Bubba Watson, the world’s number 6 ranked golfer, is taking to the skies in his bid to top the rankings.
The 38-year-old is one of the stars of this year’s U.S Olympic golf team competing at the Rio Games.
In conjunction with his sponsors, Watson has produced a video of what’s being called the world’s first golf jetpack.
The video was made to celebrate the return to the Olympics of golf after a 112-year absence.
The vehicle is an adaptation of the prototype Martin Jetpack P12, including room for golf clubs, sand bottle holders, and other course equipment.
Martin Aircraft Company says Watson and Oakley approached them to develop the idea based on the New Zealand firm’s pre-production prototypes.
Watson says a jetpack would be the perfect way to cart his golf bags and equipment around a course.
The firm says the jetpack, which uses vertical take-off and landing, can land on rooftops covered with aerials and wires, and fly into tightly confined areas, making it a practical alternative to traditional helicopters.
The jetpack has a composite structure pilot module that protects the pilot in the event of accident and a ballistic parachute system that can deploy and safely recover the aircraft from only a few metres above the ground.
There are no current plans to market the golf jetpack as yet, but it’s thought to be in the region of $200,000.
