The Box Golf Training Center helps golfers sharpen game
<p>The Box CEO Tim McDonnell takes a swing at the new driving range, set up on the University of Idaho Sandpoint property along North Boyer. (Photo by CAMERON RASMUSSON)</p><p></p>
SANDPOINT — All golfers are well-acquainted with the tension that precedes a critical swing of the club.
At the newly-opened driving range The Box Golf Training Center, company CEO Tim McDonnell aims to take the edge off that suspense. Open for business Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until the snow flies, the driving range is located at the University of Idaho Sandpoint on North Boyer. A bag of about 60 balls runs $5.
McDonnell is establishing the driving range in coordination with his invention of The Box, a golf training aid that helps novice and experienced golfers alike in honing their ability to accurately line up shots.
“As we launched (the Box) into the marketplace, we realized we needed a place to demonstrate the product and train golfers and student athletes,” McDonnell said.
For being so effective, The Box itself is simple enough: a flat square with several intersecting strings in the middle that create smaller squares in the center. These strings instruct the golfer on where to place his or her feet while the angle of The Box gives them a much clearer picture on what direction their swing will send the ball.
Originally developed to help his daughter practice her game, McDonnell quickly recognized its usefulness for golfers of all stripes. As a result, the tool is available to use at the new driving range, which first opened this Sunday. It will also be available for sale at the site itself.
The training options accompany a host of options for golfers seeking to hone their abilities or simply blow off a little steam with some solid drives. The center features 13 hitting stations and will allow golfers to try their luck in different types of terrain from smooth greens to sand traps.
The Box Golf Training Center operates through a partnership with the University of Idaho. In addition to leasing five acres of its 77-acre property, McDonnell plans to work with the university to set up internships and seminars for students of its professional golf management program. Similarly, the driving range is open to the Sandpoint High School golf team for practice. McDonnell hopes those kind of measures will help introduce golf, a sport that’s had difficulty bringing in younger players, to a new generation.