BallFinder SCOUT tracks down golf balls with scanning camera

It's been a while since we found anything worth covering on the golf beat, but that doesn't mean that labs full of green-vested engineers haven't been slaving over the next big thing in links technology. And it looks like they've come up with it. The BallFinder SCOUT works with ordinary white golf balls, and uses a scanning digital camera to track them down as long as at least 1% of the ball is exposed. The device can apparently scan 600 square feet per second, and works in almost any terrain. Of course, at a price of over $260, you could buy quite a few new balls, but where's the fun in that?

[Via Gizmag]

[WicK3d GooSe @ Apr 23rd 2006 4:15PM]

That's cool. Awesome deal. First post.

[Brandon @ Apr 23rd 2006 4:35PM]

That's pretty neat invention there. Could save me a fair bit of time and money.

[Fantasy fanatic @ Apr 23rd 2006 4:45PM]

Wow, that is an incredibly expensive toy just to find something that costs so little! But, I'm impressed by it none-the-less.

[JJ @ Apr 23rd 2006 4:59PM]

Premium golf balls run $40 per dozen, thats more than $3 per ball. If this thing works as advertised then it may be worth the coin for those mid to high handicappers who think they need premium golf balls.

[Song0330 @ Apr 23rd 2006 5:00PM]

So...it's just a camera that scans the green and alerts you to anything white and only a pixel. Is that right?

Surely someone can make something like that for less than $260.

[Carsten Otto @ Apr 23rd 2006 5:02PM]

This device is not to save costs an new balls. In a golf game you have to find your ball after each hit to continue the game (and do not get any additional points), so here the device might help. Without these additional points you might as well just pretend to not find a ball that is in a bad position.

[R? B. @ Apr 23rd 2006 5:35PM]

If the golf clubs offer it as an option (like the carts), the 260$ cost will be paid really fast.

[ron wilson @ Apr 23rd 2006 5:57PM]

I might need to get one of these. I have a terrible time following the golf ball flight.

[mike @ Apr 23rd 2006 7:43PM]

#3, not only as it the price of the ball as #4 said, and #6 is correct (though he linog is a bit off) if you cannot find your golf ball you recieve a pentalty stroke added to your round total (the higher the total, the worse you did) I was a caddy for 8 years (a pretty good one) this would come in handy for shots hit into the really high grass and when you are unable to walk up a heard of the golfer as they tee off...
this device would also save time on the golf course which is a big problem when we play in the US...

[matt @ Apr 23rd 2006 7:48PM]

This also helps prevent those extra strokes... so if you win by a couple strokes and wager 300 dollars it pays for itself.

[Salem @ Apr 23rd 2006 8:14PM]

Just use it to find lost golf balls and sell them. find 1000 balls and sell them for .25 each and there you go!

[slysithesuperspy @ Apr 23rd 2006 9:08PM]

This makes me want to play golf.

[Sean @ Apr 23rd 2006 10:42PM]

Couldn't you just create a golf ball that has an RFID chip in it and a finder that can be bought as an accessory? It would be a lot more accurate than this device.

[DJ @ Apr 23rd 2006 11:01PM]

If this thing works as advertised, it could actually speed up the game considerably. No need to spend ten minutes looking for your ball in the rough. It might benefit some of the higher end courses to offer this to the players. Cut the round time and be able to offer more rounds = more $$$. Are you listening oh mighty golf gods at Whistling Straits???

[Van Wyk De Waal @ Apr 24th 2006 3:58AM]

Its not just about finding your own ball, but finding other lost ones as well I think. Thus saving on buying new balls for when you can't find yours eventually.

[David @ Apr 24th 2006 7:31AM]

Sean (#14)

I agree, I have been waiting for the RFID golf balls to arrive. I'm sure this would be fairly easy to implement.

[CharlesV @ Apr 24th 2006 9:35AM]

The RFID balls do exist, we just started selling them:

http://www.golfsmith.com/products/246863

40 bucks for a box of balls, and they're supposed to be pretty good. The problem is USGA rules prevent you from using microchipped balls in official play, so the SCOUT could be a good alternative.

[Gil @ Apr 24th 2006 11:25AM]

#18
They also have the balls here:http://www.sybervision.com/radargolf/index.htm.

According to the USGA the radar golf balls conform to USGA Rules: "The USGA states that scores may still be submitted for handicap purposes since the RadarGolfSystem does not assist in the physical execution of the golf stroke."

They just need to get the pin-sized rfid chip into all golf balls so the brand loyal have some variety!

[Baz @ Apr 24th 2006 12:13PM]

Im going to start leaving little white pieces of paper all over golf courses to mess with the people who have one of these. IT will be funny to watch them running all over the course in searchof there ball.

[MuthaTrucka @ Apr 24th 2006 3:08PM]

This gadget is good in concept but poor in execution. So once your ball is found, it shows you a picture on the screen - a picture of a ball in grass (or where ever your ball landed)!?? The only thing that tells me is what I already knew - that my ball is in the rough or weeds.
I am all over the RFID ball finder.

[Golf Reporter @ May 15th 2006 2:12PM]

Man, $260 for a device like that is pretty steep. Another option for the golfer on a budget -- or who just cannot justify the 260 bucks -- is Cats Eyes...

http://www.golfreporter.net/images/2006/04/079.jpg

It comprises of special golf balls that become fluorescent when you put on these special Cats Eye glass (although the glasses look damn terrible).

~ The Rubbish Golfer

[Jim Mac @ May 16th 2006 6:58AM]

How does it cope with daisies?

[Earl Chinn @ Jul 25th 2006 11:40AM]

This device does not work. It vibrates and blinks but does not lead to any balls

[Barry Bokhaut @ Sep 6th 2007 7:55PM]

All these positive reviews are great, but does anyone have experience using it? Only earl seems to have used the thing, and wasn't impressed. Any other users out there. I'd love to hear from you before plunking down my $$$$.

[rhea @ Jan 18th 2008 11:53AM]

I bought it but I'm returning it today. It's a piece of junk. I can't believe someone like Nick Faldo endorsed it. It's supposed to vibrate when it's found the ball but it buzzes also with the sunlight, reflection of light, anything bright. Not a golf ball , though.

[golfista @ Feb 9th 2008 2:42AM]

It doesn't work. I'm returning one today. Any kind of light it thinks is a golf ball. But it can't find an actual golf ball. DO NOT BUY.

[Eric @ Apr 21st 2008 12:18PM]

I agree. I purchase one at the end of last year and tried it in the fall when balls try to hide under leaves. It couldn't find a ball and gave me lots of false positives with the sun reflective off the leaves. I waited till this spring to see if it did any better in just grass without leaves... Negative. It still can't find a ball, but vibrates with anything shiny in front of it. Now it's too late for me to return it... Definitely a DO NOT BUY.