Noteworthy Golf Tech At The PGA Show 2025: Part 2
For Part 1 of Noteworthy Golf Tech At The PGA Show 2025 click the link.
Indulging a fascination with tech that extends back to the Zenith/ Heathkit computer I built in the mid 1980s, I spent a lot of time looking at shiny new tech at the PGA Show. Here are a few that stood out to me.
- Rapsodo MLM Launch Monitor
- Ororo Heated Golf Gear
- On Pin Analytics
- SVIC Training Tags
- Wayrobo
- Other Random Golf Tech
- Color Park Golf Ball Logo Printer
Rapsodo MLM Launch Monitor
Rapsodo was demonstrating its MLM2Pro+ Mobile Launch Monitor at the demo day.
The device is very compact, and needs only a couple of yards of distance from unit to net to work.
THe MLM2Pro+ has sensors to track all the usual stats: total and carry distance, ball sped, launch direction, club speed, smash factor, launch angle, shot type, spin rate, spin axis and so on. It also has cameras that record slow-motion GIFs to to give you visual details.
The device also lets you play more than thirty thousand courses with a premium membership.
It looks to me like a solid foundation for a home indoor golf simulator.
Ororo Heated Golf Gear
Apparel? Or technology?
I put Ororo in the technology category.
Ororo makes jackets, vests, fleece and sweatshirts with heating elements powered by rechargable batteries.
The founders hail from the American midwest, so they understand the challenges of enjoying outdoors all year-round.
Their apparel has the heating panels located in what I think are thoughtful locations. The softshell vest, for example, has heating elements in front of the pockets, and on the upper and lower backs. In cold weather, a golfer’s lower back can quickly get tight. Warm hands are essential for the grip.
I liked what I saw.
On Pin Analytics
As I was walking past a booth hawking golf themed colognes, a very friendly Australian gentleman corraled me and insisted that I give the golf cologne a test on my forearm. I did, and it wasn’t all that bad.
Then it turned out that he wasn’t with the cologne company, but with another firm across the aisle. He was so gregarious that I let him give me the spiel for On Pin, a company that promises to improve pace of play and club member experience via technology.
At the core of the system is an RFID bag tag that interacts with reader stations that are strategically placed around the course. When a player with the tag passes the station, data is collected on individual member pace of play, course traffic flow, and course usage.
Live data helps the pro shop keep track of who’s behind and take action to ensure one slow group doesn’t ruin everyone else’s day.
- Where, and at what times are the bottlenecks so Marshalls can be properly assigned?
- What’s the average pace of play at 10 a.m on Tuesday, as opposed to Wednesday, and what players make the difference?
- Where can an outing be fit in without disrupting pace of play?
- Which players are fast, which are slow, and what are the best times for them to play?
- Who books rounds, but doesn’t actually show up to play?
- Which players would make good pairings based on pace of play, time of day and day of the week?
If the tags are kept on known, returning member bags, a strategically placed reader station can alert the pro shop, the starter and other employees so personalized attention can be given.
The bag tags are much less expensive than I would have thought. The tags, at least, would be a minimal expense for country club with a fixed membership. A resort could absolutely afford to have them put on every visitor’s bag. I think a lot of daily fee courses could as well — especially ones that have a large number of frequent customers.
I don’t know what the software subscription costs, but On Pin claims 21 minutes average improvement in pace of play, 7% increase in visitor registrations and other measurable improvements.
It’s an interesting piece of technology.
SVIC Training Tags
After the fact, the collected data is cross tabbed with tee times, player history, actual pace of play and run through On Pin’s software. With the results, clubs can answer questions such as:
XViC sells golf grip tags designed as training aids. The Aiming View module helps with aligning the clubface to the target. You first aim the clubface at the target by standing behind the clubface and zeroing out the Aiming View. Then, when you take your setup, it tells you whether the clubface is still aligned with the target.
I tried it. It’s pretty cool and confirms what golf instructors have been telling students for decades: when you set up and think you’re aligning to the target, you most likely are not.
Wayrobo
Wayrobo, a range ball picking robot. Would this be cheaper than maintaining vehicles and paying people to drive them? My guess is that for larger ranges, the answer is yes.
It is going to be just another example of automation and teach pushing people out of jobs.
However — such cost savings might be the difference between financial solvency and ruin. I suspect that a lot of golf courses and ranges operate on very thin margins.
Other Random Golf Tech
Speaking of automation: there were many companies offering turn key golf management services. Although I’m sure each would argue differently, at a glance they all seemed to do much of the same thing.
It’s a behind-the-scenes thing that as a consumer, I’m not likely to see. But I can imagine how a properly designed and implemented management system could make the golf experience better for players.
Several manufacturers were showing off devices aimed at helping physical recovery: coffin-like hyperbaric chambers, chairs with built in massage systems and the like.
The chambers remind me of the hybernation pods in nso many science fiction films.
There are days when I feel as though I could use a regeneration pod.
It’s all just one more step on the way to the science fiction future.
Color Park Golf Ball Logo Printer
The last bit of tech I’ll mention is a tabletop golf ball logo printer from a company called Color Park. I just uploaded my logo from my phone and it printed it out in seconds. The machine will do a dozen golf balls in two to three minutes.
Very cool. The image (below) is certainly good, but I have no idea about its durability.
Read more about my finds at the 2025 PGA Show.
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