Although golf is not as popular today as it was in recent years when Tiger Woods was dominating the sport, there is no reason to think it may not come back in the future. One of the ways that might happen is with help from drones in terms of planning, maintaining, and marketing golf courses.
Planning
As with most construction programs, drones become an invaluable asset.
Golf course design and construction depends so much on the topography of the land area. Designing a golf course, therefore, is a massive project.
The initial stage of the topography of the project is critical in determining the amount of work that is required. Instead of having surveyors on the ground making slope and terrain measurements, drones can accomplish that task effortlessly and quickly. In addition to an overview of the site of the project, 3D topography maps can be created by using a process called “photogrammetry.” The 3D model provides high-resolution images to provide measurements of distance, area, and volume, which will assist in the planning of the golf course.
Once construction begins, the aerial film from the drone will be essential in monitoring the progress of the project.
Maintenance
Since golf courses are dependent on good weather, they constantly need a quick overview of the course and drones are an ideal fit for maintaining them. Some of the most scenic golf courses will have a wide variety of flowers, fauna, shrubs and trees, and the health of these plants and vegetation is very important to the beauty of the course. Therefore, being able to prevent pest infestation and disease is vital to the health of a golf course.
Drones can easily and quickly do early flyovers which will help maintenance crews to survey and evaluate all aspects of the golf course and get a full and accurate picture before the golf course opens for play each day.
In addition to vegetation, golf courses have fences and buildings, such as clubhouses, that need maintenance, as well as the turf, which needs constant monitoring. Because drones are so agile and quick, they can easily maneuver their way around a golf course in a very short time. Fairways and greens need to be monitored regularly to make sure they are healthy. And if they are not, drones can quickly find that out before they become a more serious problem. Drone technology enables drones, equipped with NDVI sensors, to find out the condition of the turf that human eyes are unable to see, such as frequencies of energy. These sensors can identify turf that is unhealthy and thereby spot problem areas early.
Marketing
Virtually all of the latest drones come with 4k cameras, which have top of the range six axis stabilization technology. This makes it easy to film top quality aerial video (taking photos every 0.5 or 1 second intervals). Therefore, drones are able to take astonishing aerial footage of drone courses, and the photos and videos are an ideal way of presenting golf courses at a scale that simply cannot be captured by photos and videos on the ground. The height from which drones take photos and videos gives a perspective that cannot be attained any other way.
Aerial Pathway videos are very popular in marketing golf courses, partly becomes drones are such a natural fit. Drones can so effortlessly follow the journey of the golf ball from beginning to end. This is not only fun, but it shows off the beauty of the course, and can also depict the changes in the terrain, thus helping golfers to formulate their strategy accordingly.
Creating professional golf course drone videos is also an exceptional way to increase membership. In addition to the golf course itself, the clubhouse, and the surrounding countryside, should also be shown to really promote and increase memberships.
Providing a virtual tour with interactive videos can help in promoting a golf course. Helping existing members understand the golf course better, thus improving their game, may help with retention of memberships.
Future
When it comes to marketing, drones are very cost-effective when compared to renting a helicopter and film crew, which can cost thousands of dollars.Considering how vast golf courses are, drones are the solution to much of what is needed in running a golf course. Whether it is planning, maintenance, or marketing, drones are there to make the difference between having a struggling business or a successful one.
