Recreation: Computer Golf

Once upon a time, golf was a form of exercise: 18 holes involved a cross-country hike of some 4 miles. The coming of the golf cart eliminated the walking, but the game was still a way of getting out into the open air. Now even this is unnecessary. A foursome in snowbound Maine may play Pinehurst at midnight without having to do more than stand up and swing.

This boon to mankind is another application of the omnipresent computer, developed by nongolfing Scientist Maximilian Richard Speiser from a system he had invented for tracking low-flying ballistic missiles. Speiser applied the system to golf balls.

The player tees off and smacks the ball at an illuminated picture of a fairway, 17 feet away. Elapsed time between the sound of club on ball and the ball’s impact on screen enables the computer to calculate length of drive and probable roll within five yards. One of a bank of 30 lights behind screen is activated by ball and shows on screen as ball actually landing on fairway. Player presses a button and another picture appears taken from approximate position of ball. Player squints at the flag, picks his club, and swings again. On reaching the green, player putts into real hole from indicated distance. Then he presses the button again, and the screen shows him the fairway from the next tee.

This is called Golf-O-Tron, price:$8,500. Five Golf-O-Tron centers are currently in operation in the U.S.,where players have a choice of five courses at $1.50-$5 an hour. Golf-O-Tron—which already has a competitor called Golfo-mat—is doing a brisk business abroad, especially in Japan, where golf, introduced by General MacArthur, is high in status and low on courses.