Case Study
Changing the way the game is played
Enhancing the user experience through state-of-the-art design, engineering, and production.
IN2 and Topgolf Callaway partnered to optimize and improve the overall experience by creating the next generation of golf ball dispensers that significantly improves gameplay.
Innovating a boosted experience increases player satisfaction
Using a unique combination of technology, materials, and manufacturing methods, we transformed the dispenser from a single steel box into an intentionally designed and engineered apparatus in which form meets function to enhance the user experience.
We believe we’re entering the next innovation revolution and that it will blend and blur the lines between the digital and physical worlds. The new Topgolf Callaway ball dispensers do just that by marrying digital and physical play to create a seamless experience.
The sleek, new dispensers now feature a large digital screen embedded directly in front of the player, allowing them to see the results from their swing using Topgolf Callaway’s proprietary ball-tracing technology—Toptracer. Previously, the screen was located behind the player, forcing them to turn around to check the results of their swing, creating a user disconnect in the experience. The new design eliminates the disengagement caused by turning away from the drive and instead offers a more fluid experience with each shot, bridging the digital and physical gap at the tee line.
Players can use the screen with every game available at Topgolf Callaway locations, elevating each one, including the signature game—Topgolf. With Toptracer and the screen, players receive more data about their swing, including its trajectory and speed. The screens also allow Topgolf Callaway to introduce new games such as Angry Birds and Jewel Jam.
Built with the future in mind, the dispensers include feature sets to allow for planned expansion at the tee line. In addition, our team purposely designed the dispenser to keep pace with technological improvements.
Increased safety features lead to enhanced player safety
The dispensers also have improved safety features with proprietary padding designed to absorb the impact of a stray ball rather than send it ricocheting at a player’s shins or bouncing through the venue.
Screen angles and padding were strategically selected to reduce glare for players and minimize inadvertent balls from traveling into nearby bays. We also developed a custom transparent cover engineered to prevent damage to the display from cracks, scratches, and scuffs caused by unintentional ball or club impacts.
The device is not only built to withstand direct impact from golf balls, golf clubs, and other high-impact kinetic objects, but also natural elements such as sun, rain, snow, and hail. We engineered a material combining IR and UV blocking technology to control the internal temperature of the display housing.
Dispensers now reinforce Topgolf Callaway’s Visual Brand Language
Topgolf Callaway’s next-generation Golf Ball Dispenser uses design and color scheme to anchor players in the bay without making the dispenser itself too bulky or monolithic.
Each bay has a new ball dispenser featuring LED lighting that instantly flashes when a ball is requested to indicate it is on the way. The LED lighting reduces the potential for player confusion during the lag time between a new ball request and its delivery.
The dispensers also feature LED lighting displaying the company’s logo that ties the experience together and creates a visual language unique to Topgolf Callaway. The lighting on the dispenser can also be customized for special events such as gender reveal parties, birthday parties, or corporate outings.
The dispensers also reinforce Topgolf Callaway’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint
In addition to existing recycling efforts for other products such as golf balls, clubs, and hitting mats, the company is now designing new products, such as the next-generation ball dispenser, to last longer with less environmental impact when replacement does occur.
The modular design of the dispensers, made of separate, interlocking exterior panels, means that as each panel becomes worn or damaged, it can be replaced, an improvement over the Generation 1 dispenser, which had to be entirely removed when its useful life expired.
Manufacturing
Our partnership with Topgolf Callaway has allowed us to collaborate beyond the design of the ball dispenser. IN2 International has gone the distance by manufacturing each unit to help reshape the tee line allowing IN2 to work with Topgolf Callaway throughout the entire process—from ideation to installation.
Impact
By partnering with IN2, Topgolf Callaway catapulted the experience for an even more immersive and interactive player interaction. The dispensers position Topgolf Callaway—already known for its long line of cutting-edge innovation—to continue technological growth into new realms by allocating expansion space within each unit and truly bridge the gap between the digital and physical world.
Topgolf Callaway currently operates over 80 venues domestically and additional venues in international markets, with even more locations opening soon. Through our partnership with Topgolf Callaway, IN2 will continue supporting the production and installation of the dispensers at existing and new locations for years to come.
People are noticing
The Topgolf Callaway Golf Ball Dispensers won the coveted Silver Award for Sports and Recreation at the 2022 IDEA Award Gala—one of the longest running and most distinguished design awards recognizing notable accomplishments in industrial design. But it didn’t end there, of the more than 2,200 IDEA Award entries and 167 Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award winners, the dispenser won the prestigious People’s Choice Award as well.
