Smart golf club multiplayer system for the internet

Abstract

A system that wirelessly integrates actual golf equipment with a computer and the internet to allow players remotely located from one another to play a competitive simulated game of golf. An individual player may opt to play solo or practice to improve basic golfing techniques. The system includes smart golf clubs, a golf ball receptacle and a golf club motion sensing device, all containing circuits and contact or motion sensors coupled with signal processing and radio frequency transmitter circuitry, thereby wirelessly communicate game performance information to a remote receiver-computer. The computer displays player information and visually simulates and controls a golf game between two players, via the internet, having similar equipment and remotely located from each other. Standard golf clubs may be retrofitted with the sensors and associated circuitry to convert such clubs into 'smart clubs' for use with the system. The system employs specially developed computer software to process player performance data, control game play, communicate game information between players, generate and control visual simulations and display player performance information.