Apply "Google Street View" to golf course mapping.

[RJ_Daley]

I posted this on Mark Rowlinson's thread, but it should have it's own thread. I wouldn't want to be thought of as a thread deflector. 

I've been meaning to bring up a point about this ever increasing quality of aerial photo tech, and how Google is now doing "Street Views" in every urban area of US. 

I assume they drive a car with one of those 360 cameras down every street in the area being mapped-photographed. 

Can you imagine if we used that mounted on a golf cart, down every centerline of FW on golf courses.  You'd literally get a complete view of the course, the extent of elevation changes, the whole enchillada.  It would almost put an end to the old caveat that you can't judge a course by just looking at pictures.... not quite, but it would be an exponential advance in rating and reviewing and previewing golf courses. 

With all the course being walked and GPS'd now for all these 'skycaddie' gismos.  Can a true eye level 360 view like Google's "Street View" be far behind?

 

[Chip Gaskins]

Dick-

Two companies are already doing this.  Let me dig up their names...

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I'm sure it's not there now, but there used to be a wonderful fly-by on the Sotogrande website which had aerials of each hole (way before most clubs had web sites) taken from a micro-light. I know, because in several flies-by (how about that for a plural?) you can see the shadow of the photographer, camera and microlight on the fairway in front because they were flying with the sun behind them. Icarus came to mind.

[RJ_Daley]

Man, there must be a business idea in this for someone.  Chip, I'll be interested to see which companies you are refering to.  If Skycaddie or one of the other GPS are already doing it as a next step, then not so much of a buisness opportunity.  But, if a new and improved version can get teams out to do all the CCFADs and high play high end clubs, maybe there is gold in them thar hills.

[Tim Bert]

Didn't realize "street view" existed until now.  Just went and looked at my house.  Kind of creepy, really.

This quality replicated on golf courses would be fantastic.

[Chip Gaskins]

One is called GolfFlyOver.com.  It requires Google Earth and special Google Earth plugin.

The other one is in stealth mode and you can't get use its beta yet I don't think.  PlanetCaddy I think is its name.

[Chip Gaskins]

Here is what Pine Valley looks like on GolfFlyOver.com



you can see that it has the pan and tilt tools that Google Earth have

[Jim_Kennedy]

Chip,
Be a little wary of the GolfFlyover site. They have the wrong hole sequence and yardage for our course, and a couple of others I've looked at.

This is still true today, some 4 months after we responded to their inquiry as to whether or not they had the correct information for our course.  

[RJ_Daley]

Chip I have had Googel earth on my desktop for quite sometime, but didn't use it lately.  Not since they must have had the overview feature.  I just used it for Brown Deer in Milwaukee.  It isn't bad used on golf courses, yet not much better than it has been as a limitted ability to really distinquish and show contour.  But, with "street view" it is a whole different ball game in showing relatively accurate topo elevation and contour. 

Man, there is no off switch on the genius machine there at Google.  I wish I'd have bought some stock in them early on.    I'd like to see the cameras they use for the street view.  I've seen the "skycaddie" or whichever folks walk our course with the GPS plotting gismo on their back.  Doing it with a camera would be a hoot.  I'd almost pay them to let me walk some great courses to map them out...   

[Ben Voelker]

I saw this thread in a post today, which was timely.

I was looking at Google Maps today and noticed they now have street view of the Pelham Bay and Split Rock golf courses north of Manhattan, as well as the layout of the holes in the Google Map view.





I love Street View and find this fascinating.

The question is, how long will it be until this is widespread and will they gain access to do private clubs?

Does anyone know of any other courses that have been mapped by Google with Street View?

[Rich Goodale]

I vote we all chip in to implant a webcam in Sean Arble's forehead......

[Bryan Izatt]

Google is already off the streets and into attractions such as museums and parks.  Presumably only with attractions willing to partner with them.  They are already onto golf courses - here's a link to the Northview Golf and Country Club in Surrey BC Canada.  This one seems to be confined to following the cart path although there's no reason they couldn't go up the fairway where possible.

https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Northview+Golf+%26+Country+Club,+168+Street,+Surrey,+BC&hl=en&ll=49.125156,-122.761406&spn=0.000112,0.0739&sll=49.174769,-123.150179&sspn=0.006313,0.018475&oq=northview&hq=Northview+Golf+%26+Country+Club,+168+Street,+Surrey,+BC&t=m&z=14&layer=c&cbll=49.125156,-122.761406&panoid=HRXT-fDwJG2RAwTPJ2TDQw&cbp=12,47.9,,0,10.45

[Matt Day]

not quite google view but offers 360 degree views at the tee, fairway and green

http://360-golf.com/CourseDetail.aspx?courseID=17

http://360-golf.com/CourseDetail.aspx?courseID=18

[Paul Gray]

Gents,

I started a thread a week or so ago enquire as to whether anyone knew what had happened to Virtual Caddy. No one responded.

It was a truly excellent site.

True, they were limited to about 100 courses, but the essence of it was to provide the golfer with a full tour of the course before playing. Imagine Google street map with hole to hole advice from your virtual caddy.

I can only assume they failed to get enough sponsorship as the site is now dead. However, I'm sure somebody will jump on the idea before too long and market it a whole lot better. 

[Bill_McBride]

I vote we all chip in to implant a webcam in Sean Arble's forehead......

Or at least a cap cam.   Good idea. 

[SB]

We've got one at Steel Canyon Golf Course near Atlanta. 

http://goo.gl/maps/WPS5z

[Bryan Icenhower]

here is a picture of what they drive around

[Bryan Icenhower]

and they have created a backpack version to map the most remote parts of the world - would be perfect for walking a course ...



http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/06/google-reveals-an-image-capturing-backpack-and-new-3d-maps/

[Brett Waters]

Several of the golf courses have this feature in the state of Hawaii. Drag the little man icon and blue routes show up over cart paths or center-lines in the fairway. Pretty neat stuff.

I know 3 south Maui courses have it. Some of you will be thrilled to know that the 2 courses at Kapalua are featured as well. There are also several on the Kona side that have it.

[Robert Kimball]

We've got one at Steel Canyon Golf Course near Atlanta. 

http://goo.gl/maps/WPS5z

  Very cool . . . I haven't been out there in a long time. Perhaps soon, steel canyon is a fun walk.

[Ben Voelker]

This is clearly becoming quite widespread at public facilities.  I bet there will be a day when a public course not having this would be like not having a website today.  It will be a necessary piece of digital information.

Are there any private clubs that have been covered?

[RJ_Daley]

I wonder how much the back pack camera apparatus weights?   I wouldn't mind schlepping that contraption around some great golf private courses that I'll never get to see anyway.      That is if it doesn't weigh more than 30-40 #s, or the knees wouldn't handle more.