Systems and methods for generating shot strategies for golfers

Abstract

A golf shot strategy determination method can be implemented by computer program instructions executed by one or more hardware processors. In some embodiments, the method can include receiving a selected hole of a golf course for generating a shot strategy, receiving an initial ball location on the selected hole, receiving a probabilistic grid of the selected hole, and determining a preferred shot strategy based on the probabilistic grid, the initial ball location, and a pin cup location of the selected hole. The shot strategy can include one or more shots for a golfer to advance a golf ball from the initial ball location to the pin cup location.

1 . A method for generating shot strategies in a golf game, the method comprising:
 as implemented by computer program instructions executed by one or more computer processors:
 receiving or generating a golf performance prediction grid (GPP grid) of a golf hole, wherein the GPP grid comprises a positional grid comprising a plurality of grid positions, wherein each of the plurality of grid positions has a grid value, and wherein each of the plurality of grid positions is associated with a geospatial location within a layout of the golf hole; 
 selecting a preferred shot strategy by a shot strategy selection process comprising:
 (a) receiving a ball location within the layout of the golf hole; 
 (b) determining a landing location associated with a shot vector and the ball location; 
 (c) determining a golf performance value based at least on the grid value associated with the landing location from the GPP grid; 
 (d) determining a carry risk vector associated with the shot vector, wherein the carry risk vector corresponds to a risk of a ball path associated with the shot vector intersecting an obstacle along the ball path; 
 (e) modifying the golf performance value based at least in part on the carry risk vector to generate a modified golf performance value; 
 (f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for a plurality of shot vectors; and 
 (g) selecting the shot vector of the plurality of shot vectors that satisfies a preferred shot selection criterion as at least a portion of the preferred shot strategy; and 
 
 transmitting the preferred shot strategy; 
 wherein the preferred shot strategy comprises one or more shots, corresponding to one or more shot vectors, for a golfer to advance a golf ball from the ball location to a pin cup location. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the preferred shot selection criterion is a lowest modified golf performance value. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the shot strategy selection process further comprises:
 determining a shot roll and a roll risk vector associated with the shot vector, wherein the roll risk vector has a magnitude corresponding to a risk of the shot roll encountering a water feature; and   modifying the golf performance value based at least in part on the roll risk vector to generate the modified golf performance value.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shot vectors comprises a shot sequence associated with a plurality of sequential shot vectors, wherein each ball location of each of the plurality of sequential shot vectors is a shot total location of a previous shot vector, and wherein the shot total location is a grid position where the golf ball comes to rest after traversing a distance corresponding to a shot carry and a shot roll. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the shot strategy selection process comprises aggregating modified golf performance values of each shot vector in the shot sequence to generate a shot sequence score. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the shot strategy selection process comprises selecting the shot sequence that satisfies the preferred shot selection criterion as at least a portion of the preferred shot strategy. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein selecting the shot sequence comprises selecting the shot sequence associated with the shot sequence score having a minimum value. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the shot strategy selection process further comprises:
 determining an averaged grid value associated with the landing location or a shot total location, wherein the averaged grid value is determined by averaging grid values within a shot dispersion area surrounding the landing location; and   determining the grid value at the ball location.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein determining the golf performance value is additionally based on the averaged grid value and the grid value at the ball location. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving shot dispersion data associated with the golfer and at least one golf club; and   selecting at least one of the plurality of shot vectors by searching for shot vectors within an analysis region located within a range of shot distances from the ball location, wherein the range of shot distances is derived from the shot dispersion data.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the shot dispersion data comprises a list of clubs, a shot carry, a shot roll, a shot total, and dimensions of a shot dispersion area. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein receiving the shot dispersion data comprises prompting a predictive model with golfer data and receiving a result from the predictive model,
 wherein the predictive model is sequentially trained using a plurality of machine learning models to improve a predictive accuracy of prior machine learning models through training sequential machine learning models to predict each prior machine learning model's incorrect predictions.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the shot dispersion data comprises:
 an identifier for the at least one golf club;   a shot carry corresponding to a horizontal distance the golf ball travels through air when the golf ball is hit with the at least one golf club;   a shot roll corresponding to a distance the golf ball travels on ground when the golf ball is hit with the at least one golf club;   a shot total comprising the shot carry and the shot roll;   a shot shape value corresponding to a curvature of a golf shot; and   a shot dispersion area comprising a length, a width, and an angle of rotation, wherein the shot dispersion area corresponds to a probabilistic region in which the golf ball contacts the ground after being struck by the at least one golf club.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein receiving the shot dispersion data comprises receiving data entered via user interaction with a manual dispersion data entry interface. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shot vectors are generated from a data set comprising:
 a plurality of target shot distances derived from shot dispersion data for the golfer and the layout of the golf hole;   a plurality of target landing locations derived from shot dispersion areas associated with the plurality of target shot distances; and   environmental factors corresponding to the golf hole.   
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
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         20 . (canceled)