Golf Course Pin Location Using Unmanned Aircraft

Golf is a game of inches, so it is important to know exactly what conditions each hole brings. Every morning, golf course operations teams get to work early to mark the location of the pin and tee boxes for that day. The current process involves the team walking the course and approximating the location of the pin based on a pin sheet. This project uses an unmanned aircraft to autonomously mark the location on a green for a new hole to be cut. The system includes an unmanned aircraft equipped with a paint-dispensing attachment, a golf operations app to control the unmanned aircraft, and a player’s app to see daily course information. The paint dispensing subsystem includes a light sensor, a pump that pushes the paint through a nozzle, a microcontroller, and an external battery as the power source. All of these components are integrated in the 3D printed attachment mounted on the legs of the unmanned aircraft. The system is controlled through the golf operations app that inputs the desired GPS locations and monitors the status of the system. The golfers’ app contains hole information, including pin placement on the green and distances from the tee boxes. The apps were created and programmed using Java and, after extensive testing, the system accurately and efficiently marks the pin and tee box locations on a golf course.