Following on from the launch of Arccos 360, its golf performance tracking system, Arccos Golf has launched what it is calling golf's first artificial intelligence platform, the Arccos Caddie.
Powered by the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, Arccos Caddie harnesses advanced analytics to help golfers of all skill levels shoot lower scores by making smarter, data-driven decisions on the course.
The Arccos caddie drills into the golf industry's richest data set - currently over 61 million shots have been hit and recorded by members of the Arccos community, complete wtih precise elevation data and 368 million geotagged data points on more than 40,000 courses.
Using this information, together with information on weather conditions, including forecasted wind speed, wind direction, precipitation, temperature, the Arccos Caddie provides the optimal strategy for every hole on any course in the world.
Either before or during your round you can tap the "Caddie" button found within the Arccos 360 app to see what your optimal strategy should be from the tee.Arccos Caddie provides likely shot distance, as impacted by wind, elevation and other factors, expected score, likelihood of hitting the fairway and the chances of missing left or right. On par 3s, Arccos Caddie also shows a player’s chances of hitting the green in regulation and predicts the miss percentage by quadrant.
Arccos uses the players own data when calculating strategy so players must play the equivalent of five 18-hole rounds with Arccos 360. Thanks to the power of the Microsoft Azure Cloud the Arccos Caddie then gets even smarter with each shot a player takes.
You're not restricted to courses you've played on either as the Caddie provides users with an optimal strategy on every hole in the world, regardless of whether a user has previously played that course. This can help players prepare for a round at an unfamiliar layout, and also show them how they should approach that week’s PGA, European or LPGA Tour course.
Sal Syed, CEO and Co-Founder of Arccos explains the power and benefits of the Arccos Caddie:
Every shot in golf involves a decision-making process, and the caddie’s role has historically been to help you make more intelligent choices. Today, however, less than 3 percent of players have access to a caddie.Everyone else is missing out on a crucial source of information that can help inform every shot. With Arccos Caddie, we’re democratising the caddie experience through the power of A.I. and the Microsoft Azure cloud.
Golfers using Arccos improved their handicap by an average of 2.77 strokes last year. With the introduction of Arccos Caddie, we expect this trend to reach even more dramatic heights.
The Arccos Caddie is currently available on a free trial basis within the Arccos 360 app until July 1st, 2017, after which it will be offered via subscription.