Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for identifying the location of a striker of an object, includes, in at least one aspect, a method including receiving a request from a mobile computing device operated by a striker located in a striking area having space for two or more strikers to strike objects into a target area; initiating an audio recording by the microphone of the mobile computing device; identifying a physical location in the striking area and a first strike time determination for an object struck from the striking area based on sensor observations of the object in flight between the striking area and the target area; identifying a second strike time determination in the audio recording; and associating the physical location with the mobile computing device when the second strike time determination is matched with the first strike time determination.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for identifying the location of a striker of an object, includes, in at least one aspect, a method including receiving a request from a mobile computing device operated by a striker located in a striking area having space for two or more strikers to strike objects into a target area; initiating an audio recording by the microphone of the mobile computing device; identifying a physical location in the striking area and a first strike time determination for an object struck from the striking area based on sensor observations of the object in flight between the striking area and the target area; identifying a second strike time determination in the audio recording; and associating the physical location with the mobile computing device when the second strike time determination is matched with the first strike time determination.

Sensors in a golf teeing booth are used to: detect that a ball has be driven and estimate a predicted ball landing point on a golf practice range. A mobile unmanned golf ball retrieval vehicle, sometimes referred to as a gofer, determines a precise ball location on the field and reports the results to a control system. The control system updates the golfer's score based on the determined precise ball location.

Systems and apparatus for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) golf ball testing include, in at least one aspect, an apparatus including: one or more RFID readers having associated read zones; a star wheel unit defining cavities to receive golf balls; golf ball sensors including at least one sensor for each respective path through the read zones; kickers including at least one kicker positioned after each respective path through the read zones and arranged to change a golf ball's direction of travel when the at least one kicker is activated; and a controller coupled with the kickers, the golf ball sensors, and the one or more RFID readers, wherein the controller is configured to activate any of the kickers responsive to the one or more RFID readers inadequately reading an RFID tag in a golf ball detected by the at least one sensor for that kicker's associated path through a read zone.

The present teachings generally relate to accommodations (e.g., a hotel or other lodgings) providing access to a golf driving range from a guest's private room. Methods of entertainment for guests of a hotel comprising multiple guest units is also provided.

Systems and apparatus for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) golf ball testing include, in at least one aspect, an apparatus including: one or more RFID readers having associated read zones; a star wheel unit defining cavities to receive golf balls; golf ball sensors including at least one sensor for each respective path through the read zones; kickers including at least one kicker positioned after each respective path through the read zones and arranged to change a golf ball's direction of travel when the at least one kicker is activated; and a controller coupled with the kickers, the golf ball sensors, and the one or more RFID readers, wherein the controller is configured to activate any of the kickers responsive to the one or more RFID readers inadequately reading an RFID tag in a golf ball detected by the at least one sensor for that kicker's associated path through a read zone.

A main body of a ball collecting and discharging machine includes a traveling portion and a ball collecting and discharging portion to collect and discharge balls. A controller causes the ball collecting and discharging portion to collect the balls scattered in a ball scattered area while causing the traveling portion to cause the main body to travel along a ball collecting route in the ball scattered area. When the ball collecting and discharging portion reaches a state of being ready to discharge balls during or after ball collecting work, the controller causes the traveling portion to cause the main body to travel along the ball discharging route and causes the ball collecting and discharging portion to discharge balls at the ball discharging site.

A system for visually tracking the trajectory of an in-flight golf ball through an x-y-z space above a driving range includes a plurality of cameras for respectively creating a video stream of the x-y-z space. Each video stream is presented on a dedicated camera focal plane with information on respective azimuth angles and elevation angles from the particular camera to the in-flight golf ball. A central computer is connected with the camera focal plane of each camera to identify a start point for the golf ball, to track its trajectory in the x-y-z space, and to filter out background clutter. A visual display is provided to show the in-flight golf ball from its start point to a target point in real time.

A system for visually tracking the trajectory of an in-flight golf ball through an x-y-z space above a driving range includes a plurality of cameras for respectively creating a video stream of the x-y-z space. Each video stream is presented on a dedicated camera focal plane with information on respective azimuth angles and elevation angles from the particular camera to the in-flight golf ball. A central computer is connected with the camera focal plane of each camera to identify a start point for the golf ball, to track its trajectory in the x-y-z space, and to filter out background clutter. A visual display is provided to show the in-flight golf ball from its start point to a target point in real time.

A system and method for video analytics of a golf game is disclosed. In an embodiment, cameras capture videos from different angles of a golfer's swing and/or strike; a system network comprises: a processing module to receive the videos, to 3D-model the trajectory of the swing/strike, and 3D-model the golfer; a machine-learning module to receive 3D swing-trajectories and golfer models of swings/strikes of professional golfers and compute a 3D model of one or more reference swings, as a function of an aggregation of the professional golfers' swings/strikes; a database storing the reference swings/strikes; an analysis module configured to receive the golfer's 3D swing/strike trajectory model and the 3D golfer model, compare the 3D trajectory model with the reference swing, and compute recommendations for the golfer, as a function of the comparison; and a display module configured to display the recommendations to the golfer.