It gets frustrating when watching a golf tournament on TV because unless you have played on that course, you cannot judge every break or slope on the green. Putting in golf is highly underrated and it is rarely practiced, unless you’re a pro. The PGA Tour is hoping to give golfers, pro or not, the chance to better understand which way the putt will break and why on hundreds of courses worldwide.
Now, with the newly announced signing of StrackaLine for 2015-2016, the PGA Tour will hope to revolutionize the way golf fans read putts.
Strackaline will provide detailed data on green contours and pin placements from most FedExCup tournaments. It is making a debut at the PGA Tour season opener, Frys.com Open in Napa, California.
StackaLine Inc., is a golf technology company founded by a father-son duo in 2007. The advanced technology uses 3D modeling laser scanners to survey the topography of putting greens. The top of the line laser scans the surface of the green for millions of data points. It picks up the most subtle slopes and breaks on the green. The graphics also gives users projected and actual putt trails.
“Anyone who plays golf knows the challenge of properly reading a green and judging the break and speed of a putt. As a fan, it’s particularly difficult to fully appreciate what a player is facing as he lines up a crucial putt during a tournament,” explained PGA Tour Senior Vice President of Digital Platform/Media Strategy, Luis Goicouria in a press release. “We’re excited to make this StrackaLine data available on our digital platforms to offer fans an exciting new element of understanding during PGA Tour competition.”
Hundreds of courses worldwide have already been scanned and added to the StrackaLine app, with more courses being added each week. The company hopes that these scanned courses will give amateur golfers the same information for putting that the PGA Tour players receive.
Golf course operators also benefit from StrackaLine’s automated hole location software because the green keepers and tournament directors will be able to maximize the rotation of pins based on the exact topography data provided from the laser scanning.
CEO of StrackaLine, Jim Stracka, said, “Putting with confidence is they key to making more putts. StrackaLine has been giving TOUR players and their caddies the information they need to understand each green complex for several years now. We are excited to work with the PGA Tour to make this information available for the fans to see as well.”
StrackaLine is available to download for free on both iOS and Android devices. The free download includes access to 9 sample greens. There is also StrackaLine Pro for $4.99 with more than 40 pro tour golf courses And a full membership for $19.99 for over 500 courses worldwide is available.