Golfers practicing at Westlake's Meadowood Golf Course are about to get the kind of high-tech feedback usually reserved for private clubs. Westlake City Council has approved ordinances authorizing the purchase of ball-washing and ball-tracking equipment for the driving range under construction at the municipal course, with roughly 40 stations letting users track their shots without pulling out a cell phone.
According to Cleveland.com, council agreed on September 17 to pay Range Servant America Inc. up to $57,380 for equipment that will automate the collection, washing, storage and distribution of golf balls. The company, based in Norcross, Georgia, makes high-capacity, powder-coated steel ball washers, dispensers and elevator systems built for high-volume commercial and municipal driving ranges, according to Range Servant America.
Earlier, on September 3, council approved a five-year contract with TrackMan Range for a proprietary golf ball tracking system, agreeing to pay up to $306,000 for equipment, a software subscription, maintenance and support, the outlet's report notes. Westlake will own the TrackMan equipment once the five-year agreement ends, though continuing to operate it afterward will require an annual subscription fee of $61,200, subject to a 4 percent annual increase.
How the Tracking System Works
Jim Smolik explained the state-of-the-art tracking system to city council, according to the same report. The TrackMan system relies on Doppler radar to track golf balls in flight, paired with 19 TVs inside the indoor facility and 20 tablets on movable stands set up at the outdoor grass tees.
City officials framed the investment as a way to make Meadowood competitive with privately owned ranges. Dennis Clough said the tracking system will encourage people to use the city's driving range, while David Greenspan called TrackMan state-of-the-art equipment, per the same account from the outlet.
Part of a Larger Overhaul Years in the Making
The tech purchases are pieces of a broader project that began taking shape well before this month's council votes. Westlake announced in December 2025 that it would add a golf driving range to Meadowood, and the practice facility's overall price tag runs to more than $3 million, per Cleveland.com's reporting. City records show the council selected Town Center Construction LLC's lowest bid of $3,542,500 for the primary construction, according to a Westlake ordinance obtained by the City of Westlake.
Formal planning stretches back even further. Westlake city administration began working with engineering and architectural firm American Structurepoint, Inc. in 2023 on design work for the facility, and the investment directly addresses findings from the city's 2015 Master Plan Study, which identified golf as one of the community's highest-priority recreational desires, according to The Villager Newspaper.
What's Being Built Beyond the Tech
Groundbreaking for the practice facility took place in March 2026, with overall construction expected to finish in late 2027, according to the City of Westlake. Beyond the ball-tracking hardware, the project includes 18 indoor heated bays for year-round practice, an indoor instruction bay with swing analysis tools, open-air tees, premium regional grass tees, and renovations to the existing clubhouse, per The Villager Newspaper's earlier report. Meadowood's practice facility includes those indoor heated bays and advanced technology and is expected to open in 2027, per the Meadowood Golf Course website as cited by Cleveland.com's story.
Meadowood opened in 1985 at 29800 Center Ridge Road and historically operated as a 23-hole municipal layout without any dedicated driving range or practice facilities, according to GolfLink. Golfers hoping to play through construction still have options: the course is remaining operational by offering two 9-hole par-3 options alongside discounted greens fees, per the City of Westlake.
A Second Phase May Still Be Coming
The driving range is only part of what Westlake has planned for the property. The city launched a community survey in early 2026 asking residents and patrons to weigh in on Phase 2 course redevelopment options, which include building a 9-hole regulation course or an 18-hole executive par-3 course, according to The Villager Newspaper.
The Meadowood overhaul also fits into a wider round of municipal recreation spending. Westlake's 2026 Recreation Plan separately allocated $1.83 million to Johnson-Laux Construction Ohio LLC for aquatic facility and natatorium upgrades at the Westlake Recreation Center, according to city budget documents obtained by the City of Westlake.
