Pretty interesting behind the scenes article and video over at Sandbox8 about how the seemingly endless stream of statistical data flows around the course at a PGA Tour event. Most of the data is gathered by on-course volunteers armed with various portable survey equipment and wireless devices.
From the article:
If you have ever watched a PGA Tour event on TV, in person, or on your computer, you probably have wondered at some point, how are they able to get the precise distance a ball has traveled, how far it is away from the pin, or the statistics for number of putts Tiger Woods makes within 10 feet?
All that data comes from an army of 300-400 volunteers that follow the action on the golf course using survey grade lasers and handheld devices to record every move each player makes on the golf course and that data is sent in real-time to the PGA TOUR ShotLink truck.
Check out Sandbox8.com for the full article and to take a look at a behind-the-scenes video.