Never Stop Playing: world’s first playable golf billboard unveiled for the AIG Women’s Open

The R&A has unveiled the world's first 'playable golf billboard' at Edinburgh Waverley Station, allowing fans to experience playing the par-3 8th hole of the iconic Old Course at St Andrews, the host venue of this year's AIG Women's Open.

As part of the AIG Women’s Open's new 'Never Stop Playing' campaign, the activation aimed to elevate  the excitement of golf for fans.

This innovative billboard transformed into a golf simulator, offering an engaging opportunity for both new and longtime fans to connect with the Championship in a fun and  interactive way.

The R&A created this playable billboard to reimagine how golf enthusiasts engage with the sport while also promoting the upcoming AIG Women’s Open, scheduled to be held at St Andrews from 21-25 August 2024. 

Fans stepped up to the billboard, grabbed a real club and ball, and took a swing like never before.

The technology employed cameras to track the player's velocity, arc, and direction, digitally encoding  the swing in real-time to show where the ball would land on the virtual par-3, 8th hole. Players watched the ball fly across the LED screen, displaying its arc and flight path toward the target.

With a real-time leaderboard tracking nearest-to-the-pin shots, participants competed in a fun golf  challenge. 

Those who were nearest to the pin received an exciting prize from the AIG Women’s Open: a pair of Sunday tickets and a chance for the winner to be an official walking scorer for one of the groups during the final round at St Andrews.

Not just for avid golfers, those keen to take their first-ever golf shot also had the opportunity to win  prizes in the furthest-from-the-pin challenge.  

Zoe Ridgway, Championship Director of the AIG Women’s Open at The R&A, said: 

"This activation  brings the excitement of golf to a whole new level, allowing players to experience the thrill of golf in a  fun and interactive way. As part of our new 'Never Stop Playing' campaign, we gave both new and  longtime fans the opportunity to engage with the AIG Women’s Open like never before, reaching new  audiences and enhancing their connection to golf."

Georgia Hall, 2018 Women’s Open champion, said:

"This looks like such a fun and innovative concept  from The R&A. The playable billboard is a brilliant idea to introduce more people to golf and get them  excited about the AIG Women’s Open. It's initiatives like these that will keep our sport growing and  evolving." 

Designed to resemble a traditional advertising billboard, this innovative attraction offered a unique and  eye-catching experience for golfers of all skill levels. Whether they were seasoned pros, casual players, or first-time golfers, the playable billboard promised a one-of-a-kind experience. 

The R&A compiled all the shot tracers from the day's play onto the billboard screen at once, creating  a stunning visual display. This impressive feature highlighted the relentless passion and continuous  engagement of golfers, showcasing how they 'Never Stop Playing.'

Tickets to the AIG Women’s Open are now on sale via aigwomensopen.com. 

Adult tickets are  available from £20, with Saturday tickets including a full day of golf action and entry to the Tom  Grennan concert priced at £55. 

To encourage children and young people to attend the AIG Women’s Open, The R&A will continue  the successful ‘Kids go Free’ programme on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, which  provides children under-16-years-old free entry to the Championship when accompanied by a paying  adult. Half-price youth tickets are also available on those days for 16-24-year-olds. Junior and youth  tickets for Saturday's golf action and Tom Grennan concert are £20 and £40 respectively. 

Hospitality packages are also on general sale, offering an unrivalled way to experience the  Championship in which guests can enjoy over ten hours of world-class action and fully inclusive  hospitality. Visit www.aigwomensopen.com for further information. 

For information on the AIG Women’s Open or to purchase tickets, please visit www.aigwomensopen.com.