The rain was driving him nuts. No golf today…again. As a form of desperation, the Psychic made a reservation for two at a golf simulator near his home. Then convinced his best golf buddy to join him.

Simulator golf was not entirely new to them, but their experience was limited. The person behind the counter ran the credit card and gave these senior citizens a few brief instructions. They chose Pebble Beach because both knew that the chances of them ever setting foot on this property were very slim at best.

The experience was enjoyable, and the beer was cold. On the way home his buddy asked, “Where do you think simulator golf will be in a few years? With all this new tech and AI to assist I can’t fathom where indoor, play anytime day or night golf might go.”

The thought lingered in the Psychic’s mind as he walked into the peace and quiet of his living room. He was hungry for a leftover roast beef sandwich and wanted his usual after golf Arnold Palmer with just a taste of Ketel One vodka, but he had to find the answer to the question.

The mind reading magic sphere was already glowing as he sat down and placed the turban on his head. The first scene was of a large van type vehicle pulling into the driveway of a fine suburban home. The driver jumped out to summon his golfer buddies attending the bachelor party, but they were already moving rapidly toward the mobile golf simulator. With room for eight to sit comfortably and the bar fully stocked with exotic cocktail makings and plenty of ice. The argument already started.

“What course shall we play, I prefer TPC Sawgrass, someday I am going to make a hole in one on 17.”

“You always choose that course, let Slim pick he is the one getting married and paying for this thing,” another said.

As the Psychic observed the scene quickly shifted to another like vehicle in some remote location filled with eight more golfers. “Really sorry you guys can’t make it to the party in person,” Slim said into the 7’ X 8’ simulator screen.

“Yea, it will be just like being there with this new tech, we can even smell that stinky cap that Henry always wears.”

Before the first shot is hit the scene changes. The Psychic sees two golfers on opposite sides of the world starting a Nassau match for 100 bitcoin. The course is Pebble Beach, and each has the course set up on his personal simulator in his rec room. “Today you set the wind speed, I will pick the direction,” one said.

The other player says, “Okay 18 mph with gusts to 25. You set the direction I will set the greens running at 13.5 you pick the hole locations.”

With a few quick clicks the course is set up with these exact variables. Suddenly an avatar in the perfect likeness of his human master is taking a practice swing. The avatar secures his hat firmly on his head as the human counterpart hits a knockdown 7-iron into a quartering wind from the right. On both simulator screens the ball starts directly at the back right hole location, but the gust forces the ball down and to the left ending up on the left front of the putting surface. “Not all that bad but that gust really knocked my ball down.”

As the scene changes the golfers are using photographs of locations that they thought would make great golf holes. Some from their hometown area some from trips to the rain forest in Brazil. As each pictures the perfect golf hole in his mind AI creates that exact hole in the simulator. Instantly the participants in today’s game can explore every detail of the new hole AI created from the photo. Because time is short today the threesome is creating only two holes each. “We will just play $10 skins today to get a feel for the holes we can use these six again next week with the big game. Of course, we will have to change the hole location. That is only fair to the boys.”

The Psychic had seen enough for one day. He covered the crystal ball and removed the worn turban. He felt numb! Thoughts raced through his mind. Will this end outdoor golf as we play it today? Will it enhance the sport and bring more players into the game? What about the intangibles of golf like old ball marks on the putting surfaces. The volcano effect on cups that were not changed on a day after busy play.

As he walked into the kitchen to create his Arnold Palmer with a little more than a touch of Ketel One he was still thinking about the intangibles on the golf course. What about the lie? Will your ball ever end up in a divot on a simulator? When using a putter from off the green how will grain effect the putts on a simulator?

One long pull on the AP, the cool refreshment brought him to his senses. Computers and technology are good for many things if an astronaut in the space station wants to play golf on a simulator, but it will never replace the real thing. Golf, the game we love and hate was made to be played outdoors on real grass in the ever-changing elements provided by Mother Nature. Simulators can create many things, but nothing replaces real golf on real turf.