Some of the newer ball machines have a built-in counter that ensures that the correct number of balls are placed in the basket. This means that if 25 balls are to be dispensed, you can be 99% sure that this is actually the case. A big upgrade from the older types of machines that might give 10 at a time times 3 to give, for example, 30 balls, but where a minor error meant that the 30 might only be 26 or less.
Unfortunately, most ball machine manufacturers fail to programme their machines to shut down when no more balls come out of the machine, even though this would be obvious now that it is equipped with a counter.
That's why we are now developing a new feature that shuts down all ball sales when our software detects that the machine is empty. We expect to be able to deliver this feature to all machines with optical ball counters during the autumn. All new customers will get it installed free of charge and existing customers will get a free upgrade at their next scheduled service visit.
The new feature minimises the number of cases where a golfer pays - with money or points - without balls coming out of the machine. The result: Less administration for the golf club and more satisfied golfers. The function is of course combined with Compu Golf's Intelligent Ball Level, which can alert the relevant people in the club before the machine runs out of balls.