X-Golf Group brought franchisees, venue leaders and support teams from across Australia together earlier this month for ‘A Day Beyond The Green’, the 2026 National Conference and Awards Gala at the Gold Coast.
With team members traveling far and wide for the three-day event, the occasion marked an invaluable opportunity for reflection on another significant year of growth and the direction of the broader indoor golf industry.
Across the conference held from 6 to 8 May, sessions focused on customer experience, marketing ecosystems, participation growth, benchmarking, pricing strategy, data capture, customer re-engagement and the future of golf, alongside presentations from Golf Australia’s Damien De Bohun and Nomni founder Sharooz Chowdry.
Held at golfer’s Mecca, Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club, team members enjoyed workshops designed specifically around operational improvement, venue performance, engagement strategies and network-wide best practice, reinforcing X-Golf Group’s continued focus on long-term franchisee support, innovation and sustainable growth across the network.
X-Golf’s Co-Founder Ben Styles said the annual conference had become an increasingly important opportunity for franchisees and venue teams to connect, collaborate and continue raising standards across the group.
“The conference is an important reminder of how far the network has come and the calibre of remarkable people we now have as a part of our team,” Ben said.
“What continues to stand out is everyone’s willingness to share ideas, support each other and keep pushing standards higher across every touchpoint, he said.”
“As the business continues to grow, bringing everyone together like this remains incredibly important. It strengthens the culture of the network and ensures we continue evolving together in the right direction.”
The conference concluded with the ‘A Night Beyond the Green’ Awards Gala, recognising outstanding contributions and performance across the X-Golf and Hey Caddy network.
AWARD WINNERS INCLUDED:
Brand Award: South Bank, QLD
Recognising venues that consistently represent the X-Golf or Hey Caddy brand to a high standard and contribute positively to the strength of the network.
Customer Experience Award: Clyde North, VIC
Recognising venues delivering outstanding customer service, atmosphere and experiences guests want to return for.
The Team Award (Training): Geelong, VIC
Recognising strong leadership, onboarding, training and overall team performance.
F&B Food Award: Mackay, QLD
Recognising quality food execution, consistency, guest satisfaction and food and beverage performance.
Local Area Marketing Award: Macarthur, NSW
Recognising strong local marketing activity, partnerships, compliance and community visibility.
Community Award: Penrith, NSW
Recognising meaningful local partnerships, fundraising, sponsorships and strong community involvement.
Participation & Engagement Award: Maroochydore, QLD
Recognising strong use of systems, loyalty engagement, Your Tour participation, competitions and CRM discipline.
Highest Revenue X-Golf Award: Joondalup, WA
Recognising the highest revenue-performing standalone X-Golf venue in 2025.
Dual Brand Revenue Award: Rockingham, WA
Recognising the highest combined revenue performance across dual-brand venues.
Revenue Growth Award: Penrith, NSW
Recognising the venue that achieved the strongest year-on-year revenue growth from 2024 to 2025.
Most Improved Venue Award: Windsor Gardens, SA
Recognising significant growth and overall improvement across performance, impact and contribution to the network.
Best Newcomer Award: Roy & Mary, Mackay, QLD
Recognising new members of the network who have made an immediate and meaningful impact through energy, ideas and results.
HQ Member Award: Luke Rich
A franchisee-nominated recognition award acknowledging outstanding contribution and support within the Head Office team.
Extra Mile Award: Marshall Pooley, Launceston, TAS
Recognising someone who consistently supports the network and goes above and beyond where needed.
Manager of the Year Award: Corey Napper, Shire, NSW
A discretionary leadership recognition award acknowledging outstanding management and leadership performance.
Managing Director’s Award: Roy & Mary, Mackay, QLD
A discretionary leadership recognition awarded by X-Golf Group leadership for exceptional contribution and impact across the network.
Thank you to all franchisees, managers, staff, speakers and partners involved throughout the week. The continued growth, professionalism and collaboration across the network is something the entire group should be incredibly proud of!
