Artificial intelligence usage is rapidly increasing in all areas. Golf is no different.

Some club manufacturers are claiming to use AI in designing their clubs. They are using computers to rapidly model and evaluate those models to enhance club design. I don’t really consider this AI as it is really using math in repetitive simulations to optimize given parameters.

kAmp?@E96C 2AA=:42E:@? 😀 FD:?8 J@FC 8@=7 D9@E 2?5 4=F3 52E2 E@ >2<6 C64@>>6?52E:@?D 7@C 2 4FCC6?E D9@E] q2D65 @? A2DE 52E2 2?5 E96 D9@E J@F 2C6 86EE:?8 C625J E@ 9:E[ 2? 2AA 4@F=5 C64@>>6?5 2 4=F3 2?5 A@DD:3=J 2 E2C86E 2E H9:49 E@ 2:>] %9:D 4@F=5 2=>@DE H@C< =:<6 2 A6CD@?2= 6=64EC@?:4 4255:6] %@@ 325 :E 42?’E C625 E96 8C66?D 7@C >6] ~9 H2:E — :7 :E 6H 6I24E=J H96C6 >J 32== H2D 2?5 925 2 56E2:=65 >2A @7 E96 8C66? >2J36 … ?6G6C >:?5P x @H E92E H@F=5 36 282:?DE E96 CF=6D 2D 56E2:=65 8C66? >2AD 2C6 2=C625J 282:?DE E96 CF=6D]k^Am

kAm$A62<:?8 @7 CF=6D[ E@@=D E92E 96=A H:E9 8@=7 CF=6D 2C6 2 ?6H6C 2C62 E92E C62==J FD6D px] %96 &$vp 92D 366? H@C<:?8 H:E9 s6=@:EE6 E@ 56G6=@A 2? px\32D65 E@@= E@ 96=A H:E9 8@=7 CF=:?8D]k^Am

kAm|@DE A=2J6CD C62==J 5@?’E @H E96 CF=6D G6CJ H6==] |2?J E@FC?2>6?ED 92G6 5:77:4F=E:6D 86EE:?8 CF=6D @77:4:2=D 2?5 >2?J 5@?’E 6G6? 92G6 CF=6D @77:4:2=D] ~7 4@FCD6[ J@F 4@F=5 42== E96 &$vp @C E96 x?5:2?2 8@=7 @77:46 E@ 96=A[ 3FE :7 J@F 2C6 6?4@F?E6C:?8 2 CF=6D D:EF2E:@? J@F ?665 2? 2?DH6C ?@H] %9:D 😀 H96C6 2? px E@@= 4@F=5 4@>6 :?] (:E9 2 E@@= J@F 4@F=5 D2J @C E6IE 2 56D4C:AE:@? @7 J@FC D:EF2E:@? E@ 86E 2 C6A=J E@ 96=A J@F]k^Am

kAm%96 492==6?86 H:E9 DF49 2 E@@= 😀 E92E EC2:?:?8 E96 px 😕 E96 E@@= H@F=5 C6BF:C6 2 4@>A=6E6 D6E @7 :?7@C>2E:@?] }@E @?=J E92E[ FD6CD ?665 E@ @H 4@CC64E E6C>:?@=@8J E@ 36 DFC6 E@ :?4=F56 A6CE:?6?E :?7@C>2E:@? 7@C 2 CF=:?8] %96C6 2C6 2 4@FA=6 @7 E@@=D @FE E96C6 ?@H :7 J@F H2?E E@ A=2J H:E9 E96>] v@=7]2: 😀 2 7C66 E@@= 32D65 @FE @7 pFDEC2=:2] v@=7v!% 😀 2 E@@= E92E C6BF:C6D 2 Sa_ DF3D4C:AE:@? E@ r92Ev!%]k^Am

kAmx 5@?’E @H E92E x H@F=5 ECFDE 2?J E@@= F?=6DD :E H2D 56G6=@A65 3J E96 &$vp] %96J 92G6 2 9F86 52E232D6 7C@> E96 >2?J E9@FD2?5D @7 :?BF:C:6D E96J C646:G6 6249 J62C] %9:D H:== 2==@H E96> E@ FD6 >@C6 4@>A=6E6 52E2 E@ EC2:? >@56=D] $:>A=6 px D62C496D 7C@> v@@8=6 7@C 6I2>A=6[ H:== ?@E 2=H2JD 86E E96 4@CC64E 2?DH6C] tG6? E96 E@@=D >6?E:@?65 23@G6 92G6 E9:D :DDF6 2D G@=F?E66CD 7C@> x?5:2?2 v@=7 92G6 6IA6C:6?465]k^Am

kAm$@[ H92E H:== E96 7FEFC6 9@=5n x 4@F=5 D66 😕 7:G6 J62CD @C D@ 2 E@@= 36:?8 2AAC@G65 3J E96 &$vp — >@DE =:<6=J 56G6=@A65 3J E96 &$vp] qFE 2 =@E >@C6 H@C< ?665D E@ 36 5@?6 E@ 6?DFC6 2AAC@AC:2E6 :?7@C>2E:@? 😀 AC@G:565 E@ E96 E@@= 6:E96C 😕 E96 FD6C C6BF6DE @C G:2 BF6DE:@?D 324< E@ E96 FD6C 3J E96 E@@= E@ >2<6 DFC6 E96 D46?2C:@ 😕 BF6DE:@? 😀 4CJDE2= 4=62C]k^Am

k9bmyprz$~} p}s #~$$k^9bm

kAmx C2? :?E@ z@<@>@ 8@=7 =686?5 y6CCJ y246?’D p>2E6FC @? %F6D52J 2?5 (65?6D52J 2E #@4< w@==@H] %96J H6C6 7@==@H:?8 8C2?552F89E6C p==J #@DD H9@ H2D A2CE:4:A2E:?8 😕 E96 6G6?E] #@DD[ 2 8C25F2E6 @7 qFE=6C 2?5 A92C>24J D49@@=[ H2D A=2J:?8 96C 7:CDE E@FC?2>6?E 😕 2 =@?8 E:>6] $96 A=2J65 C62==J H6== E96 7:CDE C@F?5 H:E9 2? 6G6?\A2C fa] #@DD H2D EH@\@G6C 27E6C `_ 9@=6D 😕 E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 2?5 E96? C2? :?E@ EC@F3=6 @? 2 ?F>36C @7 9@=6D 7:?:D9:?8 H:E9 2? gb] $96 H2D 😕 2 E:6 7@C aeE9 A=246 H:E9 @?6 C@F?5 E@ 8@]k^Am

kAmy246?E DFC86CJ 62C=:6C E9:D J62C 2?5 😀 7:?2==J 86EE:?8 E@ A=2J `g\9@=6 C@F?5D @7 8@=7] %92E 😀 8C62E E@ 962CPk^Am

kAm#@4< w@==@H H@>6?’D 4=F3 492>A:@? !:6C4J sJ6C 7:C65 C@F?5D @7 fe 2?5 fg 2?5 H2D 😕 2 E:6 7@C acE9 A=246] {@@< 7@C >@C6 8@@5 A=2J 7C@> sJ6C 2D D96 😀 @?6 @7 E96 =@?86C A=2J6CD 😕 E96 7:6=5] r=2C:6 $H2E9H@@5 😀 =625:?8 E96 E@FC?2>6?E H:E9 C@F?5D @7 eh 2?5 f_ 9@=5:?8 2 7@FC\DEC@<6 =625 @G6C 244@>A=:D965 A=2J6C 2?5 7:G6\E:>6 A2DE 492>A:@? yF=:2 !@EE6C\q@33]k^Am

k9bm!p}rpzt\(tqqk^9bm

kAm%96 t!$~} %@FC 😀 E96 BF2=:7J:?8 E@FC 7@C E96 {!vp] (9:=6 BF2=:7J:?8 CF?D :?E@ ~4E@36C[ p??236==6 !2?42<6\(633 4FCC6?E=J DE2?5D 😕 7:7E9 A=246 😕 E96 A@:?ED DE2?5:?8D] $96 92D 366? 92G:?8 2 8C62E C@@<:6 J62C 27E6C 92G:?8 8C25F2E65 7C@> r=6>D@?] $96 😀 E96 52F89E6C @7 %@?J !2?42<6[ E96 s:C64E@C @7 v@=7 2E rC@@<65 $E:4<] !2?42<6\(633 2?5 96C D:DE6C 82G6 E@F49:?8 EC:3FE6D E@ E96:C 72E96C 2E 9:D x?5:2?2 v@=7 w2== @7 u2>6 :?5F4E:@? =2DE J62C] xE H@F=5 36 8C62E E@ D66 96C >2<6 :E E@ E96 {!vp E@FC 8:G:?8 FD 2?@E96C x?5:2?2 A=2J6C 7@C H9:49 E@ C@@E]k^Am

kAm&?E:= ?6IE E:>6[ 92G6 >@C6 7F? A=2J:?8 >@C6 8@=7Pk^Am

Jon Kelley is an active golfer and local golf historian who contributes columns to the Tribune. He may be reached by email at jon_kelley@comcast.net.