Look out, drones are coming to a golf course near you!

Reportedly drones could soon be everywhere – so why not on golf courses?!

A big thanks to Geoff Shackleford for highlighting an interesting piece in the latest Golf Digest on drones being used for mapping golf courses and also adding a different perspective to golf telecasts.

It all seems like a bit of a fishing expedition to find a way to perhaps start using this technology to enhance the game, but like any new technology it’ll be interesting to see what (if anything) comes out of the use of drones.

Super-accurate topographical data will also provide a more direct benefit to players: course guides on steroids. Conventional yardage books and GPS-based guidance screens on carts provide “flat” distances, and even that information can be off by as much as five yards. “Drone-based maps can give an exact elevation profile of a hole,” Stoermer says. “Not only do you know how far it is between any two points, but what their relative elevations are.”

Yes, I hear you. It’s taking the fun and skill out of the game by doing all the distance work for you but you still have to hit the golf shot.

I’m not convinced this is any more than just a fanciful idea but the images do look amazing as you can see in the short video below.

Fellow golf blogger Shane Bacon recently took part in a commercial shoot for GoPro that saw a camera strapped to a drone. Some of the footage is very cool indeed.

And for some reason Keegan Bradley was given the chance to take one out by hitting golf balls at one hovering not far in front of him on the range. I know they’re coming down in prie but I’m still surprised anyone can afford to anyone fire golf balls at one.