Imagine this: You’re pacing about at Edinburgh Waverley, your train’s delayed (again), and there it is—a slice of St Andrews right beside Platform 2.
It’s not your everyday advertisement; it’s a playable golf billboard that lets you tee off right there in the station.
Now, this isn’t just any billboard where you’d absentmindedly stare while chugging your latte. It’s a whole golfing adventure.
Picture yourself walking up to a kiosk that hands you a golf club instead of a ticket. What’s next? You’re swinging at the 8th hole at the iconic Old Course, not a worry about tee times or travel plans.
The billboard isn’t just about showing off your prowess with a driver. Thanks to some high-tech wizardry involving cameras and sensors, every nuance of your swing is captured, displaying your ball’s flight on a massive LED screen as if you were right there on the green. It’s almost like being in Scotland’s windswept glory—minus the weather.
And it doesn’t stop there. Once you’ve taken your swing, a live leaderboard tells you how your attempt measures against the day’s other station-side swingers.
Land your ball close to the pin, and bingo, you might just snag yourself a prize that’ll make any golfer’s day: tickets to the AIG Women’s Open and a chance to walk the course as an official scorer.
For the golfing greenhorns or those who’ve been roped into this by a golf-crazy friend, don’t fret.
Even a swing that sends your ball on a new adventure off the fairway might still net you a prize. It’s all in good fun and a perfect intro to the game.
Zoe Ridgway, the brains behind this at The R&A, had this to say: “This playable golf billboard is like having the AIG Women’s Open commute with you.
It connects with new fans and seasoned golf lovers, making the sport accessible and downright exciting.”
Even Georgia Hall, who clinched the 2018 Women’s Open, tossed in her two cents, noting that these kinds of fun and functional innovations are what will keep the golf world spinning and inviting to newbies.
So whether you’re a hardcore golfer or someone whose closest encounter with golf was watching a movie about it, this playable golf billboard at Edinburgh Waverley could just turn your delay into a delightful diversion.
And as the sun dips and the leaderboard lights up, it’s clear that the heart of golf is all about playing on, no matter where you are.
Tickets for the AIG Women’s Open are up for grabs. Whether you’re looking to inspire a youngster with a love for golf or planning a unique day out, swing by.
Who knows, I might bump into you at St Andrews, or maybe I’ll catch you at the station!
