Stats fans rejoice: TRACK debuts at Masters [Golfweek]

[nevets88]

Track is something like Shotlink. Making its debut at The Masters this year. It was hinted at in the iPad app. Here it is in action on a browser:

http://www.masters.com/en_US/scores/track.html

Quote:

TRACK is very similar to the PGA Tour’s ShotLink system, using a series of lasers discreetly positioned around the course to measure exactly where a player’s ball is located. That information is relayed to a central processing center, where computers connect one location to another and overlay the data atop highly detailed hole maps.

“Every year we sit down (with Augusta National) during, and shortly after, the tournament and do a little recap about how we did,” said John Kent, IBM’s technology manager for worldwide sponsorship marketing. “Augusta is always trying to push the envelope, wanting to do something new and something for the first time. This will be the first time at a major event that there will be ball-tracking data.”

http://golfweek.com/news/2015/apr/09/masters-2015-live-stats-shotlink-pga-tour-golf/

Another piece:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/lasers-sensors-and-golf-how-ibm-is-tracking-the-masters-scores/

[iacas]

It's pathetic that "Track" is currently the "best" way to watch Tiger Woods right now.

But at least it's something.

[cubdog]

I wish the, "powers that be", at Augusta would get over themselves. It makes no sense that, arguably,  the most popular golf tournament in the world has restrictions on televised coverage. We get it. The Masters is special. We can't all be patrons for every round, every year. The elitist nature of this tournament is beginning to take away from my enjoyment of the golf.

[iacas]

I wish the, "powers that be", at Augusta would get over themselves. It makes no sense that, arguably,  the most popular golf tournament in the world has restrictions on televised coverage. We get it. The Masters is special. We can't all be patrons for every round, every year. The elitist nature of this tournament is beginning to take away from my enjoyment of the golf.

Though I agree that more TV coverage would be great, I don't know that it's because they're "elitist."

[Huddo]

Though I agree that more TV coverage would be great, I don't know that it's because they're "elitist."

I understand that the Masters has a different TV contract to the rest of the PGA schedule. What are the reasons they have more restrictions on coverage?

[Dave2512]

Track is awesome.