Genelec delivers dynamic audio at Germany’s reimagined crazy golf destination
Oberhausen, Germany, November 2026... “Crazy golf reimagined.” This is how the Managing Directors of Gastro Golf, Brian and Tim Pyschny, describe their latest and most inventive mini-golf experience. Pitch, an indoor crazy golf course, combines the classic social game with an energetic club atmosphere. Designed and built by Gastro Golf, which specialises in the development of mini-golf facilities and hospitality, Pitch’s extraordinary playing environment operates across two floors: an eighteen-hole golf course on the ground floor, and a bar and darts lounge upstairs. To unify these zones as one cohesive environment, Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers deliver a connected and flexible soundscape to elevate the venue’s social appeal.
A former florist warehouse became the location for this experience, with a second level added to expand the space to 760 m². In a nod to the building’s former use, floral imagery plays a significant role in the interior design. Artificial flowers decorate each course, while a large blossom tree stands in the centre of the golf course, extending up to the lounge level. Within this immense open-plan space, the audio system would need to provide high-quality sound reinforcement and consistent coverage across each floor.
“From the outset, it was clear that sound would not be an afterthought,” says Mike Terbeck, Managing Director of Mike Tec Eventtechnik, a full-service technical event production company based in Oberhausen. “The owners defined their requirements early and without ambiguity. They wanted background music throughout the venue with a strong foundation, as it would need to elevate the overall experience. However, it must not be intrusive or distracting to visitors, who should be able to speak comfortably without raising their voices.” Alongside these requirements, flexibility was another key consideration to ensure audio could adapt easily to different audiences or times of day. During the afternoon, subtle background music would sit underneath conversations, before giving way to live DJ sets in the evening that reinforce the club atmosphere.
Filterworks, a recording studio and installation company working with the Pyschny brothers on the intricate lighting design, recommended Mike Tec to handle the audio side of the project. To assess suitable audio solutions for the venue, Mike Tec collaborated with professional audio service provider and Genelec’s German distributor, Audio Pro. Drawing on its extensive experience with Genelec’s Smart IP series in installed sound applications, Audio Pro recommended the system as the ideal solution, offering the premium sound quality and flexibility specified by the owners. A total of eighteen Smart IP loudspeakers provide the audio solution for Pitch. Flown above the crazy golf holes are seven 4436A pendant loudspeakers, which deliver the primary coverage to the course. “Thanks to the wide dispersion of the pendant design, we were able to achieve consistent coverage of the entire hall with just seven loudspeakers,” states Terbeck.
“To deliver the solid low-end foundation the operators were looking for, three compact PoE-powered 3440A Smart IP subwoofers are also flown over the golf course,” Terbeck describes. “By offloading low-frequency reproduction from the loudspeakers, the 3340A increases overall SPL headroom while simultaneously reducing distortion and improving detail resolution.” This additional headroom becomes particularly valuable in the evening, when the system is pushed harder to support the venue’s club atmosphere. “During DJ sets, the subs truly come into their own, delivering real club-level impact while still leaving guests free to hold a conversation.”
Throughout the entrance area, bar and darts lounge, additional support is provided by eight 4430A wall-mounted loudspeakers. As the largest model in the Smart IP range, the 4430s provide these zones with extended low-frequency response and greater output capability. “The tonal character delivered by the 4430A loudspeakers is neutral and balanced, with the consistency to match the pendant loudspeakers for a seamless sonic experience throughout,” says Terbeck.
While the audio quality and power were important factors in the selection of Genelec, perhaps the most significant technical advantage was the PoE+ backbone. By carrying audio, power, and control over a single CAT cable, Smart IP significantly simplified the system infrastructure, reducing cabling requirements and eliminating the need for separate loudspeaker-level amplification.
“With Smart IP, amplification is built into each loudspeaker and power is delivered over the network, which makes installation, maintenance and system expansion much more straightforward,” explains Terbeck. “We also gained a high degree of flexibility for individual controls. If the audio concept ever moves from a unified soundscape towards more defined zones, this can be reconfigured through the network with minimum adjustments to the physical installation.”
Beyond the ease of integration, the sleek aesthetic design of the Smart IP series makes it ideal for installations where technical infrastructure needs to sit comfortably within a highly considered interior. “The minimal and clean design of the Genelec pendant speakers was, alongside the outstanding audio quality, a decisive factor for a project like Pitch,” comments Sebastian Bayer, Project Manager at Mike Tec. “The venue is so elaborately designed from a visual standpoint that it was important that the technical side would add to this rather than distract from it.” Finished in Genelec’s standard black enclosures, the pendant loudspeakers, subwoofers, and wall-mounted models naturally complement the venue’s architecture.
Once Pitch had officially opened its doors to visitors, the Genelec sound system proved an integral part of the atmosphere. Across both floors, the system delivers even coverage, clear audio reproduction, and the flexibility to move comfortably between daytime ambience and high-energy evening sessions. “The result is a natural and impactful, yet never overbearing, listening experience,” concludes Terbeck. “Music at Pitch is exactly what it should be – an essential part of the experience that never forces itself to the foreground. The focus remains where it belongs: on playing together, connecting with others and sharing something out of the ordinary.”
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