Technology is advancing in such a way that drones are becoming useful for more than just military spy missions. It seems the possible uses are endless — from pizza and package deliveries to monitoring the Earth’s ecosystems – unless the FAA continues to intervene with regulations. Despite these restrictions, there’s no doubt that drones can serve a variety of purposes, including improving the game of golf.
The most obvious benefit to golfers is that drones can be used to photograph a round of golf from the sky, capturing an aerial view of the golfer’s swing and tracking the ball’s flight. When combined with analytics software and advanced HD cameras, this alone has the potential to be a major improvement to the game. Imagine the benefits experienced by golf schools with this ability to track players like never before.
This isn’t just some rich fantasy either – some consumer drones can cost as little as $300 and are reportedly very simple to control with GPS mapping from your own smartphone. Strap a GoPro camera to the belly, and you have your very own high-tech golf tracking device. With it, you can not only track your swings and shots as mentioned before, but you could also explore the course ahead in amazing detail to get a good look of the obstacles and topography from right where you stand.
Another impact of drones has been seen from a television viewing aspect. The Golf Channel has already taken advantage of this, utilizing drones to bring viewers amazing aerial shots in crystal-clear HD. In similar fashion, NBC used drones at the Sochi Olympics to bring incredibly stable shots of skiers racing down the slopes. Drones simply have the capability to access more places and angles than would normally be available, providing obvious cinematic benefits to TV and movie viewers.
Drones also have the ability to digitally map any golf course in the world. This can help design and improve golf courses, but the advantages are not limited to physical courses. Some companies such as Sports Vision Technologies have utilized drones to create digitized courses to play in indoor simulators, such as the P3 Simulator.
P3 delivers a digital copy of any golf course along with the simulator for about $30,000. This is an especially interesting investment for courses where the golfing season is cut short by harsh winter weather. Golf clubs can opt to have their course digitized, allowing for members and non-members alike to enjoy every intricacy of the real world course from the comfort of an indoor simulator. Further courses can be purchased and added to the library, adding to the experience. You can now play Pebble Beach for a lot less than the real world course would cost you.
P3 also provides additional ways a golf club can generate revenue, through video advertising as well as a feature that allows viewers to upload photos. Clearly, drones and digital simulators have made it possible to expand the golf season and revenue for the golf industry, and their capabilities have only scratched the surface so far. Future innovations in drone technology along with software development and enhancement could make for some interesting advancements in one of the world’s oldest sports.