A transferred ticket for the Open Golf at Royal Troon on a practice day (Tuesday) had become available and I snapped it up at 6.35 am and navigated the necessary transfer of personal information. It was one of the few times that I could describe my country of origin as Scotland. Parking in Troon later that morning, I walked down along the familiar promenade to the wide aisled security area at the Royal Troon Course entrance site. This was just like an airport but probably a more friendly experience as the security team admired my slender can of ‘legacy’ Iron Bru in the scan tray.
I spent some time initially in the first spectator village, where a focus of attention was the practice putting area, where at one time up to ten Open contenders, including Tiger Woods, and their mentors
ambled on the green surface. One team measured the contours of the green with a green laser beam which could quite easily have been directed into the gaze of onlookers. R&A beware.
It was quite remarkable to strike up a conversation at the practice green with a local lady player on the Royal Troon course who knew quite well another female player I had recently met. Also a conversation was also struck with a golf professional from North Carolina, where previously I had visited in 2003.
The golf professional attracted the attention of one of the mentors on the practice green (spots on trousers) who was involved in the design and manufacture of a novel putter that one of the main players was using. Clicking into the world of putter design, I commented on the need to reduce the variability of angular direction of the putter as it hits the golf ball. This was actually ‘spot on’ and was related to the accurate location of the centre of gravity of the putter and the reduced uncertainty in the angle of hit of the ball by increasing the inertia of the putter. I then commented on the variation of dynamics caused by the interaction of the putter with the dimples on the golf ball. This appeared to be a well known phenomenon among golf ‘geeks’ where it was understood that the golf ball manufacturing processes was an important factor in the sport. Probably, therefore, not all golf balls are equal. Of course it was all Physics, but I am not sure that a career in golfing dynamics is exactly saving the planet, though someone I suppose has to do it.
I made a comment about using a laser to track the actual dynamics of the putter as it strikes the ball by reflecting at least one beam of light from a mirror on the rear face of the putter. I wonder if it would work.
The larger built pavilions in this first spectator village were only accessible to those with the ‘right’ credentials, though adequate sustenance was obtained from the fast food stalls in attendance. It was then off to encounter the course itself and its various new attractions. It would prove to be much more extensive than I had initially imagined.
