I’m getting animated about the future

There are a number of interesting debates that have been doing the rounds among golf industry peers over the past couple of years, perhaps none more pertinent than "how green is golf" and "the effects of technology on mature, traditional golf courses".

Both I have to say, are extremely relevant issues that will no doubt rise in profile as more blogs are written on them and more cyberspace is taken up on industry websites to debate them.

Aside from these issues, but perhaps one that is linked in a roundabout way, is the technological enhancements made in golf course simulation and golf course modelling.

As water continues to be talked up to crisis point, will the far-off future of golf provide golf revellers with hi-tech simulation play only?

Even sand golf is unlikely to make a resurgence, as the oil- based products required to construct and maintain the "browns" could become one of the most expensive commodities on the planet!

Before we all start to get carried away, I don’t think we, in our lifetimes, need to worry about either scenario, however there’s certainly food for thought.

Simulation, animation, modelling – whatever you’d like to call it – has certainly advanced technology-wise in giant steps over the last couple of years and become a main feature in the design process of many industries. Aside from the development and enhancement of the simulation, the real interesting switch in the golf industry has been in the use of the end product.

It was only a short time ago that golf course designers used animation solely to inspire and grip the developer by realising their dream in front of their very eyes.

Imagine the power of a tool to animate your dreams on a computer screen in front of your very eyes at the click of a button.

As a golfer I find it quite awe-inspiring to be able to view the golf course before a grain of sand has been disturbed, but unfortunately the love of the game wasn’t the only real reason for such genius.

Real estate rules in our industry now; no longer does the placement of trees and the playability of a hole matter as much – it is a question of what does the view look like from my house and what does my house look like from the golf course.

Times are definitely changing and the way the industry perceives golf’s place in global markets is changing just as quickly. No matter what technologies are born and whichever way the market swings, let’s never forget the traditions of and the very essence of why we love the game.