Imagine watching Jordan Spieth sink a 10-foot putt to win the Master’s but instead of just watching on your 60-inch television, you’re virtually transported to Augusta, Ga. within an earshot of Spieth’s clinching putt.
It’s a possibility that has David Aufhauser, Managing Director of Strategy and Product at Intel Sports Group (VOKE VR), “fired up” about what virtual reality could do for the golf fan experience.
Aufhauser and his sports team at Intel, which recently acquired VOKE VR last November, are currently testing with the PGA TOUR around what “live” virtual reality could look and feel like for fans moving forward.
“We’re still having on-going conversations, discussions, pilots and tests to help the PGA TOUR think through what this next medium of engagement is,” Aufhauser said. “Most of the relationship with them to date has been around experimenting and piloting what we want to build together to offer fans.”
When asked if there could be virtual reality programming in the future, Scott Gutterman, Vice President of Digital Operations at the PGA TOUR, said that “we’re definitely proceeding down a road” similar to what the NBA is producing with NextVR, which is weekly VR games on NBA LEAGUE PASS.
“We’re continuing to give our fans more and more channels that present different experiences for the same event,” said Aufhauser, who added that there could be a possibility to make virtual reality available on one of the TOUR’s over-the-top offerings such as PGA TOUR Live.
The latest collaboration between Intel/VOKE VR and the TOUR came at the Riviera Country Club before the Genesis Open two weeks ago. In Los Angeles, Intel’s VOKE virtual reality unit placed three large stereoscopic cameras around the 10th green to capture a 180-degree panorama view at the Wednesday PRO-AM. It was a test to show what the PGA TOUR could truly provide fans versus prior runs that were more exploratory and at a “rudimentary level,” according to Aufhauser.
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The TOUR’s Gutterman explained that while the sports property is “very intrigued” by “live virtual reality” — which it has been testing over the past 12 to 18 months — it does have limitations that on-demand capture virtual reality and 360 video doesn’t.
For starters, while golf is played on a still course, tracking players’ shots and repositioning cameras to different areas on the course is out of the question at this point. As Gutterman explained, if the TOUR moved cameras for “live” virtual reality, then it would have to reset the stitching position when video is pieced together by producers. Additionally, the resolution on the cameras compared to the headset devices varies at the present time. Yet, placing a camera right next to the green in the field of play isn’t a possibility while situating a camera potentially 50 or 100 feet away is too far, with the resolution breaking down as a result.
“Right now our focus is trying to create the best production possible,” said Gutterman, who added that Par 3 holes, where cameras could be placed five to ten feet from the tee box and around the green out of bounds, might be one of the better uses of virtual reality in golf.
Despite the challenges of “live” virtual reality, Gutterman said he’s particularly excited about giving fans the ability to choose how they want to view virtual reality, sit or stand and what camera angle to select. Along with Intel/VOKE VR, the PGA TOUR has also tested with STRIVR Labs and NextVR. As of now, the TOUR still doesn’t have a virtual reality partner.