Is it time for technology to be applied to golf courses?

[mike_malone]

 I suggested a visual illusion for bunkers and also think we need an invisible fence  for parallel holes to avoid play down the “ wrong” hole.


Other technology that could improve golf and maybe save money?

[Jeff Schley]

Artificial tees at the very least (except par 3's) and possibly elsewhere. Save that water and maintenance.

[Andrew Harvie]

The best part of golf is the nature aspect. Please do not take that away from me

[mike_malone]

The best part of golf is the nature aspect. Please do not take that away from me

I agree that it should be seamless. As Flynn says “ be natural or look natural “.

[jeffwarne]

No

[mike_malone]

No

Jeff,


 Use your imagination.

[Joel_Stewart]

Orbital sunlight reflection mirrors which could allow 24 hour golf.

[John Kavanaugh]

Why even have a real physical ball when a virtual one would solve almost every complaint ever expressed on this board. You can dial in the length, the firmness of the fairways and the speed of the greens. You still interact with nature without all the trappings of what technology has done to ruin the modern experience. Better yet, the most skilled player wins.

[Garland Bayley]

Time for electric maintenance machinery that is programmed to do their tasks at night after which they return to their charging stations and charge up for the next night.

[Garland Bayley]

Orbital sunlight reflection mirrors which could allow 24 hour golf.

Sorry, but that's when the autonomous machinery will be operating in the dark.

[Ben Malach]

The only golf tech that I thought was interesting was a ball that kept your score. The issue is unless there was mass adoption of this system you would be limited to that ball. Which is not optimal for most golfers.



For me, tech is something that is more applied to the club management side. Like using drones to keep track of evapotranspiration on the golf course to better inform the watering program or use of tablets in carts to sell food and beverage while tracking the pace of play. The golfing experience has already become too tech-focused with the mass adoption of laser rangefinders and most pros only practising with a trackman.

[John Kavanaugh]

I have finally witnessed maintenance staff in battery powered mules. The days of sputtering weed wagons are coming to an end.

[jeffwarne]

No

Jeff,


 Use your imagination.

wasn't it a yes or no question?


If forced...GPS on each group a nice feature.
Preferably with an alarm that sounds when they're out of position .
Avoiding the "are we slow?" conversation altogether.....

[Tom_Doak]

Time for electric maintenance machinery that is programmed to do their tasks at night after which they return to their charging stations and charge up for the next night.

Yes, in the future, no one will need jobs because the government will be taking such good care of us all.  /s

[Peter Pallotta]

The book is one of the greatest bits of technology ever invented: completely portable, it holds vast amounts of information in an easy to read format and never needs batteries, and is so well made that it can last well over 100 years, while allowing its owner to quickly add (and later delete) his own ideas and comments directly into the book itself, using nothing more than the common pencil -- all for the very affordable average price of $19.95. A truly great technology. There must be an equivalent when it comes to golf courses and the game of golf -- maybe some kind of card type technology that lists simply the hole yardages from only one set of tees, and next to that the Bogey Score.

[John Kavanaugh]

No

Jeff,


 Use your imagination.

wasn't it a yes or no question?


If forced...GPS on each group a nice feature.
Preferably with an alarm that sounds when they're out of position .
Avoiding the "are we slow?" conversation altogether.....

We have that where I play. A couple of weeks ago we were playing a sixsome where we all had our own carts. Three older guys were playing the up tees while three others played back. On the furthest hole from the clubhouse an assistant came out asking if we wanted him to tell the group in front of us to let us go through. Oops. It must have looked like on the computer that we caught them on every tee.

[Garland Bayley]

Time for electric maintenance machinery that is programmed to do their tasks at night after which they return to their charging stations and charge up for the next night.

Yes, in the future, no one will need jobs because the government will be taking such good care of us all.  /s

Given the market demand, it will happen after all the taxi, uber, and lyft drivers have been put out to pasture for the government to practice that taking care of on.

[John Kavanaugh]

Is pulling a Stewart sandwich out of the fridge yourself and throwing it in the microwave autonomy? Look at me, I’m eating and the chef is out of work!!! Progress. 

[John Emerson]

No

I agree.  No

[Kalen Braley]

Having a hard time understanding the question.  Technology has already been applied for decades in the form of automated irrigation systems, advanced mowers & bunker smoothing machines, applying fertilizers & weed control, etc.  Its even appeared in equipment with much improved balls, club, shoes, clothing, etc. not to mention carts with GPS ...all of which have had a very real impact on the course.

[Thomas Dai]

I can envisage an increase in the use of rider-less mowers operating overnight. Charging likely aided by solar panels on maintenance shed even clubhouse buildings. Not at all courses but certainly at some.
Hazards could be an area for potential technology. Not just ride-on bunker raking .... but moveable hazards. Crazy idea maybe? Pre-shaped bunkers and ponds in easy-assemble sections, even walls and hedges etc, built in factories, ordered on-line, delivered on a flatbed truck, unloaded by a crane forklift or rolled-off the truck and installed by the maintenance crew. Heck, such could even be moved to another location on the course if necessary. Indeed for a bit of variety or for a tournament they could be re-repositioned or even temporary ones trucked-in and installed.
TV pro tournaments have gotten such that a bit more artificiality would likely hardly be noticed!
Atb

[Steve_ Shaffer]

It's here now but:
Cub Cadet halts autonomous golf mowing operation


Company ending support for RG3 robotic greens mower to the surprise of superintendents using the technology
February 12, 2020







https://www.golfcourseindustry.com/article/cub-cadet-autonomous-mowing-golf-operations/


Fully automated robotic mower for golf greens








https://newatlas.com/rg3-robot-mower/10951/

[Paul Rudovsky]

Read the article about automatic green mowers being withdrawn for the marky, but hard to believe this will not come back w a vengeance. Every farmer in the USA of any size uses GPS to drive their tractors...yes more precision needed on a golf course but given the $$ savings potential, it will happen for sure

[mike_malone]

Having a hard time understanding the question.  Technology has already been applied for decades in the form of automated irrigation systems, advanced mowers & bunker smoothing machines, applying fertilizers & weed control, etc.  Its even appeared in equipment with much improved balls, club, shoes, clothing, etc. not to mention carts with GPS ...all of which have had a very real impact on the course.

So I guess I mean architecturally.

[Lou_Duran]

Orbital sunlight reflection mirrors which could allow 24 hour golf.

How about orbital sun shields and long-sleeved shirts and pants made from climate control materials for those who play in the SW heat.