Recently I've been playing quite a bit of screen golf. And while playing golf I find I play better if I'm not really thinking about anything important or stressful. Actually, one of the best things to imagine is a beautiful peaceful golf course, aka a nice lawn.
However, off the course (or screen), I've been wondering what exactly is a golf simulator? I think it satisfies the definition of AR best, but some people think it's more like VR or just a video game.
This is the best golf simulator I've been to. It's called "two vision plus". I'm taking a putt and the hole is projected on the floor in front of me.
Why Screen Golf
- It's winter so the weather outside sucks, also it's conveniently right across the street.
- Golf courses in Korea are expensive, not just because the land is expensive and all the courses are super-premium as a result, but also because you need to hire a caddy (who is more like a marshall) and a golf cart.
- I suck at golf and am a beginner. This is easier because I can manage the variables a lot better. Also, I'm in a room alone so my anxiety is super low.
Actually, for me, the last point is the most important. I have no interest in being a pro or getting unsolicited advice and some people tend to take sports way too seriously. So, want to learn and play at my own pace. Unless you do something completely reckless, no one cares what you do while playing screen golf, there is no etiquette. Also, no one is watching unless you count the CCTV.
As you can see the screen golf also has some important information like where the ball should have gone. In case you are wondering, I suck at driving, but I usually take a few types of swings with each club. Also in my defence, those are meters so it's impossible to know what they mean anyway
The Technology
I guess a lot of people wonder how do golf simulators work? Basically there are sensors and computers~ #math #trignometery #physics #technology
In some of the photos, you may notice red circles or triangles on the ceiling or the wall. In every screen golf room, there are two of these. These are high-speed cameras surrounded by red lights. The reason there are 2 of them is so they can get triangulation. They collect information on the club, the ball, your swing, and the club impacting the ball. Actually, this is enough.
The other equipment is less obvious. It's in the kiosk and consists of other sensors like infrared and radar on the older setups or 2 high-speed cameras on the newer ones. It's called GDR (golf driving range) and basically, it's your standard launch monitor. It gives the computer a second opinion and the best part is it is portable (you can take it to the golf course).
As for the visuals, basically, there is a screen and a projector. The screen is just a white piece of fabric and the projector is your standard HD projector. In some cases, there are two (1 wall and 1 ground) or even 3 (2 allow some over lap onto the side walls).
Finally, at the side of the room, there is a normal HD camera for visual feedback. This is useful for self-analysis or sharing and has nothing to do with the simulator.
This is the screen golf near my house. It's an older style and looks kinda ghetto. The tech has been around for like 15+ years which was long before anyone normal was talking about AR. In any case, the important metrics are just as accurate.
The Simulation
Apparently, we live in a simulation which means I don't need to go to the golf simulator to be in a simulation. Nonetheless I still enjoy it.
Anyway, the main aspect of the simulator is the aforementioned projector. The screen appears to be a golf course. You use all your clubs and it measures your swing and moves your ball on the course accordingly. You can't even cheat if you want to because there are so many stupid sensors.
As you may notice, you use real clubs and real golf balls. If you try to putt with the driver or drive with the putter the machine will know your swing sucks.
You may also notice the green astroturf. It would look silly if it was another colour. It helps with the experience, there is also a rubber tee (you don't need to put the ball there), some rough grass (longer carpet) and some sand (it's like a white brush). Actually, you can't use the tee except when you are driving, but you don't need to put it in the rough or the sand unless you are playing with that option.
To add to the senses, there is a speaker. The lady says "nice shot", if it is a nice shot. Fortunately, unlike a lot of stupid golf games (ex. my Oculus VR golf game, there is no nasty announcer saying mean things like "oh so close", there is only positive feedback. Also, the ambient sounds stop after a second or two.
It's all connected to a computer (or app these days) which allows you to select things like tee height, exact direction, course, and other random options (bad weather, multiplayer, etc,). You can make it more challenging or simple depending on how you feel. I just go for amateur and practice.
Finally, some of the platforms move! That's right, in the other two rooms shown here (not my local ghetto place), the actuator under the mat works and it can tilt with all 4 corners of the platform being different heights. Just as you think you get the hang of the game, you've got to try to swing on an angle, yikes!
I like this place, other than that piece of wood in front of me. The platform here actually actuates (that mean tilt I think), and the room is really nice, there is also a bar fridge with soft drinks and beer. One soft drink per player is free, but the beer isn't.
Golf is a sporting game but what is screen golf?
Technically golf is a game and a sport. Other than being spared with walking the course (or setting the tee), screen golf requires the exact same player equipment and physical abilities as actual golf, only the course is simulated.
I think calling it a simulation is a hack job or cop-out. Clearly, you aren't playing on a real golf course, so it is a simulation. However, just because it is a simulation doesn't mean it can't be AR.
So is the golf simulator VR?
It's definitely not VR. For me, VR means the environment is fully immersive, or virtual reality. Oculus Quest is VR. The only thing real is the tool and machine to access view and control it. Screen golf definitely isn't VR. We use real clubs and whack real balls at a real screen. To compare in my oculus, There is no golf ball, I'm not hitting anything and I'm not using a golf club. However, I may feel like it is real.
So is it AR?
I think so. AR to me means improved reality. The screen allows me to see visual feedback that doesn't exist in real life. However, I'm using real equipment. With something like a portable launch simulator, I can even bring it out to the golf course. It gives me all sorts of statistics that are impossible to figure out without a lot of sensitive measuring equipment and calculations. For example, people barely want to keep track of their score while playing golf. Imagine trying to keep track of the distance of your average drive or your average deviation from the center of the fairway? Only AR can do that.
Finally, it immensely improves the reality of just whacking a ball into a net which is essentially what I'm doing. It makes the activity much more interesting and challenges me to try different things I wouldn't be able to think of or enjoy as much without it. It helps turn practice into a game.
Perhaps it is just a video game?
There have been video games with 'golf theme' out for years, none of them are actually like playing golf. You would basically just tap a controller or spin a ball (golden tee). Maybe Nintendo Wii got it the closest, but if you also tried VR golf or screen golf, you would know it is a very different experience.
This is my favourite screen golf place. It's a little more expensive, but the putting is far better since I have a hole on the ground to aim for
Limitations
The only real limitation is the local weather and the bounce, the air and the field are simulated. Obviously, computers aren't good enough to simulate minute changes in temperature, air pressure and wind over hundreds of meters or every subtle different piece of grass on the course. However, it's based on thousands of real swings and is close enough. Sure things like the bunker are very unrealistic. But, I guess I could get a sandbox in the room.
Obviously, I think it could be improved and it will be as computers and technology get better. Or perhaps, golf launchers or GDR (ranges) can be improved with more traditional AR like cellphones, smartwatches or HUD.
Other AR Games
I think the best example is Pokemon GO. It takes a projection of reality and brings it to your phone. You play entirely on your phone. Screen golf is very different. It projects the image onto reality. Both are AR, however.
Another example I'm familiar with is Google glasses or Sky view where you can point at a star or object and it tells you what it is. This isn't really a game I guess, unless you are playing what's that?
My thoughts
I think AR gets a lot of criticism. People make fun of AR and VR because of the metaverse. Actually, I have no desire for online multiplayer. Whatever you think of metaverse, AR and VR do not have to be metaverse.
I think AR is underestimated compared to VR. These are very different techs and both will be important. AR will probably be ubiquitous and widely adopted long before VR because there are a lot of elements to make VR more real and immersive that we aren't even close to achieving on a technological level. However, it won't be long before you feel completely vulnerable without your cellphone or smart devices feeding you information about reality by seamlessly projecting it in your environment.
AR doesn't need to be perfect to be vital or highly useful or to improve reality, whereas VR still feels like an imperfect simulation of reality and will for a long time.
Do you think screen golf is AR?