Golf

‘Nice Cup In Bra’ - the world's weirdest golfing accessory?

By Darren Quick

21:19 November 16, 2009 PST

There seems to be a rush on inventive underwear this week with our second - and even more impractical - example coming from Triumph International Japan, who twice a year unveil a concept bra that highlights a popular trend or draws attention to social issues. Earlier this year saw the Konkatsu Bra designed to help Japanese women on the hunt for a man. The latest bra is designed to appeal to the growing numbers of female golfers in Japan looking for a unique way to practice their putting. Read More

Yamaha's methane powered golf cart

By Darren Quick

20:46 April 22, 2009 PDT

We've all heard of vehicles that run on the smell of an oily rag, but what about one that runs on the smell of cow dung? A new prototype golf cart developed by Yamaha does just that - sort of - by running on the methane. The golf cart was tested with the assistance of the Osaka Gas Co. which provided methane at low cost to Yamaha for the vehicle tests as part of efforts to promote the use of cow dung biomass as a fuel. Read More

RoboCup Ball Return Robot makes putting practice easy

By Mike Hanlon

17:48 April 18, 2009 PDT

April 18, 2009 Winner of the Best New Product’ at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando this year was the RoboCup, a new ball return robot designed to play personal caddy on any practice green. When your putts drop into the hole, the US$50 RoboCup automatically shoots the ball right back to you. RoboCup runs on 4 AA batteries and will return the ball up to 14 feet about 15,000 times – more than enough for even the most ardent practice session. Combine it with the RoboCup Caddy Cord, and even missed putts shoot back to you. Read More

Fully automated robotic mower for golf greens

By Darren Quick

23:58 February 9, 2009 PST

February 10, 2009 No-one likes mowing the lawn. It’s a boring, repetitive, time-consuming job. Now imagine if you had 18 lawns, all requiring immaculate care on a very regular basis. Even less fun, right? That’s the prospect those responsible for keeping golf greens in pristine condition face and, since repetitive jobs are perfect for robots, Indianapolis-based Precise Path Robotics has created the RG3 robotic greens mower - the first fully automated robotic golf course conditioning and maintenance mower. Read More

Gyroscopic golf club irons out your swing

By Noel McKeegan

21:37 December 17, 2008 PST

Part of the attraction - and frustration - of golf is that the slightest imperfection in your swing can quickly be transformed into a utter disaster on the scorecard. Because of this, the game has also created a huge market for devices designed to help you train your swing correctly and the Gyro Swing - a training club that incorporates a 20,000 RPM gyroscope into the head - is one of the most high-tech examples we've seen to date. Read More

Golf watch forged from Seve Ballesteros' clubs

By Noel McKeegan

02:14 October 17, 2008 PDT

Looking for a highly-credentialed lucky charm to help lift your game next time you step out on to the tee? This limited edition of 50 golfing watches created by Swiss watchmakers Jaermann & Stübi in conjunction with former World No. 1 golfing legend Seve Ballesteros just might be the answer. There's a good reason for the "limited edition" tag - each of the cases in the run has been forged from the irons used by Ballesteros in his five under par victory at the Chunichi Crown Open in Japan back in 1991. Read More

Paris highlights: VW presents the Golf Mk VI GTI Concept

By Noel McKeegan

22:57 October 6, 2008 PDT

The sixth generation of the Golf GTI has been unveiled in concept form at the Paris Motor Show, providing a taste of things to come when the vehicle enters production in spring 2009. Volkswagen says the concept retains the key elements of the original Mk I GTI launched in '76 - sharp dynamics, style and practicality - while introducing advances in drivetrain and chassis technology such as an electronic limited slip differential (XDS) linked to a sophisticated ESP (Electronic Stabilization Programme) system, a first for the GTI. Read More

Plans for 193,000 square foot indoor golf center

By Noel McKeegan

19:15 June 30, 2008 PDT

When you think indoor golf you usually think mini-golf: leaving the bag at home and tackling odd shaped obstacles with your putter. All good fun, but hardly a serious training session for your all-round game. This impression is set to change if the Indoor Golf Arena® concept takes off. Aiming for a 2010 opening, the planned "world’s largest Indoor Golf Center" in The Netherlands will incorporate 20 ProTee golf simulators, a roof top driving range with 34 bays and 150,00 square feet (14,000m2) of golf practice facilities with chipping greens, bunkers and water hazards catering for every aspect of your short game along with a huge golf shop, kid’s training facilities, a wellness center with sauna and spa and a 4-star hotel. Read More

The fully autonomous "follow me" golf caddy

By Noel McKeegan

22:48 May 15, 2008 PDT

May 16, 2008 Mark Twain once famously quipped that "Golf is a good walk spoiled". Perhaps if he'd had access to the fully autonomous Shadow Caddy, he might have been a little more enthusiastic. The ability to trail you around the course without the use of remote control makes this a civilized compromise between dragging a set of clubs and foregoing the benefits of a pleasant stroll entirely by riding in a golf cart. It's also cheaper than hiring a human caddy and because it operates itself, it leaves your mind free to concentrate on connecting with that little white ball. Read More

The ultimate loungeroom golf simulator - now including online tournament play

By Loz Blain

22:37 March 16, 2008 PDT

March 17, 2008 High flying, deal-making business and the leisurely sport of golf have gone hand in hand for decades, the high-class country club being an exclusive refuge for the wealthy and powerful. With so much money behind it, golf is one of the few sports that can support blue-sky, no-expense-spared technology like the Full Swing Golf simulator. Built into a wall in your home, office or place of business, this immensely popular boys' toy allows you to play over 50 of the world's most famous courses, from the Old Course at St. Andrew's to Pebble Beach, using your own clubs and never losing a ball. A new online mode allows you to play over the Web against your buddies... Provided they have the US$50,000 to $80,000 you need to set yourself up with a system! Read More

HI-TEC Enviro golf shoes: going “green” on the green

By Emily Clark

18:16 February 25, 2008 PST

February 26, 2008 In another example of companies targeting those with a “green” conscience, HI-TEC has launched an environmentally friendly golf shoe made from recycled materials. Read More

Volkswagen squeeze 52 miles from a gallon with new Golf BlueMotion

By Loz Blain

19:14 September 3, 2007 PDT

September 4, 2007 Toyota needed two whole engines to get 46mpg from their famous Prius hybrid, but Volkswagen have achieved over 52mpg by simply tweaking a few characteristics of its popular Golf diesel compact in the latest addition to the company’s environmentally-focused BlueMotion initiative. The Golf BlueMotion makes over 1200km from a 55-liter tank, showing that there’s further room for development from the combustion engine. Read More

Not playing fair - golf equipment that gives you the edge

By Noel McKeegan

June 8, 2007 There was once a time when Woods were actually made of wood and hickory shafts were at the cutting-edge of golfing technology, no-one had ever heard of carbon-fiber, titanium drivers or hybrid irons, and many would argue that the game was no worse off for it. With the rapid acceleration in development of golfing equipment over the last two decades has come the need to ban certain equipment that provides too great an advantage to the user. Serious business in the multi-million dollar world of professional golf, but for the average hack looking to get one up on their friends during a weekend social game, the legality of the equipment doesn't have quite the same bearing - in fact it almost seems to have become a selling point for some equipment manufacturers. Read More

Real-time swing coaching - iTrainer Golf System

By Noel McKeegan

May 30, 2007 UPDATED - NEW IMAGES - The sheer volume of literature produced with the aim of perfecting the golf swing could fill entire libraries, but the problem has always been how to successfully translate this information - or advice from a coach - into your own game. iTrainer Golf provides a solution through real-time analysis and swing correction. Using a Bluetooth module attached to the club, the sophisticated system uses 3D sensors to measure key aspects of your swing, compares them with an optimum swing profile and provides immediate feedback via a wireless headset. Read More

Segway x2 enables a faster round of golf

By Mike Hanlon

November 7, 2006 Once billed as the future of personal mobility, the Segway has certainly had its fair share of trials and not many tribulations, but another of its many benefits surfaced this week in respect to its viability as an alternative to the golf kart. The Segway x2 Golf features a bag carrier, as well as a scorecard holder and special low-pressure tires that enable the x2 Golf to travel gently, causing less damage to the turf than a golf cart. In announcing that the Tiburon Golf Club at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida would be the first in the country to offer the Segway x2 Golf to its clients, club officials had some very complimentary things to say after the club had conducted three months of testing. A typical round of golf at the course usually takes at least four hours, but the Segway’s zippiness enables 18 holes in less than three hours. Whatsmore, players who use the Segway products also find that it’s easier to talk because all four players can travel the course side by side, rather than having to split up into two separate golf carts. Read More

The top ten golf gadgets

By Mike Hanlon

October 4, 2006 A good walk need not necessarily be spoiled if you employ the vast array of golfing aids that have graced these pages over the years. We have often reflected that more inventive creativity seems to be lavished on the sport of golf than on any other single human endeavour and we suspect it’s something to do with the type of people the game attracts (wealthy and presumably intelligent, or at least with a healthy dose of animal cunning), and in order to prove our seat-of-the-pants hypothesis, check out this array of remarkable golfing technology (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). QED! Now if golfers are so smart and so affluent, it’s time that golf courses got wise. A recent survey of 12,000 avid golfers across the United States showed that 72 percent of all respondents prefer to golf at a course that offers GPS over a golf course that did not offer GPS with only 24 percent indicating no preference and 91 percent had already played on a golf course that utilized a GPS system. Read More

GPS golfing device tells you how far it is to the green

By Mike Hanlon

June 5, 2006 It’s only a game, but we’ve mentioned before the amount of attention that golf gets from inventors and entrepreneurs. In the last few years we've written about a Golf robot designed to help everyone feel the perfect swing, an ingenious wireless motion capture system designed to provide detailed remedial assistance for your swing, a new technology from Yale which enables you to hear your golf swing and numerous golf simulators (here, here, here and here) so you can practice all day long. We've reported on an electronic golf ball finder, a golf ball finding system and a pair of golf ball finding glasses. Just recently we've even covered a solar-powered Golf Bag and Bushnell's Yardage Pro Range Finder. Now there’s a new US$400 handheld golf course measuring device that's designed to answer the age-old question: “How far is it to the green?” It shows distance from the tee (or wherever else you are on the course) to the front, center and back of the green, together with up to fifteen hazards. Courses are available for downloading from the web or players can map courses themselves using the device. Read More

The BallFinder SCOUT electronic golfball finder

By Mike Hanlon

April 23, 2006 We’ve written about a few golfball finding mechanisms in our time, but none are as expensive or as accurate as the BallFinder SCOUT. The device exhibits an astonishing capability in digital imaging and tracking technology, using a video-based camera which can search up to 600 square feet in one second or almost 1/7 of an acre in 10 seconds. Each two megapixel image (two million pixels) is analysed pixel by pixel in nanoseconds and once a ball is found the device vibrates and reveals the ball’s location on the screen. The SCOUT finds balls hidden deep in rough if just three dimples are showing. As little as 1% of a standard white ball needs to be visible before BallFinder SCOUT will find it and guide a golfer to its resting place. Read More

The solar-powered Golf Bag

By Mike Hanlon

February 24, 2006 If you’re a very wired dude and a golfer, the Soldius solar powered golf bag is an absolute must-have item. Innovative Dutch company Soldius makes a range of innovative solar chargers that include a pocket device and a number of carry bags with built-in solar panels to enable charging of personal electronic appliances on-the-go. The Soldius golf bag was a logical extension for the range, having been trialed as a concept last year and drawing enormous global interest. There will be four solar-powered bags available ranging in price from US$200 to the full-leather US$800 top-of-the-range bag. Read More

Yale technology enables you to hear your golf swing

By Mike Hanlon

September 7, 2005 Robert D. Grober, Yale professor of Applied Physics and Physics, has combined his passion for golf and his professional expertise to produce a unique and effective real–time audio biofeedback device for teaching and training golf. Grober developed a golf club that has motion–detecting sensors, similar to those used for safety airbag deployment in cars, embedded in the shaft. Sonic Golf’s unique feature is the use of real–time audio feedback. “We were able to identify a signal from the sensors related to the speed of the club,” Grober said. “We convert this signal into an audio soundscape that is universally intuitive to golfers and instantly interpretable, providing real–time audio feedback on the tempo, timing and rhythm of the golf swing.” Read More

Special glasses for finding lost golf balls

By Mike Hanlon

August 18, 2005 Lost golf balls are the bane of a golfer's existence we're not sure which is worse - waiting for the group in front to find their golf ball or losing one yourself. Over the years there has been countless technological endeavour directed at the problem - how to find a lost golf ball> Now there's a simple, cost-efficient and elegant solution. Visiball “Golf Ball Finder” glasses work by blocking out various coloured light waves while allowing the white light wave of the golf balls to pass. The special lenses are claimed to make the lost ball almost appear to glow, making it easy to locate and resume play quickly. Pretty simple really - we've got a set of the glasses winging their way to us at present so we'll send our kick-arse resident golfer Noel out to lose a few golf balls - stay tuned! Read More

Real-time Professional Golf Simulator for the home

By Mike Hanlon

May 11, 2005 Technological progress is being lavished on the science of golf at such a rate that it’s almost hard to keep up. In the last month we’ve featured the ingenious Top Swing Golf Robot and the even-more-ingenious iClub wireless motion capture system and now we have the ProTee Golf Simulator, a state-of-the-art golf simulation system designed for the home. This simulation goes beyond gaming: real clubs and real balls can be used and computing results can be projected onto a large screen. Another new feature is the modular build-up of the system. The basic package is very affordable and can even fit in your living room with only a sensor mat of synthetic grass and the club of your choice. No need to worry about windows: balls are optional. Read More

The TAG Heuer Tiger Woods professional Golf Watch

By Mike Hanlon

April 27, 2005 TAG Heuer has announced a limited-edition launch of the world's first professional golf watch - a watch light and durable enough so that you can wear it to the tee without fear of compromising your shot. Fusing sports and glamour, the TAG Heuer Professional Golf Watch is the result of a partnership between Tiger Woods and TAG Heuer and a limited run of just 8000 pieces will be released worldwide next week. Read More

Wireless Motion Capture promises a better golf game for everyone

By Mike Hanlon

There must be something about the gentle art of playing golf that fires the creative synapses – in three years of Gizmag editorial, we have seen countless efforts to assist us mere mortals to play a better game of golf. We were recently very impressed with the advanced technologies of the Top Swing Golf Robot and felt almost certain that the technologies and understanding offered by Top swing could not be bettered. We were wrong. iClub’s remarkable technologies promise a detailed understanding of one’s own imperfect golf swing, a monitoring of the improvements to the swing and technique through remedial actions and ultimately, a vastly improved golf game. The iClub system includes a suite of golf instructional products proven to help a golfer dramatically improve performance. Created by scientists, engineers, and faculty from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the system combines wireless motion sensing platforms and state- of-the-art technology to create the best instructional products in the world.

The iClub suite of products includes a Body Motion System and the iClub. The Body Motion System is a lightweight vest with embedded sensors that measures power gains and losses during a swing; and, the iClub is a tiny sensor that attaches to the end of any golf club and measures motion during a swing. Data from both devices is sent wirelessly to a personal computer where artificial intelligence converts the information to a 3-D view of the person and club in motion. Read More

Golf robot designed to give everyone the perfect swing

By Mike Hanlon

March 5, 2005 Top Swing is an electronically controlled robot that can hold your golf club, feel your swing, and guide you how to get the perfect swing - unlike all previous golf teaching aids, the Top Swing can enable everyone to FEEL just what the perfect golf shot FEELS like, enabling even beginners to grasp the proper motion concept. With Top Swing, students can feel and execute a perfect swing while advanced golfers and professionals can work on their shot and clinically measure what's happening each and every swing. Read More