The 6 Best Quotes From Golf Digest's Story on Big Data, Arccos Caddie and the Future of Golf

In the August issue of Golf Digest, senior editor Mike Stachura took a deep dive into the intersection of golf and big data.

Arccos Caddie, referred to as "perhaps the biggest step in the Big Data revolution," is featured heavily in the story that investigates how golf is about to get smarter than it's ever been. As the leader in connected golf, Arccos has tracked more than 75 million shots recorded in nearly 1 million rounds across 115 countries, along with 368 million GPS course mapping data points. With the power of the Microsoft Azure cloud, Arccos Caddie is able to synthesize all of that information and deliver a personalized, optimal path for users on any hole in the world.

We compiled the six best quotes from this pivotal piece on big data below. If you want to read the full story, click here. To get your own Arccos Caddie, click here!

1) "This is golf coming face to face with Big Data, a meeting that could change the game's future, in this case restoring the bond between player and trusted caddie, even if the caddie is artificially intelligent."

2) "The caddie wasn’t scowling, nor did he wrap a consoling arm around his man and steady him as they walked to the next tee. The caddie, as it turns out, doesn’t walk, and isn’t a he or a she. It’s a kind of machine called Arccos Caddie that can live inside your smartphone."

3) "The measurement and analysis of golf’s numbers will eventually change every element of the game."

4) "Perhaps the biggest step in golf’s Big Data revolution came this May when Arccos launched Arccos Caddie as part of a partnership with Microsoft using their Azure Cloud."

5) "Golf’s data surge creates powerful information, self-knowledge that can have a profound effect not just on your scores but on your enjoyment of the game. Big Data, A.I., machine learning are all ways that, if properly mined, might increase interest in the game."

6) "'More and more data points are going to exist that can be aggregated together," says Thomas Pagel, the USGA’s senior director of rules and amateur status. "So what does that mean for playing the game? The rules shouldn't be viewed as a hindrance to technology and innovation. They provide structure so that we're able to be thoughtful about where the game might go and ensure that it doesn't become robotic.'"

Want to see what you're missing out on? Get your Arccos Caddie today!