Golfers at King’s Walk Golf Course in Grand Forks, North Dakota can now get food and beverages from the clubhouse restaurant delivered straight to the green by a drone, thanks to Israeli drone logistics company Flytrex, working in partnership with King’s Walk and EASE Drones.
This is being touted as the first-ever drone delivery service on a golf course anywhere in the United States.
Patrons use their Flytrex Golf smartphone app to order food and beverage items for delivery to one of several pre-approved drop-off sites on the golf course. The clubhouse restaurant packages the order and hands it off to a Flytrex technician, who loads it on the drone and sends it aloft.
The app provides the customer with real-time status tracking. When the drone reaches the drop-off point it remains airborne, awaiting confirmation that the customer is in position nearby. Once confirmed, the drone lowers the goody package to the ground using Flytrex’s “InAir” wire-drop system.
The new service is supposed to slash waiting time for peckish putters, as golf-course staff will no longer need to operate a “milk-run” to bring customers food and beverages across the 80-plus acres of the course.
To ensure compliance with existing legislation, the drones will be operating within line of sight and will fly over specific routes without people below.
The drone initiative was approved by the Grand Forks Park District just two weeks after the plan was presented to the park board. “We are continuing to build on innovation in unmanned technologies because of the exciting public-private partnerships which have embraced the growth of this industry throughout the region,” said Keith Lund, Grand Forks Region EDC President and CEO.
“The sky’s the limit when it comes to drone capabilities,” said Yariv Bash, CEO of Flytrex in Tel Aviv. “From delivering snacks and beverages to golfers, to assisting in search and rescue operations, to performing key inspections, drones are being incorporated into all aspects of life. This is the first of many projects we have planned in the US, including an FAA-approved pilot in North Carolina which will take off later this year.”
Flytrex is in talks with other golf courses that are interested in the drone delivery service.
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