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Many months after first announcing that it would be putting the PlayStation Portable’s GPS receiver to good use for once, Sony today finally announced its virtual golf caddy application to the delight of Japanese golf fans.
‘Minna No Golf Jo,’ or ‘Everybody’s Golf Course,’ harnesses the power of those invisible GPS waves while out on the course to give reasonably precise distance readings to the pin and the various hazards on 31 golf courses in the Chiba area east of Tokyo. More courses across the rest of the country are planned.
Aside from the virtual caddy provided by the PSP, there’s also a scratchpad to make notes on each hole if, for example, a bunker is moved or removed. On top of the serious stuff, there’s also a fly-through video tour of each course and the ability to create a cutesy avatar to represent you and to keep track of your progress over time.
At ¥9,980 for a bundle with the software and the GPS receiver or ¥5,980 for just the software, we reckon Sony’s fun approach to GPS could be the start of something big. Oh, and be sure to check out the Japanese TV commercial on Sony’s site here.
(Crossposted to Tech.co.uk)
01:17 AM 
Mark Hiratsuka •
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