High Tech Golf
High Tech Golf
Golf is now a year-round sport at Sun Valley Resort.
Tucked away in the basement of the new clubhouse is your chance to play a round at Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines or Kiawah Island during a break from the ski slopes. High Definition Golf—billed as “the world’s most advanced golf simulator” by its Canadiandeveloper—has given golfers a chance to keep their swings sharp, take a lesson or just visualize what a round at one of the nation’s legendary courses would be like.
The simulator opened for play in November. Since then, it has been occupied for several hours per day.
“It’s just a wonderful tool and a great addition to the resort,” says Jeff Petersen, the director of golf at Sun Valley Resort.
Petersen and Todd Richardson, the president and CEO of Interactive Sports Technologies, say High Definition Golf is unlike any of the simulators that preceded it because of the detailed visuals and realistic results. IST, based in Toronto, is the developer of High Definition Golf.
“Our proprietary golf course rendering technology incorporates high-resolution digital imagery and satellite data to produce 3D models of golf courses that look incredibly realistic,” Richardson says, “whereas our competitors use traditional 3D graphics modeling that looks like kids’ Nintendo games. Not only do our courses look real—they play like the real thing, too, since every feature is captured with high-resolution accuracy.”
High Definition Golf doubles as a training suite. To produce the results of the shot, the simulator measures ball speed, clubhead speed, launch angle, clubface angle, swing path, ball spin and other factors.
The product features a combination of high-speed cameras and sensors to collect all the data.
“The ball and club tracking system . . . makes more measurements more accurately than any other simulator or combination of devices,” Richardson says.
The result, Petersen says, is the first simulator he has seen that is a truly effective teaching tool. In the past, he didn’t give lessons in the winter. This offseason, he did.
“If you know what the numbers mean, it can greatly help you to understand your golf game and your golf swing,” he says. “When technology gets better, it’s amazing how you ever got by in the world without it.”
So far, all of the feedback Petersen has received from golfers has been positive. He has rented the simulator to locals looking for a regular golf fix and resort guests looking for an alternative to skiing.
“The funny thing is, I’m just as bad of a golfer down here as I am in the middle of summer,” Petersen laughs. “When you hit a bad shot, the simulator picks it up. And when you hit a good one, it picks it up. There’s no lying to the computer.”
The only difference Petersen has noticed in results is that players’ shots often are shorter on the simulator. He attributes part of that to golfers’ inflated idea of how far they can hit the ball and the difference between playing at sea level and higher elevations.
Still, he says, “It’s consistent.”
HD Golf has been available for about three years. It is the product of two-and-a-half years of research and development by a team of scientists and engineers assembled to work on computer vision technology.
The simulators—several hundred so far—have been installed in homes, sports bars, golf equipment stores, hotels, fitness centers, office buildings and clubhouses. The cost averages about $40,000 for the standard model.
It comes in three sizes—executive (9 feet tall by 12 feet wide), standard (10 by 14) and championship (11 by 15).
The course is displayed on a projector screen that doubles as a high-definition TV, which means home users can use one room for the simulator and a home theater. The simulator doesn’t require any special construction in the room.Golfers hit the ball off a driving range mat and into the screen. They also putt toward the screen on an artificial turf surface.HD Golf offers about 20 courses, most of which are part of Sun Valley’s machine—Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, Pinehurst No. 2, Bayhill, Harbour Town, Kiawah Island, Troon North, Banff Springs, Torrey Pines, Doral Blue Monster, Casa de Campo, Spanish Bay and Bethpage Black among them.The machine also offers several driving range options, for warmup, practice and lessons.
Petersen compared the experience to the rest of Sun Valley’s famous offerings.
“We can talk about how good the golf courses are, how good Bald Mountain is, but . . . once you see it, it really puts a new light on it,” Petersen says.
The machine is run by a touch-screen computer. It’s user-friendly and requires virtually no maintenance.
A player can knock out 18 holes in 60 to 90 minutes, Petersen explains. The pace of play decreases with each additional player—just like real golf. It takes about four hours for a foursome to play 18, Petersen says.
Sun Valley rents its HD Golf suite by the hour. It’s $30 for one hour, $50 for two hours, $60 for three hours and $70 for four hours—with all rates per person.
Play has been steady, so Petersen recommends calling ahead for a tee time. Again, just like the real thing.
“It has far exceeded my expectations of what I thought we were going to do with it,” Petersen says.
And he’s not just talking about guests. The staff has gotten a kick out of HD Golf, too.
“I’ve played more golf this winter than I ever do in the summer time. It’s been very welcome on our professional end.”
Want to play? Want to buy one?
Call the Sun Valley Resort golf shop
at 208.622.2251 for a reservation.
Or visit www.istgolf.com for more information on HD Golf purchases.
Call the Sun Valley Resort golf shop
at 208.622.2251 for a reservation.
Or visit www.istgolf.com for more information on HD Golf purchases.
Photography Courtesy Sun Valley Resort
Text Chadd Cripe
Text Chadd Cripe
