AT&T and the PGA Tour have partnered to add a new augmented reality viewing feature to coverage of the first and last holes at the 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The new feature, called the 360° Tee Box, can only be accessed through the free PGA Tour AR mobile app on iOS devices.
The annual tournament will take place Feb. 7 through Feb. 10 at Pebble Beach, Calif. Inside the PGA Tour AR app, iPhone and iPad users can select the 360° Tee Box to scan the floor beneath them (any flat surface would also suffice). After scanning, an augmented green with the Pebble Beach flag will appear on the floor, viewable through the device screen, and direct fans to walk toward the green. Standing on the virtual green, the 360° live video from either the first or 18th tee boxes will appear, and users can move their devices around to view the video. The 360° Tee Box feature will go live one hour before the first tee time every day Thursday through Sunday of this weekend’s event, but will not be available during coverage of any other tournament throughout the rest of the season.
“The AT&T 360° Tee Box in the PGA TOUR AR app offers fans a unique and exclusive view of Pebble Beach Golf Links,” said Devon Fox, PGA TOUR Director, Digital Platform Innovation, in a press release. “Fans will be able to see holes No. 1 and 18 in an entirely new way, getting them closer to the action than ever before. Collaborating with AT&T to bring fans this exclusive experience represents a new way for the TOUR to add value for sponsors and partners in the future.”
The PGA Tour AR app and its new 360° Tee Box feature is only available on iPhone 7 or newer models, and iOS 11.3 software version and above, as well as the iPad Pro. The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am will also showcase live featured hole AR coverage on the PGA Tour AR app from holes 1, 7 and 18 at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
SportTechie Takeaway
The PGA Tour originally used the Microsoft Hololens app for AR content, but the Tour launched its new AR iOS app in spring 2018. That app integrates real-time ShotLink data and was built using the latest versions of Apple’s ARKit. AT&T’s innovation with the PGA Tour comes a couple weeks after the company announced it is building a new content innovation lab for sports leagues such as the NBA to develop virtual reality and augmented reality content.