NBC Sports will debut a new Bunker Cam at this week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, all thanks to a sprinkler head -- well, not a real one.
NEP Group developed a new 3D-printed housing device to wirelessly transmit live 4K video from the bunker over a radio frequency with less infrastructure or impact on the golf course. Crucially, the USGA and PGA Tour already have a rule in place for how to handle a golf ball that lands on or near a sprinkler head, so no additional regulation was needed. It’s hiding in plain sight.
The U.S. Open will be the debut of the updated Bunker Cam, but it was tested successfully in the background of The Players Championship in March.
“We got tremendous looks, from the sand exploding right into the lens to slow-motion effects, seeing the ball come out of the sand and how the club connected with the ball,” said Dan Grainge, President of NEP Specialty Capture division. “You can see all the detail.”
Previous installations required an underground cable to tether the camera to the battery, antennas and other electronics. That necessitated a visit to the course weeks in advance of a tournament to dig a small trench for the wires and permit sufficient time for the grass to regrow to the course’s standards.
The ease of installation for the new Bunker Cam enables more deployments. There will be three at the U.S. Open when there typically would only be one or maybe two when it was wired. NEP glues sand and dirt from the course to the camera housing to help it match the look and color of each course.
Grainge called the R&D required “a tremendous amount of investment and innovation” to miniaturize the tech and still maintain a clear broadcast picture for either live or reply use. He said it would need to be used several times for NEP to get a return on its investment but added that it is already scheduled to be used for several future events with NBC and CBS as well.
