Golfing at Oakcreek Country Club in Sedona is like taking a trip back in time. The 18-hole course was designed by Robert Trent Jones and Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 1968. Its 6824 yards of tree-lined fairways are traditionally laid out and contain no hidden hazards or changes in altitude. The majestic red rocks of Sedona provide a breathtaking backdrop to this championship course.

Find out more on the beautiful Oakcreek website.

The SkyCaddie SGX is the perfect marriage of technology and golf.  Although not legal in tournament play, this handy little device can take a casual round of golf to the next level.  The SkyCaddie uses the same technology as GPS devices.  The data for about 30,000 courses is preloaded, allowing to determine various distances on the green without having to do time-consuming calculations. 

The SkyCaddie SGX is the size of a cell phone and can be easily clipped onto a belt or golf bag. A bright color display makes the SkyCaddie easy to read in full sunlight. More in this video:

Ask any greenskeeper about the most expensive and time consuming aspects of golf course management and you’re likely to hear that it’s mowing the grass.  Now that robotic vacuum cleaners and robotic lawn mowers have become an accepted part of home maintenance, it’s hardly a surprise that a company called Precise Path has developed a robotic mower for golf courses. 

The RG3 is a versatile robot that can also remove snow and spray for pests.  According to the Precise Path blog, a typical golf course could save over $47,000 in labor costs with the RG3 (though unfortunately it will probably put someone out of a job). 

Read more about the RG3 robotic greens mower on the Precise Path website.  You can see it in action in this YouTube video:

In July of 2010, an Arizona golfer was hit by lightning at Fred Enke Golf Course in Tucson.  The golfer subsequently died of his injuries, a sad reminder of the vulnerability of golfers to unpredictable lightning strikes.  According to the National Lightning Safety Institute (NLSI), 5% of all deaths and injuries from lightning that occur each year take place on golf courses. 

The NLSI recommends suspending all activities on a golf course when lightning is determined to be 6 miles away.  Golfers should move to the closest permanent building or completely enclosed metal vehicle.  Trees should be avoided since they attract lightning strikes.

The NLSI website explains how to determine the distance of lightning and provides detailed safety instructions for golfers.