Automation on the Driving Range: What WayPick 2 Sees Behind the Scenes

When the last golfer leaves the range, the field is far from quiet. Thousands of balls lie scattered across the turf. What looks like the end of the session for players is actually the start of the next operational phase for the facility.

A Cycle That Never Stops

From a player’s perspective, the experience is simple: : balls are hit, and more balls appear.

What is less visible is the continuous four-step operational cycle running behind every session:

Balls are hit across the rangeBalls are collected from the turfBalls are cleaned, dried and sortedBalls are returned to storage reservoirs or auto-tee systems

For operators, this is not a once-a-day process. It is a live cycle that must run throughout the day.

If the flow slows down at any point, the impact is immediate — not just operationally, but directly on the player experience.

From a player’s perspective, the driving range experience is seamless: balls are hit, and replenished inventory continuously appears. However, facility profitability relies on a continuous, four-step operational cycle running behind every practice session:

1. Dispersion: Golf balls are launched across the range layout.

2. Recovery: Fleet inventory is collected from the turf surface.

3. Processing: Recovered inventory is cleaned, dried, and sorted.

4. Replenishment: Processed balls are routed back to storage reservoirs or integrated auto-tee infrastructure.

The Real Challenge Isn’t Volume — It’s Continuity

A typical driving range maintains an inventory of 50,000 to 100,000 range balls at any given time. During peak hours, a significant portion of that inventory can be in circulation within a few hours. If collection happens only once per day, the entire stock can be depleted well before the day ends. Busy ranges therefore collect balls throughout the day, and the difficulty is not deciding when to collect — it is keeping the cycle running without getting in the players'way. Collection during active hours also means staff are working in the outfield while balls remain in flight, a dynamic most facilities would rather minimise.

Where Automation Is Heading

Robotic mowers and smart irrigation are already reshaping golf course maintenance, and Turf Magazine identifies autonomous innovation as one of the defining operational trends of 2025.Range ball collection, by contrast, remains the segment where vehicle-based workflows still dominate. That landscape is beginning to shift: market analysts now project the golf range picking robot segment to grow at a double-digit compound annual growth rate through 2030.

How WayPick 2 Approaches The Problem

WayPick 2's system is built around continuous, on-demand collection — enabling facilities to retrieve balls whenever needed while maintaining a steady collection cycle throughout operating hours.

Autonomous pick-up and offloading

WayPick 2 navigates the range independently, collects balls across the range surface, and offloads them at the designated discharge point — with no manual intervention required at any stage of the pick-and-unload cycle. This automates a task that is traditionally labour-intensive within range operations.

Automated Ball Transfer To The Ball Room

Once collected, balls can be transferred directly into the facility's cleaning and storage system through an integrated transfer solution, reducing the need for additional handling between collection and processing.

Night-mode Operation

With built-in lighting, the system operates reliably before sunrise, after closing hours, and in low-light conditions. This extends the effective operating window, helping facilities replenish ball inventory overnight and improve ball availability at the start of the following day.

Sustained Ball Supply Through Steady-flow Collection

Rather than collecting in large, infrequent batches, the system maintains an ongoing collection rhythm, helping preserve ball availability through peak-demand periods.

Compact Footprint, Reduced On-field Presence

The robot's smaller physical profile and autonomous movement patterns mean a lower visual and operational profile on the range during play, compared to larger ride-on collection vehicles.

What This Adds Up To

For driving ranges, ball collection is only one part of a larger circulation process that includes transfer, cleaning, storage, and redistribution. The effectiveness of that process depends not only on collection capacity, but also on how consistently each stage operates throughout the day.

By supporting more continuous collection and transfer workflows, automation can help facilities maintain ball availability during busy periods, reduce reliance on manual collection activities, and create greater operational flexibility for staff. As range operations continue to evolve, the discussion is increasingly shifting from how quickly balls can be collected to how reliably the entire cycle can be sustained.

About Wayrobo

Wayrobo Pte. Ltd. provides autonomous solutions for driving range maintenance, including ball collection and recycling. Our systems are designed to support existing facility teams by enabling continuous, low-interference ball management. Headquartered in Singapore, we serve golf facilities across multiple regions.

Contact

WhatsApp / Phone

SG: +65 8084 3927

US: +1 (209) 806-5734

US: +1 (408) 701-1347

AU: ++61 427 268 654

Email: sales@wayrobo.com

Website: www.wayrobo.com

18 Cross Street, #14-01, Cross Street Exchange, Singapore