This article was originally published on Chicago Tribune.
In golf, the hole-in-one is the dream shot that’s best experienced with witnesses. With golf season in full swing, Eric Hoersten aims to make it easier to capture and reward that once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Hoersten (the o is silent) is co-founder and CEO of Digital Golf Technologies and former senior vice president of technology for video kiosk company Redbox. He and two co-founders launched the Elmhurst-based company in January to use technology to drive excitement on the golf course.
Q. What’s your elevator speech?
A. The greatest shot and the greatest experience in golf is getting a hole-in-one. With our technology, we’re able to allow courses to offer a much higher excitement level with the attempt at a hole-in-one where the golfer — if they get that hole-in-one — can get big cash prizes up to $1 million. In addition to the prize money, they get a high-definition video of that shot.
Q. What’s the innovation?
A. Most courses include a hole-in-one package as part of a tournament or outing. However, it’s expensive and time-consuming to operate….