Mixed virtual and real-world golf system

Abstract

Mixed virtual and real-world golf systems are provided herein. In one example, a system for implementing a golf game in a mixed virtual and real-world environment is described. The system includes: a field of play upon which the golf game is played, the field of play being divided into: (i) a screen zone, and (ii) a green zone defining a portion of a hole of a golf course; a screen positioned in the screen zone; a projector configured to project a simulation of the hole of the golf course onto a projection surface of the screen; a turntable in the green zone; and a golf green on the turntable, the golf green including: an undulation layer on the turntable; a green surface on the undulation layer; a golf hole cup positioned in a putting region of the green surface; and one or more actuation systems embedded within the undulation layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mechanical golf green system, comprising:
 a golf green;   a turntable supporting the golf green, the turntable having:
 a top surface on which the golf green is disposed; 
 a central axis about which the turntable is configured to rotate; and 
 two or more raceways arranged beneath the top surface opposite the golf green, the two or more raceways being concentric with one another about the central axis; 
   a support structure bearing a weight of the turntable, each of the two or more raceways having a respective guide surface facing the support structure; and   two or more bearings affixed to the support structure for enabling rotation of the turntable abouts its central axis, the two or more bearings mating with the respective guide surfaces of each of the two or more raceways.   
     
     
         2 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the two or more bearings are arranged into two or more circular arrays, including one or more respective circular arrays for each of the two or more raceways, that are concentric with one another about the central axis of the turntable; and   for each of the two or more raceways, each of the one or more respective circular arrays of the two or more bearings mates with the respective guide surface of the raceway.   
     
     
         3 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 1 , wherein the bearings comprise inverted air casters, inverted wheel casters, or both. 
     
     
         4 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 two or more motors mechanically coupled to the turntable, each of the two or more motors having a respective set of one or more friction wheels contacting the respective guide surface of one of the two or more raceways.   
     
     
         5 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 1 , wherein the turntable comprises:
 a top surface layer having the top surface on which the golf green is disposed; and   two or more beams affixed to a bottom surface of the top surface layer opposite its top surface, each beam extending in a respective radial direction orthogonal to the central axis.   
     
     
         6 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 1 , wherein the golf green comprises:
 an undulation layer supported on the top surface of the turntable, the undulation layer comprising:
 a foam substrate disposed on the top surface of the turntable, the foam substrate defining at least a portion of a topography of the golf green; and 
 a waterproofing membrane disposed on the foam substrate; and 
   a green surface disposed on the waterproofing membrane of the undulation layer, the green surface defining a putting region in which a golf hole cup is positioned.   
     
     
         7 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 6 , wherein the green surface comprises:
 a sheet drain disposed on the undulation layer;   a layer of insulation material disposed on the sheet drain; and   a layer of grass disposed on the layer of insulation material, the layer of grass having synthetic grass, real grass, or both.   
     
     
         8 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 7 , wherein the layer of grass is divided into two or more regions each having grass of a different type, the two or more regions including:
 the putting region in which the golf hole cup is positioned, the putting region having grass of a given pile height and a given tuft gauge;   a fairway region having grass of greater pile height and/or coarser tuft gauge than the grass of the putting region; and   a rough region having grass of greater pile height and/or coarser tuft gauge than the grass of the fairway region.   
     
     
         9 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 8 , wherein the golf green comprises one or more bunkers each positioned in the fairway or rough region of the golf green, each of the one or more bunkers comprising a respective depression in the golf green filled with bunker sand. 
     
     
         10 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a knee wall disposed on the top surface of the turntable, the knee wall subtending a respective perimeter of each of the undulation layer, sheet drain, and layer of insulation material,
 wherein the layer of grass overhangs the knee wall; 
   an outer wall arranged laterally about the turntable, the outer wall having a top surface parallel to the top surface of the turntable;   a panel disposed on the top surface of the outer wall, the panel having an annulus shape that is concentric with the central axis of the turntable; and   a second layer of grass disposed on the panel, the second layer of grass overhanging the outer wall.   
     
     
         11 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 10 , wherein the panel and the perimeter of the layer of insulation material each have a respective top surface positioned in a common plane that is parallel to the top surface of the turntable. 
     
     
         12 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 6 , wherein the foam substrate defines a first portion of the topography of the golf green, and a second portion of the topography of the golf green is reconfigurable. 
     
     
         13 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 12 , wherein the golf green comprises:
 one or more actuation systems embedded within the undulation layer, each of the one or more actuation systems configured to move the green surface to reconfigure the second portion of the topography of the golf green.   
     
     
         14 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 13 , wherein the turntable comprises:
 a cable management system arranged beneath the top surface of the turntable, the cable management system comprising:
 an electrical panel positioned on the central axis of the turntable; and 
 two or more electrical conduits each extending from the electrical panel to a respective position about the central axis of the turntable; and 
   for each of the one or more actuation systems, a respective set of one or more power lines electrically connecting the actuation system to the electrical panel, the respective set of power lines extending through one or more of the two or more electrical conduits.   
     
     
         15 . The mechanical golf green system of  claim 14 , wherein the turntable comprises, for each of the one or more actuation systems:
 a respective control board positioned beneath the top surface of the turntable; and   a respective set of one or more control lines electrically connecting the actuation system to the respective control board, the respective set of control lines extending through one or more of the two or more electrical conduits.   
     
     
         16 . A system for implementing a golf game in a mixed virtual and real-world environment, the system comprising:
 a field of play upon which the golf game is played, the field of play being divided into: (i) a screen zone, and (ii) a green zone defining a portion of a hole of a golf course;   a screen positioned in the screen zone, the screen having a projection surface;   a projector configured to project a simulation of the hole of the golf course onto the projection surface of the screen;   a turntable positioned in the green zone; and   a golf green supported on the turntable, the golf green comprising:
 an undulation layer disposed on the turntable, the undulation layer defining a first portion of a topography of the golf green; 
 a green surface disposed on the undulation layer, the green surface defining a putting region in which a golf hole cup of the hole of the golf course is positioned; and 
 one or more actuation systems embedded within the undulation layer, each of the one or more actuation systems configured to move the green surface of the putting region to reconfigure a second portion of the topography of the golf green. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the turntable is bounded by a fixed portion of the green zone, and the first portion of the topography of the golf green has a topographic variation that, responsive to rotation of the turntable, changes a height of a golf shot approach line directed towards the golf hole cup from the fixed portion of the green zone. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the green surface and the fixed portion of the green zone define a fairway region and a rough region of the hole of the golf course. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the green zone comprises one or more bunkers each positioned in the fairway or rough region of the hole of the golf course, each of the one or more bunkers comprising a respective depression in the fairway or rough region filled with bunker sand. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more actuation systems includes two or more actuation systems. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more actuation systems includes three or more actuation systems each orientated at a respective angle in a range from 2 degrees to 178 degrees relative to each other actuation system. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the golf green comprises, for each of the one or more actuation systems:
 a respective platform supporting the actuation system on the turntable, the respective platform elevating the actuation system to a different respective height above the turntable than the respective platform of each other actuation system.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 16 , comprising:
 two or more light sources for illuminating the golf green; and   a computing system communicatively coupled with each of the two or more light sources, wherein the computing system is configured, during use of the system, to:
 execute the simulation of the hole of the golf course; 
 retrieve a coordinate of a virtual golf ball in the simulation; 
 retrieve a current angle of rotation of the turntable; 
 determine, based on the coordinate of the virtual golf ball and current angle of the turntable, a position on the golf green for a real-world golf ball; and 
 transmit, to each of one or more of the two or more light sources, a respective control signal that cause the two or more light sources to illuminate the position on the golf green for the real-world golf ball. 
   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 two or more cameras configured to monitor the position of the real-world golf ball on the golf green; and   a user interface configured to receive and display a respective video feed from each of the cameras, wherein the computing system is communicatively coupled with the user interface and configured, during use of the system, to:
 receive, from the user interface, a user input indicating that the hole of the golf course has finished being played; and 
 in response to receiving the user input, retrieve data defining a next hole of the golf course to be played. 
   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the data defining the next hole specifies: (i) a target angle of rotation of the turntable, and (ii) a target configuration of the second portion of the topography of the golf green,   the system comprises one or more motors each mechanically coupled to the turntable,   the computing system is communicatively coupled with the one or more motors and the one or more actuation systems, and   the computing system is configured, during use of the system, to:
 transmit, to each of the one or more motors, a respective control signal that causes the one or more motors to rotate the turntable to the target angle; and 
 transmit, to each of the one or more actuation systems, a respective control signal that causes the one or more actuation systems to reconfigure the second portion of the topography to the target configuration. 
   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 16 , located within an arena or a stadium. 
     
     
         27 . A method for implementing a golf game in a mixed virtual and real-world environment, the method comprising:
 providing a field of play upon which the golf game is played, the field of play being divided into: (i) a screen zone, and (ii) a green zone defining a portion of a hole of a golf course;   executing, by a computing system, a simulation of the hole of the golf course;   projecting, by a projector, the simulation onto a projection surface of a screen positioned in the screen zone;   providing a turntable, positioned in the green zone, on which a golf green is supported, the golf green comprising:
 an undulation layer supported on the turntable, the undulation layer defining a first portion of a topography of the golf green; 
 a green surface disposed on the undulation layer, the green surface defining a putting region of the hole of the golf course; 
 a golf hole cup positioned in the putting region; and 
 one or more actuation systems embedded within the undulation layer, each of the one or more actuation systems configured to move the green surface of the putting region to reconfigure a second portion of the topography of the golf green; 
   receiving, by the computing system, a user input indicating that the hole of the golf course has finished being played; and   in response to receiving the user input:
 retrieving, by the computing system, data defining a next hole of the golf course to be played, the data specifying: (i) a target angle of rotation of the turntable, and (ii) a target configuration of the second portion of the topography of the golf green; 
 transmitting, by the computing system, a respective control signal to each of one or more drive motors that causes the one or more drive motors to rotate the turntable to the target angle; and 
 transmitting, by the computing system, a respective control signal to each of the one or more actuation systems that causes the one or more actuation systems to reconfigure the second portion of the topography of the golf green to the target configuration. 
   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the data defining the next hole of the golf course comprises a position of the golf hole cup in the putting region, and the golf hole cup is positioned in a portion of the green surface moved by one of the one or more actuation systems. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , comprising:
 retrieving, by the computing system, a coordinate of a virtual golf ball in the simulation;   retrieving, by the computing system, a current angle of rotation of the turntable;   determining, by the computing system, a target position on the golf green for a real-world golf ball based on the coordinate of the virtual golf ball and current angle of the turntable; and   transmitting, by the computing system, a respective control signal to each of one or more light sources that cause the one or more light sources to illuminate the position on the golf green for the real-world golf ball.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more actuation systems are two or more actuation systems. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein each hole of the golf course is defined by respective data specifying: (i) a respective target angle of rotation of the turntable, and (ii) a respective target configuration of the second portion of the topography of the golf green.