes of Cover The Tees' projects and Bay Builder tool, showing exactly how these modular hitting bays come to life and why off-course golf participation has now officially surpassed on-course play.

📌 Video Chapters
00:00 — Introduction: The explosion of short course venues and driving range experiences
00:47 — What is Cover The Tees? Matt explains the mission to make golf more inviting
01:37 — Stephen on the "on-ramp" effect: Why off-course participation now surpasses on-course
03:00 — Visual tour: Chicago facility with garage doors and all-weather capabilities
04:20 — Timeline from design to first ball hit (and why it's so fast)
05:48 — Why powder-coated aluminum beats wood: 60-year durability explained
06:40 — Case study: 1 million balls hit BEFORE the season even started
08:10 — Claremont National Florida: Beer gardens, live music, corn hole & community
10:20 — The "theme park" strategy: Making the range the main attraction
12:00 — Hybrid bays: Simulator play meets real ball flight (Utah project preview)
13:45 — Bay Builder tool walkthrough: Design your perfect range
16:30 — Archie's Family Golf Center: Carol Ann's success story in Canada
18:15 — Interactive map: 100+ locations across the U.S. and growing
19:30 — Major partners: Golf Ranch, Troon, Kemper, and multi-course operators
21:00 — Where Cover The Tees is headed: Partnerships, municipalities, and growth
22:45 — How to connect with Cover The Tees

🔑 What You'll Discover
✅ How modular construction enables 10-14 day on-site installation vs. months of traditional building

✅ Why off-course participation has surpassed on-course golf for the first time ever

✅ How ranges are extending seasons from 6 months to 12 months with enclosures and heating

✅ The secret to 4x revenue growth at Palmetto Dunes and other facilities

✅ How hybrid bays combine simulator play with real ball flight for ultimate flexibility

💬 Key Quotes from the Episode
"We want to continue to partner with more and more people. If you need help, but you have the way of getting money to invest in your own course, I'd love to help you out."
— Matthew Towell, Founder/CEO

"The golf course itself is the main roller coaster and we wanted to create the theme park around it. You know, while you're waiting to ride the big ride, let's give them something else to do."
— Stephen Arnold, COO

"We're creating that on-ramp for people to get into the game of golf. It's super intimidating to step up to the tee box for the first time... creating these spaces where people can come hack at some balls and even if you're not great at it, you can still be entertained."
— Stephen Arnold, COO

"This is the bowling alley of today's age, right? It can go to any city, any town, any driving range, any field with a parcel of land where you can set up a tee line and hit some balls."
— Stephen Arnold, COO

Keywords & Tags
golf, driving range, golf facility, modular construction, golf entertainment, golf business, golf course management, covered hitting bays, golf technology, Top Tracer, golf range design, golf entrepreneurship, off-course golf, golf simulators, golf industry, golf revenue, golf community, golf operations, Golf Ranch, Troon, Kemper Sports, golf course renovation, seasonal golf, year-round golf, powder-coated aluminum, golf construction, Bay Builder, ModGolf Podcast, Colin Weston

🔗 Links & Resources
Cover The Tees Website: coverthetees.com

Listen to the Full Podcast Episode: ModGolf Podcast Season 20, Episode 1
🎧 👉 modgolf.fireside.fm/226-cover-the-tees

Follow Cover The Tees: Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Get Started: Use their interactive Bay Builder to design your facility

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