Golf course in a space station

[ZeroGVersteeg]

I've been working on a short film about space exploration and designing a large future rotating space colony. This structure would be a large can shape with about a 500m diameter (547yrds). In the process of designing the interior, I always try to imagine what I would want to see if I lived there myself. As an avid golfer, I obviously would not want to live in a community without a golf course (even if space is limited(...in space)).

I decided I could probably fit at least 3 holes (2 par 3's and a par 4) in the settlement. Since everything would be built from scratch, we could mimic any holes that we would like to play. I based the course around an edited Pebble Beach (Par 3 7th, Par 3 17th and shortened Par 4 8th). The greens would be synthetic grass and hydraulically operated so each green could change to a different layout at the click of a button. By playing 3 holes 6 times from different tees, you could actually play 18 slightly different holes.

Note: the physics in a zero gravity environment where the only force applied to the ball would be the centrifugal force applied by the rotating station plus the impact of the club, would drastically change the way we would have to play. ...and the putt would always break along the rotation axis of the structure.

Updates and high resolution images of the course and structure can be found here:

www.spacehabs.com/441354

Moving to a space station may be more appealing if you knew you could still get a tee time.

[ZeroGVersteeg]

I have updated and animation that shows a brief fly-over of the golf course at:

www.spacehabs.com/ 459883

[Kapanda]

Did you not stop at all to think whether this would actually be worth sharing?

Because if you did, I'm glad you made the right decision! That's cool as shit!

Do you get paid to come up with stuff like that?

[broomhandle]

Way cool.

Thought I read that they think now 500M would be way too small to really be workable.

[ZeroGVersteeg]

Thanks Kapanda, I actually thought a long time about whether or not to post this project and where to post the images. I have a lot of artist and space buddies who don't golf so they can't imagine why we'd take up room in a space station for a small golf course. I figured that other golf lovers would appreciate why I would try. It's my design so if I say there is a golf course, then there is a golf course.

Unfortunately, although I do get paid to design conceptual visualizations for space exploration, this project is more of a labour of love at this point.

Thanks for your comment broomhandle. At 500m it is the minimum size that the structure could be and still generate 1G of force while rotating no more than 2 revolutions per minute. Studies show that anything more than 2rpm could be disorientating. If it is only 80% earth gravity then the slower spin rate would be fine. Definitely, bigger would be MUCH better, not only for a more moderate spin rate, but with the added space we could do 9 holes and eventually a full 18. This winter I would like to do a 1km diameter structure and even larger after that.

[BeRich]

I don't know anything about space habitats, although it is damn cool, but the images you made are really sweet.

[Clambake]

Very cool images and concept.   I'm trying to get my head around the physics of the golf ball in this environment.    I can see how the centrifugal force creates artificial gravity when you're standing or otherwise attached on the outside of the rotating drum, but I would think that a object such as a ball that is not on that surface would simply free float in the internal atmosphere.   Ugh, it hurts trying to thing of the orbital dynamics of a golf ball suspended in a rotating atmosphere!

[ZeroGVersteeg]

It is a pretty good exercise to imagine how the ball would react in such an environment. Once the ball is impacted then it will maintain its trajectory until it hits something else. If the ball was motionless and inserted into the void within the structure then it would float slowly for a while however the air within the structure would be moving with the rotation so the air itself would apply a small force to the ball. This would slowly force the ball to the outside of the rotation. The nearer you get to the axis of the rotation, the less air pressure would apply to any free floating object. We can theorize how this would effect the game of golf but ultimately, I think the first people who play will probably be inventing some shots that we would have a hard time imagining without being there. That would be fun.

[navidfirouz]

Holey Moley - this is pure awesomeness.

Well, e.g. Tiger woods has a small golf course in the backyard. So why not have yours as part of a space station :)

Dude, I'd love to play in space. Imagine the different gravity modes you could play in.

Take care,

Navid

[kathybhylton]

Wow Amazing! The nature speaks pure awesomeness! Kodus for the short film!

[ZeroGVersteeg]

Thanks Navid, like you said "why not?"

Kathy, the nature is important to me. One of the reasons I love golf is the nature of the places Im able to play. I walk my dogs in the woods everyday for the same reason. I've always loved walks in the park and would assume that people in the future, wherever they may live, will draw comfort from nature, no matter how artifical the rest of the environment may be. Even people living in small apartments can get joy out of a house plant in the corner of the room. A large space station will need larger house plants.