Golf Ball GPS

[Riverdale]

Playing in our Saturday comp and searching in long grass for yet another ball, I wondered how far we are away from a golf ball that can be located with a GPS device?

Most of us have GPS watches or devices for distance to greens and surely it can't be that difficult to have golf balls that can be microchipped to be synced to your device to make finding them easier.

It would speed up play and result in less lost balls and ultimately better scores for most.

I'd pay extra for a premium golf ball which I could synch to my Garmin watch and which offered the same performance as other premium balls on the market.

However, I'm not sure the major ball manufacturers would be as keen, if most of us could get 2 or 3 rounds out of each ball before it wore out rather than was lost, but they could charge more per ball to help soften the blow!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

It wouldn't be difficult to do, but I would be amazed, actually I'd be shocked, stunned and appalled, if it was allowed under the rules of golf.

 

[BoadieBroadus]

this has already been done - there was a company called radar golf who were marketing it though i think they have possibly discontinued the product.

i think the main problem is cost and durability of the ball.

that said i'm sure sooner or later someone will try again and try and make it viable.

 

[Riverdale]

It wouldn't be difficult to do, but I would be amazed, actually I'd be shocked, stunned and appalled, if it was allowed under the rules of golf.

I can't see why it would be banned. Lets face, pros rarely lose balls in comps due to there generally being lots of people in the crowds to find them. We don't have the luxury of these spotters, so a GPS device would just do the job of the spotters

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Hitting the ball straight is one of the fundamentals of golf. If someone see where it goes then great, if they don't then tough, you simply can't have a device that locates it for you IMHO.

 

[coolhand]

But as Riverdale says the Pro's do have a device in the form of human beings - at majors they have 1000's of them i.e. the crowd.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

But as Riverdale says the Pro's do have a device in the form of human beings - at majors they have 1000's of them i.e. the crowd.

So what? They also have caddies, a rule that allows them relief from plugged lies in the rough, referees and a long list of other things we don't have.

Not all the players benefit from huge crowds either and they do lose balls which if you hit it in the clag regularly you should expect to do and you should be penalised

 

[sajkox]

the only possible solution is use of rfid chips - issue with them though is they only work on short distances.
also further into the core of the ball harder to communicate.

I have done some research and technology is not there yet to make it worth investment

I have plans to develop mobile golf app (mainly to record stats and for club/comp usage) and one of the features I was considering is to make ball track: you record your swing and it visualises the path ball went. You can then move with your camera following the track - It might take me year or two considering time available and might be hard to optimize for battery usage but well... I know I would like that. My problem is I often search 20 yards away from where it is simply because I didint pay attention after screw up shot

maybe I should suggest it to google glass guys - they would be much quicker to develop it

 

[Keyser Soze]

I have often wondered, usually when wading through thick grass, how this would work? Maybe the GPS could be activated through impact the first time the ball is struck, but surely could never be turned off until the (small) power unit ran out of juice??

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I imagine it'd be hellishly expensive wouldn't it?
Especially if you keep having to get rid of balls anyway because they have been ripped to shreds by sharp grooved wedges.

 

[duncan mackie]

the location beacon approach has already been implemented

it is illegal under the Rules

"Q.A radio-frequency identification chip has been embedded in a golf ball. When used with a special radio receiver, a player may find such a ball readily because the receiver emits a signal that grows louder as the person holding the receiver moves closer to the ball. Is the use of such a ball and receiver permissible?

A.No. Use of such a ball in conjunction with the receiver is a breach of Rule 14-3.

However, use of such a ball without the receiver is permissible, provided the ball conforms to the Rules, the embedded chip has no capability other than identifying the ball and its use is in accordance with any conditions of competition that may have been adopted (e.g., the List of Conforming Golf Balls Condition)."