The pre-IB project this year was to construct a golf putting machine. A contest was arranged to find the best machine, three putts allowed, most holes-in-one (or nearest balls) wins. All three teams wanted a swinging club design, but one team changed their concept to design and build a gravity ball-rolling mechanism as they were last to grab building materials. Top marks for innovation, and a good second place to the gravity machine. Group two ( Jordan Spieth ) employed a single tower construction, stabilised by being tied off to fixtures. Group three (Rory McIlroy) used a twin tower concept which provided the extra stability needed to get a putt close. The added weight of the pendulum (club head) was also crucial in their getting two hole-in-ones, with a close third ball, to win. The gravity fed machine of the Tiger Woods group scored one hole-in-one and two close putts, while the Jordan Spieth group single tower design ran their putts close but got no holes-in-one. Congratulations to all students who showed great enthusiasm, innovation and model-building skills.
Build starts. Tiger Woods group one on the left with the gravity machine design, Jordan Spieth group on the right with a single tower design.
Rory McIlroy group with the twin-tower design. A pendulum club will be added in the center of the tower, along with a guiding roll-off to set the ball in the right direction.
The Spieth group’s first putt… it comes up short. The next two putts come close, but miss the hole (which is a cup at the end of the rug). This build features a pendulum club to hit the ball on a paper mat, with runnels to guide the direction of the ball. The structure uses guy lines for added stability.
Tiger group set one down the right… Too far right. Speed bumps have been added to the ramp to slow the ball down. The ramp height can also be altered where it connects the tower, to provide added speed control.
Rory McIlroy group set a ball on its way… two out of three holes in one win the competition. The heavier club and twin tower design proved to be decisive.