Golf Course Drones: (The Rules to Know!)

In recent years, technology has advanced beyond recognition. The fact that we can now use drones to photograph and record our hobbies is something that would have been considered crazy not so long ago but presents us with so many awesome opportunities.

Just watch this amazing YT video featuring the best golf course drone footage!

In this article, we take a look at golf course drones. We explore whether you’re allowed to use a drone on a golf course and walk you through some of the key considerations before approaching a golf course that you want to film.

By the end of this piece, you will have all the information you need to plan your filming and can start planning your awesome golf course footage that you can then share on social media with your followers.  

Do Golf Courses Allow Drones?

There are no laws against flying a drone over a golf course, and it is completely legal to do so. That being said, you should always seek permission from the owner or manager of the golf course, as it is private property.

Another thing to think about is whether the golf course in question is located in a no-fly zone.

These are designated areas set out by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), so you will need to check the register if you think a golf course is a designated no-fly area.

No-fly zones cover golf courses that are near airports and close to government facilities, for instance.

You can check the FAA website for further details about no-fly zones or get in touch with the golf course directly to ask them if the course is located in a no-fly zone.

Ultimately, the bottom line is that you can fly a drone over most golf courses in the United States. However, you should always seek permission from course management before doing so.

Are Drones Good for Virtual Tours on a Golf Course?

Using a drone to film a golf course is an excellent way to conduct a virtual tour of the facility. For instance, you can perform a 360-degree drone spin from above to showcase the entirety of your golf course from above, which would be a great introductory shot to any virtual tour.

You can then perform fly-overs of all the holes on the golf course, showing potential members and visitors what they can expect before arriving at your course. You may even wish to include footage of people playing during the virtual tour, as drones can beautifully capture the action from above.

If you’re planning to shoot a virtual tour of your golf course with a drone, it’s perhaps best to hire a professional drone pilot to assist you. This will ensure that the final footage is of an exceptionally high standard and will showcase your golf course in a positive light.

How Do You Drone a Golf Course?

Filming a golf course with a drone isn’t too different from any other drone project. The most important thing is to control the flight of the drone and to ensure you’re able to get excellent shots from above each of the holes.

One of the best ways to go about it is to perform a golf course flyover, which sees you work your way around the entire course by following each of the holes. You could then provide a VoiceOver that informs golfers of how best to play each of the holes as the drone is filming.

By filming from a drone, you’re able to provide players with a clear idea of the natural contours of the course, as well as the best way to play the course. But again, you need to make sure the footage is of high quality and easy to follow, as you want to make sure you portray your golf course in the best possible light.

How Much Does it Cost to Drone a Golf Course?

There’s no set fee to drone a golf course, and it largely depends on why you’re planning to film the course. For instance, if you’re a content creator on YouTube with lots of followers and you want to film the golf course for your channel, the management will probably let you do so for free in exchange for the publicity on your channel.

If you’re planning to film a golf course for any other reason, you will probably have to negotiate with the golf course management and pay them a fee for filming on their property. It’s hard to say how much this would be, so you will need to get in touch with them directly.

 On the other hand, if you’re hoping to hire a professional team to come and film at a golf course for you, the highest cost will be hiring the company to pilot the drone and put together the footage.

 As a rough idea, you can expect to pay anywhere between $200 and $1,000 for thirty minutes of drone footage. This is typically unedited, so you will need to put it together yourself with any additional content before uploading it to your website or social media channel.

Can Drones Be Used for Golf Course Promo Videos?

Yes, You can use a drone for a golf course promotional video. Whether you’re filming a flyover of all the holes, showcasing a special tournament or event, or perhaps even showing off your range of facilities, drone footage is ideal for promoting your golf course to potential members and visitors.

It’s important to put together a plan of what footage you want to record before sending the drone up there. After all, there’s a lot to think about, and you need to make sure you cover the areas of the golf course that you want to show off to your potential customers.

Again, you will also need to make sure that the golf course in question isn’t located in an FAA no-fly zone, as you’re not permitted to fly drones in these areas.  

Other than that, you will just need to get permission from the golf course owner or manager (if that’s not you!) before shooting drone footage, as not everyone is happy about their private property being shown from above.

If you get the right permission, then filming from a drone is the perfect way to shoot a golf course promotional video.

Golf Course Video: Hire a Drone Imaging Company or DIY?

One of the most important things to think about before shooting footage with a drone is whether to do it yourself or whether you should hire a professional company to do it on your behalf. There are pros and cons to each approach.

If you do it yourself, the first thing you need to think about is the cost of a drone. Good drones with decent cameras cost anything between several hundred and several thousand dollars. So, if you only plan on using it once for a promotional video, it’s probably not worth buying one.

What’s more, if you shoot the video yourself, you need to fly and control the drone from the air. Although it’s not exceptionally difficult to do this, it does take some practice, and it may take you a few attempts to get the footage that you’re after.

When you hire a company to film for you, they bring all of their own equipment and film everything that you tell them to. They then send you the footage and may even offer to edit it for you in the way that you want to present it to your clients.

While you will have to spend several hundred dollars on the project if you’re hiring a drone company, you can rest assured that the footage will be excellent, and you don’t need to worry about doing it yourself.

For many people, this is the best option, particularly if you’re only planning to use a drone once or twice to showcase your golf course.

Can a Drone Follow a Golf Ball?

Drones can follow golf balls, but it requires a fair amount of skill from the pilot. In most instances, you will need to use a small, lightweight fpv drone to capture the footage that you desire, as they’re capable of moving at high speeds.

If you’ve never piloted a drone before, you might find it difficult to follow a golf ball, as it requires skill and accuracy to track the ball’s flight. So, if you want to capture the game in real-time, it’s best to hire a professional drone pilot with the right equipment to help you out.

When you’re flying a drone on a golf course during play, you need to be mindful of flying golf balls! The last thing you want is for a golf ball to hit your drone, and although it’s unlikely to occur, you should take the necessary precautions to ensure your drone is out of the line of fire if you’re planning to take footage from a live game.

Conclusion

Capturing footage from a drone is an excellent way to showcase a golf course. Whether you’re performing a flyover of all the holes on a course or are shooting a promotional video of the facilities at the course in question, filming from a drone is an excellent way to go about it.

Once you’re back home or in the studio, you can then edit the footage in any way that you choose, adding the necessary content to put together a stunning video that you can use to promote your golf course to potential members and visitors.