Systems and apparatus for facilitating the production and presentation of strokes gained golf statistics

A data collection and processing system to facilitate the production of strokes gained golf statistics, comprising:

• one or more mobile devices, each providing:
• a first means for traveling with a golfer during a game of golf;
• a second means for determining distance-to-hole while playing a hole in said game of golf automatically, using one or more of GPS, laser, or radar;
• a third means to input, select, edit, confirm and transmit essential shot data for one or more golf shots while playing said game of golf, said essential shot data for one shot comprising the combination of at least all five of the following:
• distance-to-hole of the ball at rest before said golfer performs said one shot, thereby establishing pre-shot distance-to-hole data for said one shot, and;
• distance-to-hole of said ball at rest after said golfer performs said one shot, thereby establishing post-shot distance-to-hole data for said one shot, and:
• lie type of said ball before said golfer performs said one shot, said lie type determined by human judgment, said lie type selected from a group including but not limited to:
• tee, fairway, rough, sand, and green, thereby establishing pre-shot lie type data for said one shot, and;
• lie type of said ball after said golfer performs said one shot, said lie type determined by human judgment, said lie type selected from a group including but not limited to:
• tee, fairway, rough, sand, green, and in-cup, thereby establishing post-shot lie type data for said one shot, and;
• the identity of said golfer performing said one shot, thereby establishing golfer identification data for said one shot wherein said mobile device further includes a means to display strokes gained information derived from said essential shot data for one or more shots while playing said game of golf, said strokes gained information including one or more of:
• maps of golf holes with strokes gained benchmarks;
• strokes gained benchmarks;
• strokes gained tables, graphs, and diagrams;
• strokes gained comparisons with other golfers;
• strokes gained statistics;
• strokes gained course difficulty ratings;
• strokes gained difficulty ratings or different lie types;
• targets representing different strokes gained benchmarks;
• strokes gained ratings for zones on a golf course;
• a fourth means for transferring said essential shot data for one or more golf shots to one or more databases;
• one or more databases for compiling shot data from one or more said mobile devices;
• a system to arrange said shot data in said databases in order to make possible strokes gained statistical analysis.