North Dakota’s King’s Walk Golf Course Offering Snack Delivery Via Drone On Its Greens

Leading drone logistics company Flytrex, in partnership with King’s Walk Golf Course and EASE Drones, announced today the launch of the first fully operational golf course drone delivery system in the US. The service will enable patrons to order food and beverages from the clubhouse restaurant, Eagle’s Crest Bar & Grill, straight to the greens, and have their items lowered directly to them.

“The sky’s the limit when it comes to drone capabilities,” said Yariv Bash, CEO of Flytrex. “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 U.S., including an FAA approved pilot in North Carolina which will take off later this year. Golf is a sport with deep-rooted traditions and there's great interest in using technology to enhance this experience. We are excited to be working with the innovative team at King’s Walk to make this inaugural launch a hole-in-one.”

To utilize the new system, golfers need only to open the ‘Flytrex Golf’ ordering app and select the food and beverage items they would like to order for delivery. After choosing from nearby, pre-approved drop-off sites, golfers then place their order and get a confirmation notification. The clubhouse restaurant receives the order, wraps it up, and the package is loaded into the drone by a Flytrex technician and takes flight within line of sight. The new service is set to slash waiting time, as staff will no longer need to operate a cumbersome, ‘milk-run’ route method to bring customers food and beverages.

The phone app provides the customer with the ongoing status of the order in real-time. The drone arrives at the drop-off point and remains airborne, awaiting confirmation that the customer is in position nearby. Once confirmed, the drone lowers the order by wire to the ground, using Flytrex’s advanced “InAir” wire-drop system to ensure utmost safety. To ensure compliance with existing legislation, the drones will be operating within line of sight and will fly over specific routes without people below.

“We continuously strive to innovate for our members, customers, and community,” said Bill Palmiscino, Executive Director of the Grand Forks Park District. “At King’s Walk, we work hard to enhance our golfers’ experience, and hope to accomplish this by using drones for convenient food delivery direct to our golfers on the course. By partnering with Flytrex, we are working together to pioneer the golf course of the future.”

A testament to the city’s forward-thinking policies, the drone initiative was approved by the Grand Forks Park District just two weeks after the Grand Forks Region EDC presented the opportunity 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 drone system used in this pilot has been rigorously tested to ensure it meets the highest safety standards and has already received permission to operate in major cities around the world.

(Image provided with Flytrex news release)

FMI: www.flytrex.com, www.kingswalk.org