chrishysell
* Ace Member *
I don't fear technology. I installed cameras all around my house and an internet monitored surveillance system. You kids had better stay off of my lawn.
-
Discover new ways to elevate your game with the updated DGCourseReview app!
It's entirely free and enhanced with features shaped by user feedback to ensure your best experience on the course. (App Store or Google Play)
Smartphone app for tournaments?
- Thread starter CaptainAnhyzer
- Start date
CaptainAnhyzer
* Ace Member *
Give a good idea to DGCR and they'll always make it "better". :hfive:
mjoyce
Birdie Member
I think in principle it's a great idea. The downsides as mentioned are the people who don't want to bring a phone on course, cell service, or lack of a smart phone.
Also You'd have to develop an app that works across Window's Phone, Android, and iOS. It might be difficult (no idea) to have the data from everyone's phones interface with the central scoring of the tournament.
The only other issue or question I have is does everyone get the scorecard for the course and everyone keeps score? Or do we have to pass player one's phone around. I know some people wouldn't want to have to pass their phone around so the next guy on the card could keep score.
Personally I keep score on my phone for most every round I play I like the Easy Scorecard app and I like having instant access to my past round history.
For the record I really like the idea I just think it might have a few more kinks than originally expected
Your phone should be off during a tourney.
also what happens when your phone dies on hole 15, do you lose all of the scores?
also what happens when your phone dies on hole 15, do you lose all of the scores?
Cgkdisc
.:Hall of Fame Member:.
Rule changed to allow them starting 2013.
CaptainAnhyzer
* Ace Member *
Everyone's scorecard would be updated at a central computer(TDs) each time they enter scores for a hole. And with this feature, you'd be able to eavesdrop on the scores of players not on your card.
Just ideas, people....... i never said they were bulletproof.
Just ideas, people....... i never said they were bulletproof.
Cgkdisc
.:Hall of Fame Member:.
That system has already existed for years on the PDGA website for live scoring. All they need to do is make it more user friendly so TDs can set up live scoring for their event and allow someone from each group to log in and post their group's scores after each hole or two.
First, your article is over a year old. With the way technology evolves, you might as well have quoted the Bible. They're about equally relevant. Since your article was written, smartphone ownership is up 9%, and now over half of Americans over the age of twelve own a smartphone. So you sir are officially in the minority.
Second, there are plenty of smartphones out there priced between $0 and $49, from all four major carriers. There are also plenty of inexpensive prepaid plans if you roll that way. So there goes the price argument. Granted, like anything else in life you get what you pay for, and I'd never recommend cheaping out on a smartphone if you want to use it for two years, but to each his own. If you prefer hotdogs and grilled cheese, knock yourself out. I'll have the surf and turf.
And finally, to deal with your personal attack. Calling my a drone for taking advantage of technology I can easily afford, and use in my daily personal and professional life is foolish. As foolish as it would be for me to assume you were too poor to own a smartphone. In fact, given your comments about wanting more services for the same money, I'd have more room to make that statement (if I were so inclined, and I'm not so don't get angry) than you do to assume I'm some mindless fool who didn't examine the pros and cons of smartphone ownership fully before pulling the trigger.
One last point. Sprint recently killed of their iDen/Nextel 2g network to make room for their 4G LTE expansion. You can expect the rest of the major providers to do similar things in the near future, as spectrum is a limited resource, more spectrum is needed to cater to the majority of of that own smartphones, oh and the trend is towards smartphone ownership. Evolve or be left behind.
Though smartphone tournaments have little appeal to me, I'll make an exception for the live scoreboard. It would be cool to know what the card before or behind me is doing, or friends in other divisions....or even, when coming down the last few holes in a tight match, to not have to add the card mid-round to see where I stand.
The app as described sounds brilliant. It may not work in certain situations, but that's no reason not to look into developing something along these lines. Android is the most widely used, and open platform (no dev fees or submission to Apple's app store required to place an app on unrooted devices) so begin development there, and then move to iPhone if there is really a need. Windows phone and Blackberry are such minorities right now that they can safely be ignored unless this is a huge success.
To address the complaints:
1. Not everyone has a smartphone: The majority of Americans do, and it should be fairly easy to construct cards in a fashion where there is a minimum of one, preferably 2 or more, smartphones per group.
2. Battery dies: It would be incumbent upon the app designer to minimize battery impact from the app (no GPS features for instance). After that its up to the player to know that he needs to show up with a full battery, and not waste it during the round. In the likely event there are two phones or more smartphones in the group, maybe each player could take responsibility for keeping score for one round.
3. Rural course with no/poor service: Don't use the app. Simple and obvious.
There ARE issues with this idea, but none of them are insurmountable, especially as players got used to working with it.
To address the complaints:
1. Not everyone has a smartphone: The majority of Americans do, and it should be fairly easy to construct cards in a fashion where there is a minimum of one, preferably 2 or more, smartphones per group.
2. Battery dies: It would be incumbent upon the app designer to minimize battery impact from the app (no GPS features for instance). After that its up to the player to know that he needs to show up with a full battery, and not waste it during the round. In the likely event there are two phones or more smartphones in the group, maybe each player could take responsibility for keeping score for one round.
3. Rural course with no/poor service: Don't use the app. Simple and obvious.
There ARE issues with this idea, but none of them are insurmountable, especially as players got used to working with it.
As I said, I've already kicked this idea around in my head. Including taking on some of the potential pitfalls, here are some of the solutions I've come up with.
1. The data would be held in a database online accessible from any internet connection. If one phone dies, another can be used. Or to rotate scoring, once one person is done, another can pick up right where you left off.
2. The app could download the card data at the start of the round so that if signal is lost, the card can continue to be updated and when connection to the database is restored, the data is updated online.
3. A mobile website allows any phone with a browser to access it. So even if there's not an app compatible with your phone, most functionality is still accessible
4. The TD login has admin rights to modify any card and any score. The recommendation would be that the electronic cards are for live scoring and quick calculation verifications, but paper cards should always be used as a fallback.
1. The data would be held in a database online accessible from any internet connection. If one phone dies, another can be used. Or to rotate scoring, once one person is done, another can pick up right where you left off.
2. The app could download the card data at the start of the round so that if signal is lost, the card can continue to be updated and when connection to the database is restored, the data is updated online.
3. A mobile website allows any phone with a browser to access it. So even if there's not an app compatible with your phone, most functionality is still accessible
4. The TD login has admin rights to modify any card and any score. The recommendation would be that the electronic cards are for live scoring and quick calculation verifications, but paper cards should always be used as a fallback.
chrishysell
* Ace Member *
I think this could be done on a larger scale. All you would need is a wifi umbrella on each course and IPads mounted on each tee sign. Instant updates. It would give it the feel of the newly updated bowling alleys.
chrishysell
* Ace Member *
not specifically Ipads, some sort of tablet would do
And if you position the ipads well enough, you can use the camera for live video!
Cross-platform compatibility is easily answered by making the app essentially web-based. It's pretty easy (from what I've been led to understand) to translate a Web app across multiple platforms - all the programming is is a front-end, so to speak, so if the live scoring "app" is essentially a secured website then compatibility shouldn't be a huge issue. And I love Chris' idea for a wifi setup for the course, so you don't have to worry about cell coverage. A simple emergency charger would help out in the event that someones phone starts to die (and those are only around $12, and are something everyone with a smartphone should think seriously about investing in anyway).
I don't see it happening at the local C tier. Maybe a few B tiers would be able to do it. But I think it could be done at major tournaments (especially tournaments like the GBO, BG Ams, etc.). In a few years, I could even see each group being handed a cheap tablet-type device to use rather than a score card.
I don't see it happening at the local C tier. Maybe a few B tiers would be able to do it. But I think it could be done at major tournaments (especially tournaments like the GBO, BG Ams, etc.). In a few years, I could even see each group being handed a cheap tablet-type device to use rather than a score card.
Don't forget the possibility of rain.
Tiny
Double Eagle Member
I carry my phone for 2 reasons, music when the mood strikes me (never does), and for emergencies. I don't use it otherwise, unless I got an important email about a trade going down and I got spare time while waiting on a group of 8 to hole out.
Tiny
Double Eagle Member
Problem solved.
1. A. Have a check in box of whether you have a phone with the app or not when signing up. If you don't have one, be paired with those that do for scorecard keeping. B. Have a computer to sign in with when you get there, that is near the booth but not in the way.
2. A. Paperscore cards are a must anyways, so that's a good backup. I personally never leave my house without a full charge cause smartphones suck. Also, I have a charger in the car, (for those long drives when I need gps.) B. The design wouldn't need gps, and should be able to be ran in airplane mode, just allow blue tooth to connect to TD when you get there and when you return with scores.
3. Bluetooth to connect to the TD, and problem with reception solved.
Idk, those issues are pretty easy to fix. I don't think we are there yet personally, but in do time we may be.
Cgkdisc
.:Hall of Fame Member:.
Separate from the cool factor, there should be a reason why already overworked TDs would want to handle the additional burdens to mess around with this. The new system might be flawless when everything works well. But dealing with the exceptions and problems, which are likely almost every event, are where this might not be TD friendly. Does this new system make the TDs life and work any easier? Are more players likely to enter because this technology is being used? Are TDs likely to get more sponsorship as a result of promotion potential online?
