The Frisco, Texas club, which is owned by Invited, partnered with Dallas-based esports entertainment company Haven Gaming to install 12 computers and monitors along with multiple Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch gaming consoles linked in a room to big-screen TVs. The concern was that members would not be happy about their children having more access to video games, but the opposite turned out to be true, says Club Manager Gemma Brady.
Haven Gaming, a Dallas-based esports entertainment company started in 2021, has launched a partnership with Stonebriar Country Club, which is owned by golf club management company Invited, The Dallas Morning News reported. The partnership introduces an esports program to the Frisco, Texas club, with 12 computers and monitors along with multiple Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch gaming consoles linked in a room to big-screen TVs.
Children between eight and 18 years old can game, but there’s already been discussion about opening the room up for meetings and company team-building exercises, The Morning News reported. The new room was unveiled August 5, and for Haven Gaming CEO Greg Skasko, he saw enough to know his vision of creating an esports space where kids could create friendships was coming true.
“The feedback you need is on the face,” Skasko said of all the gleaming kids gaming as a young boy walked past and asked his dad if he could have his birthday party in the new gaming room.
Skasko has high hopes for the esports program after seeing Haven Gaming’s first facility open, The Morning News reported. There will be tracks for kids who would like to become professional gamers themselves as well as summer camps, but Skasko just wants it to be a welcoming place where kids can socialize with other kids.
“This is their haven now, this is their home away from home,” Skasko said.
Invited members can sign their children up for the esports program at Stonebriar for $95 a month, The Morning News reported. Kids wanting a more intense and structured gaming experience can sign up for Haven Academy, which includes training from former professional gamers, for $140 a month. None of the available games are rated Mature, and there are screen limits to make sure every member can play.
The company’s partnership with Invited has been in the works for roughly 10 months, although it was not immediately met with open arms, Club Manager Gemma Brady told The Morning News.
The concern was that members would not be happy about their children having more access to video games, but the opposite turned out to be true, The Morning News reported. When the course management team first pitched the idea to its governing board, Brady expected to be greeted with crickets. Instead, one member voiced his support for the proposal because of his own grandson who dislikes golf and tennis and does not enjoy being outside.
“COVID changed the perception because you’re hearing your kids talking to people now. It’s not a solo sport. It’s way more involved, it’s way more social,” Brady said.
From there, the room transformed from one with ping pong and arcade games into one with PCs and Nintendo Switches, The Morning News reported.
Stonebriar turned out to be the right Invited club for an esports gaming room because of a large demographic of children 8-18 years old, though there is potential for it to expand to other Invited clubs, Brady and Skasko told The Morning News.
The partnership between New Haven and Invited fits into a growing trend seen across the golf landscape, The Morning News reported. Since the onset of the pandemic, golf has seen a massive surge in popularity, largely because of the sport trying to lean hard into being more inclusive.
Entertainment golf venues such as Topgolf and Puttery have enjoyed an uptick in business, and Invited has recognized the trend as well, The Morning News reported. Invited, which owns more than 200 clubs across 30 states and two countries outside of the United States, changed its name in April in an effort to promote inclusivity.
“We want to be able to get into all aspects of everyone’s life in a way that makes this just another continued extension of home,” Brady said.
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