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A golf course located in part of the North Dakota residents called "Sili-drone Valley", believes that there is a solution to reduce the number of participants in courses across the country: drone deliveries .
Starting September 15, players at King & # 39; s Walk Golf Course in Grand Forks, North Dakota, will be able to receive drone refreshments for only $ 3.
That being 2018, they will order refreshments via an app and watch the drone lower their snack on a rope about 10 minutes later.
Like many golf courses, an employee walks the area in a drinks cart. But on peak days, players can wait up to an hour before they can buy something. Yes, they can take refuge in the restaurant located half-way to the 18-hole course, but the course and its partners say it's a bit demanding at the time of instant gratification.
"Wherever you are, you should be able to get what you want in minutes," said Yariv Bash, CEO of FlyTrex, the Israelite UAV logistics startup. "Why wait?"
FlyTrex has already made hundreds of automated food deliveries in Iceland this year and wants to expand. He sees golf courses as a natural market, and the added convenience could help revitalize a sector that has seen the number of US 18-hole courses decline by 7% since 2007.
FlyTrex has found a volunteer partner in Grand Forks, a hotbed of drone activity. The local air base focuses on drone missions and the University of North Dakota was the first university to earn a drone undergraduate degree. Keith Lund, President and CEO of the Grand Forks Economic Development Corporation, calls it "Sili-drone Valley". Since 2008, one of its employees is dedicated entirely to the development of local UAV companies.
Related: Trump administration selects 10 cities to test drones
The delivery of drones remains a rarity in the United States. Regulations generally limit the overflight of persons and require operators to keep their aircraft within sight. This makes delivery services impractical in most situations. And automated drones must be monitored by a human, which makes the services expensive to operate.
Golf courses make things a little easier. They tend to have large spaces, few people and clear lines of sight along the links.
King's Walk plans to begin a six-week trial with a single drone making deliveries to one place. If things go well and they receive an FAA license to fly over people, the course plans to add delivery points throughout the course.
Bill Palmiscno, executive director of the Grand Forks Park District, who runs the course, may plan to replace one of the beverage carts if the drone tests are successful.
Players have had varying reactions to the drone, which weighs about 33 pounds, makes a regular buzz and flies at 30 mph.
"Young golfers think it's great. People have already called and asked – when is the drone flying? "Palmiscno told CNNMoney."
He explained to them how much a drone was cheaper than the price of a basket of drinks.
Palmiscno also heard about the nearby softball complex, whose organizers are open to drone deliveries from the restaurant on his course. Palmiscno envisions athletes sitting around a game, drinking beer and dropping food from a drone.
To avoid being hit by capricious balls, the drone flies between 200 and 300 feet above the ground. It goes down to 45 feet above the ground when lowering a delivery.
"If it goes well, it could be great," Palmiscno said.
CNNMoney (Washington) First published September 5, 2018: 10:01 am ET
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