Robot-caddies called as Tempo Walk help US golfers maintain social distancing

You can maintain social distancing and still play the game of Golf. At Suburban Golf Club in New Jersey, golfers enjoy the game with robot caddies, called Tempo Walk. Some of the features include; powered by a lithium battery, works on the remote control, etc.

New Jersey: At Suburban Golf Club in Union, New Jersey, they purchased four of the robot caddies in April.They are now a regular feature on the "links", which were founded in 1896. They are called 'Tempo Walk' and made by an Augusta, Georgia company called Club Car.

Features of Tempo Walk are:-

• The autonomous vehicles are controlled using a remote that clips to the golfer's belt and follow between four and ten feet behind the golfer. They can't handle steep hills.
• They're powered by a lithium battery that lasts two rounds of 18 holes before needing to be recharged, according to Paul LeJeune, director of instruction and first assistant at Suburban Golf Club.
• He says the club paid in the region of $4,000 USD each for the devices.

"If somebody wants to walk alone, this will follow them with the remote that they attach to the back of their hip. And people seem to love it," says LeJeune.

• The club says the robots are taking the place of push and pull carts, but not real human caddies, because they can't offer advice or companionship, rake sand, or help find lost balls.
• But they do come with a phone charger, a beverage cooler and space to store divot mix to repair the ground.
• One of the club's golfers who regularly uses a robot caddie is attorney Richard Kuhrt.
• He says at 61-years-old he needs the exercise of walking, so he doesn't rent a golf cart.
• He also doesn't like to pay for a human caddie due to cost and doesn't want to have to carry or push his clubs, so he likes the robot caddie.
• Kuhrt also says it makes him feel like a professional golfer because he can focus on the game.
• "I love it because it actually makes you feel like a pro golfer. You're just walking along, you can look at the hole, decide what club you want to use," he says.
• Others, like golfer Marcos Salermo, prefer a more human touch.
• "I love technology, but I still like taking the actual caddie out, you know. We interact out there, he gives me advice, and I enjoy that," says Salermo.
• Caddie Michael Walsh isn't worried about losing his job... not right now, at least.

"It's good interaction with me and the player. I can also, you know, kind of teach him, when I'm out on the golf course, helping along the way. But the robot caddie is technology. I mean, that's the future," he says. "It's going to be a pretty interesting, but hopefully I can keep my job."

(AP)