Sign up for our daily newsletter

Want latest news, reviews, analysis, deals, and events, and offers from our commercial partners? We’ve got you.

When self proclaimed technology enthusiast Ian Poulter set about building his family home in Orlando, Florida, the Ryder Cup star turned to leading home technology company Creston to make sure the new build was kitted out with the latest gadgets.

“I spoke with my friend in the UK who’s a big house builder,” said Poulter. “He knew I was planning to build this house and he said ‘you need to have a look at Crestron.’”

Poulter then travelled to the Creston’s customer experience centre headquarters in Rockleigh, New Jersey to see the home automation technology first-hand.

The 38-year-old was clearly impressed with what he saw.

“I wanted the best products possible to make my life easier.” – Ian Poulter

“I want to be the best at what I do when I’m on the golf course,” said the three-time Ryder Cup winner. “So when I built my house I wanted the best products possible to make my life easier and that’s what Crestron gives me.”

Inside Ian Poulter’s home

Poulter has DigitalMedia HD video distribution throughout his Orlando home. In all, he has 21 zones of audio, via the Crestron Sonnex multiroom audio distribution system, and indoor/outdoor lighting control, shading control, and integration with the home’s HVAC, alarm, security, doorbell, pool and spa, and garage.

The Poulters also asked for a camera to be installed in their newborn’s bedroom so they could check in on him from their master bedroom.

Dedicated home theatre

94d277bfa0776cd3_org

The 12-seat home theatre opens up to the game room with a retractable heavy shade, meaning, Poulter can watch TV while entertaining in the game room, or close off the theatre when he wants to watch a movie with his family.

The theatre has a dedicated DM-MD8X8 switcher that ties in with the family’s three gaming systems – PlayStation, XBOX, and Wii – plus a local Blu-ray Disc player, DIRECTV, cable boxes and Apple TV.

All of the sources can be viewed on the 123-inch Vutec Silverstar Screen, Helios studio edition 3-chip DLP projector and two smaller LCD displays on each side of the big screen.

“I can watch sports on the big screen and the kids can play video games or watch movies on the smaller screens,” said Poulter. “Everybody’s happy.”

Also, Ian Poulter can move a game or program from a smaller screen to the larger screen with the press of a single button on a handle-held remote.

In addition, Crestron one-touch lighting control enables the family to easily set the lights to desired levels for any activity, such as watching TV, movies, or matches in the theatre, or entertaining guests in the game room.

DigitalMedia – the ultimate game changer

One of Ian Poulter’s favourite features of the DM system is the ability to turn on/off any TV in the house. He can even see what the kids are watching and shut off the TVs at bedtime. Another cool feature of the DM system is it enables the children to play video games with each other from different rooms.

Lighting and shading control

8469284504faeba9_org

Lighting and shading control was of the utmost importance to the tour star’s family. There are floor-to-ceiling windows and lighting fixtures throughout the home, and the Poulters wanted to avoid having to manually turn on/off lights and roll up/roll down shades several times.

It was also imperative that the family be able to enjoy the view of the neighbouring golf course in the morning, protect their hardwood floors, lavish furniture, and fabrics during peak sun intensity hours, and ensure privacy in the evening.

This was accomplished by putting the shades on an astronomical clock, controlled by the Crestron 3-Series processor.

Read More –> US team gunning for Ian Poulter

During the course of the day, shades on the east and west sides of the home raise and lower in concert with sunrise/sunset. Starting in the early evening, all shades lower for privacy. The Master Bedroom features blackout shades controlled by the touch screen in the room.

After a night out, the Poulters come home to landscape lights guiding the way up their property. At designated hours, the landscape lights/security lights turn on/off. When the security system is tripped, all lights inside/outside automatically turn on and the shades rise.

Outdoor entertaining

The outdoor patio and pool feature a Crestron Sonnex system that distributes audio to the landscape speakers.

“The Poulters also have a Crestron UFO waterproof remote to control two outdoor TVs, sound systems on the patio and loud speakers that surround the yard,” says Tracy Adcock, owner of HSS, the organistaion which designed and installed the equipment.

“The pool features LED colour changing lights. When entertaining at night, the family can create a whole light show with water jets and bubblers, too.”

Garage integration

Untitled

Off the course, Ian Poulter has an affinity for fast, luxurious cars. To keep an eye on his prized possessions and easily select which ride he wants to take out, he can use one of five Crestron touch screens to queue up his garage cameras, view one of four bays, and then select which car he wants.

When a car is selected, the light turns on above it, the corresponding garage door opens, and Ian is ready to hit the road.

simplicity

It was important to the Poulters that their guests be able to easily use the system. So HSS designed the system for one-touch simplicity. “We used a picture-driven touch screen design so there’d be a minimal learning curve. Anyone could come over and use it,” explains Adcock.

 “Our guests like what the system does and the capabilities.” – Ian Poulter

Poulter agrees, adding: “It’s good to see how easy it is to use. Our guests like what the system does and the capabilities. It really does make your life easier.”

Remote monitoring and mobile control

Ian Poulter is on the go throughout the year playing tournaments across the globe. Therefore the ability to remotely check in on his house was critical. If he wants to adjust the temperature or turn off lights the kids left on, for example, he can do that from his mobile device. He also receives automatic alerts via email and text messages if there’s a system issue.

topics

More Reads

Image Turnberry green

The bunkered Golf Course Guide - Scotland

Now, with bunkered, you can discover the golf courses Scotland has to offer. Trust us, you will not be disappointed.

Find Courses

Latest podcast

The PLAYERS Championship