Columnist Victoria Sun: Computer system would create ultimate virtual golf experience

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2000 | 1:24 a.m.

Victoria Sun's golf column appears Wednesday. Reach her at 259-4078 or victoria@lasvegassun.com

It simulates some of the toughest golf shots you'll ever have to hit by tilting to different degrees, and is designed to help you get better through repetitive training.

The best part is, the portable device is going to be even more helpful and fun to use in the near future.

The folks at American Golf Technolgies, Inc., are currently in discussions with several Silicon Valley-based and local computer companies to form a joint venture that will turn its Personal Golf Trainer into a virtual golfing experience via the Internet.

Once a deal is made, production will start on a Personal Golf Trainer equipped with digital cameras and the computer software and Internet capabilities allowing a customer to "play" a round of golf using real clubs and balls against another golfer with the same system. The two will play each other with their actual likenesses projected onto a computer or TV screen the same way they would if they were playing a traditional video game except the players will actually have to hit the shots. Golfers will also be able to play a simulated round on some of the most famed courses in the world through the computerized system.

Jeff Jones, vice president of American Golf Technologies and the director of golf instruction at the Las Vegas Pauite Resort and Rhodes Ranch, said the target date for the release of the upgraded Personal Golf Trainer is in 2001, if not sooner.

Jones estimates there are 75 of the current Personal Golf Trainers already sold to individuals for $6,750 each.

"It helps you learn all aspects of the game," he said. "From chipping to uphill shots, bunker shots and side hill shots.

"You won't find anything else on the market available to let you do all that. It is durable and all parts are made in Las Vegas."

Here's how the Personal Golf Trainer works:

It weighs 275 pounds, is 65 inches long, 43 inches wide and is 11 inches off the ground. There is a removable tray that can be switched with fake fairway rough, deep rough, and a sand bunker to simulate actual course conditions.

To begin practicing, a golfer would stand on the larger area of the contraption and set his or her ball down on a spot on the tray. Then he or she can select the tilt of the platform by pressing buttons to determine the varying degrees of uphill, downhill, side-hill or level lie.

"When the average person plays golf, rarely do they hit most of their shots on a level playing area," Jones said. "And when you practice on a driving range, the surface is level.

"The Personal Golf Trainer helps you practice and perfect your game under more realistic conditions."

There is a patent pending on the PGT that is made for both left and right-handed golfers.

But the Las Vegas-based company is not stopping with golf when it comes to creating a virtual experience.

There are patents pending on the company's Internet Real Sports division that will allow children and adults to "play" baseball, hockey, football, soccer and tennis using real equipment in an interactive video game, the same way virtual golf will be played using the Personal Golf Trainer.

It will not be necessary to purchase a PGT to play the other sports. Instead, the device will be called a Play Action Sensor that will also include two digital cameras to help project the image onto a TV or computer.

A player will hit or throw a ball or puck into a net using a bat or hockey stick, etc., then sensors will measure the speed and rotation of the object. An algorithm will calculate the distance and direction of the object an the results will be inputted into a software application which will then graphically display the location of the object resembling a video game.

"Children don't do what they used to do," Jones said. "Nowadays, they are inside playing computer games instead of being outside playing sports and getting exercise.

"We want to incorporate real sports with the Internet to get them to be more active again by combining their physical abilities with the Internet. This way, they are actually kicking a soccer ball or swinging a baseball bat instead of just pushing a button or working a joystick."

There is no projected price tag for the Play Action Sensor, though it will be a lot less than the PGT, Jones said.

For more information about either product call 616-9444.