Turkish Airlines Started a Drone Golf Championship

Turkish Airlines has combined two entirely disparate hobbies, golfing and flying drones, for the second year in a row, now. The Turkish Airlines Drone Golf Championship 2017 may seem like a fabricated parody of the increasing combinations of drones and a seemingly random second activity, but trust us, it’s very real. How on earth does one infuse UAVs into traditional golfing, you ask? Let's wrap our heads around this.

According to DroneLife, the championship took place on Turkey’s Regnum Carya golf course, with fairly simple rules. Two people comprise a team, where one person pilots the drone, and the other directs his movements from afar, then putts the released golf ball. The way this works is equal parts absurd and good-heartedly amusing - similar to our recent discovery of drone-mixology. 

Reportedly, the drone operator is stationed atop the 16th tee mound located on the roof of a villa, from where he attempts to fly his DJI Inspire drone as close to the pin as possible. This is when his teammate, waiting on the green for his chance to putt, can shout out directions and advice regarding the UAV’s movements. The golf ball is held in a grappler, and once the pilot has maneuvered the drone into position, he releases the ball to the ground. His teammate then has to accept its position and putt to victory from there.

Competing against Henrik Stenson and Ian Poulter were Martin Kaymer and Shane Lowry. According to DroneLife, this was a best-of-three challenge, which resulted in Kaymer and Lowry triumphing, and the challenging team losing their golfball in the nearby pond. 

Let’s take a look!

One thing is certain: This is not a sport that will take off anytime soon. For those who golf recreationally, this probably seems like a huge impediment to the enjoyment of the game. There’s a slowing down of momentum, which, let’s face it, is already lacking in golf. For drone enthusiasts, this may be fun for a few rounds but ultimately doesn’t seem worth the effort. 

On the other hand, this is now the second Turkish Airlines Drone Golf Championship in a row. How far could this go? In any case, it’s always interesting to see which activity is paired up with piloting UAVs next. If people can go drone-surfing, anything is possible.