08.14.2007 — The gimme, foot wedge and mulligan will soon be extinct with a new electronic surveillance system designed to prevent golfers from cheating to claim undeserved prizes.

First, I want to firmly state: I DO NOT CHEAT IN GOLF.

But cheating must be widespread on golf courses these days, because a CCTV manufacturer recently unveiled its new camera system designed to be used during the "recording of games of golf in order to validate prize claims."

Dallmeier, a German-based CCTV manufacturer, recently participated as a sponsor in the European PGA tour's elite BMW International Open in Munich in late June. The company unveiled its new golf course fixed and mobile camera and recording system, with a particular application aimed at catching cheaters on the course.

"Many golf tournaments offer high-value material and cash prizes. Understandably, tournament officials want to be able to conclusively verify a player's claim to the prize," the company says.

"Dallmeier has developed two general approaches to provide suitable solutions: firstly, fixed cameras, which record onto a digital video recorder and secondly, mobile surveillance systems on golf buggies, which offer perfect coverage of the most difficult course angles."

As a golfer, I am offended to know that a security system needed to be developed to stop such "rampant" cheating. How do you fake a hole-in-one?

Am I crazy or is this a very, very, very specific niche application or what? Maybe not, since Dallmeier, in cooperation with its partner Securitas, forked out sponsorship money right alongside Rolex and Hugo Boss to showcase its products during the BMW International Open.

Two cameras monitored both the start and finish of the tournament: the tee-off at the first and the green at the eighteenth. The pictures were transmitted to a DMS 240 "Leonardo" digital recorder, located on Securitas' exhibition stand. According to the company, the images attracted quite a crowd.

The company admits that most CCTV applications for golf courses will be used for surveillance of important areas (shops, cash desks, car parks, etc.) or the recording of practice tee shots, but it specifically says the mobile camera system will offer various and undetectable angles of cheaters on the course.

In this novel surveillance system golf carts are "converted" into mobile surveillance units, equipped with a telescopic mast up to 5 meters high with four cameras on it. The buggy carries a mobile Dallmeier recorder stored in a lockable box sitting on the passenger seat.

A compact LCD monitor for configuration of the pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) cameras, a power supply unit, a GPS transmitter, and a wireless network complete the equipment.

Each player registers with an automatic machine, which is connected to a recorder. Registration activates recording in the DVR, which saves an image of the player together with the ticket data.

The golf cart is positioned on the fairway in a way that enables the cameras to see the complete hole from tee to green.

Thanks to the recording of the game and the data stored beforehand, the panel of judges is able to determine exactly whether or not a player is eligible to receive the prize.