IT wasn't hard to recognise the voice on the telephone. It was that of Harry Thuillier, one of the best known broadcasters produced by RTE. These days, golf is on Harry's mind. He is marketing a golf simulator called the Double Eagle, which allows golfers to play all the great courses in the world without leaving their own home/club/hotel or wherever the system is installed.
A tracking device measures the ball's speed, direction and spin. And the golf ball is interactive. If the simulator decides it has hit a tree, the home or hotel, the golfer will hear the appropriate sound. If it ditches into the water, a splashing noise will be heard. Simulator players can bring their own regulation clubs or use those provided with the system.
They then select the game they wish to play and, at the flick of a switch, they will be on any course they choose. When the ball is struck, the player sees on screen exactly where it has wound up and the system tells him or her how far it has travelled and the distance from the hole.