Golf Writing in the AI Age

A small icon appeared on the screen of my Word document the other day. I had updated my laptop’s operating system the night before and now there was this icon lurking on the left border of my page. It looked like a sandwich. I clicked it. Up popped a ‘Draft with Copilot’ box. Not knowing what I was getting into, I decided to investigate. 

I typed: “Describe Royal County Down Golf Club” After a few seconds, my screen was filled with words. 800 of them. Here’s a snippet: 

The Championship Links course, designed by Old Tom Morris, Harry Vardon, and Harry Colt, is a true test of golf. The course is characterized by its rugged dunes, gorse-lined fairways, and fast, undulating greens. Signature holes include the 4th and 9th, which offer stunning views of the Irish Sea and the Mourne Mountains. 

I mean, that’s not bad, is it? Simple, accurate, to the point. The entire blurb was acceptable, if a little soulless. I took a screenshot of the entire 800 words and posted it on X, asking for feedback. I didn’t say who had written it. Several people correctly guessed that it was AI-generated. Others did not. It was good enough for people not to notice. And those were the most basic search criteria I could have used. 

 I tried something else: “Describe Royal County Down, flowery prose”. Here are two sentences from the text that came back: 

The morning mist often lingers, casting a mystical veil over the lush fairways and whispering tales of golfers past. As the sun ascends, its golden rays unveil a canvas of rich greens and vibrant heathers, painting a scene that is both tranquil and invigorating. 

Let’s be honest, the second attempt is such over-the-top drivel it reeks of someone – or something – who ingested a Thesaurus and then threw up. But it didn't take more than a few moments for AI to produce it.  

Even so, it is worrying on many levels what AI can do. In a second, it can produce 800 words that do a decent job of describing one of the best golf courses in the world. AI-generated content will only get better as it is fed more and more information. And we are feeding the machine! X introduced new terms in November 2024, which grants the platform permission to train its AI with user data – i.e. posts from everyone on X – whether you want it to or not. 

Where does that leave writers, be they focused on golf… or anything? Ultimately, it comes down to personality and soul. Every writer has a unique style and will deliver information in an individual way, but the AI is learning and adapting fast. 

It would be easy to take what Copilot produced for Royal County Down, give it a ‘personal’ touch, and then claim it as your own. Easy peasy, job done. School teachers and college lecturers must be tearing their hair out. 

For a laugh, I tried a final version: “Describe Royal County Down, hip young person” 

Alright, so imagine you're at Royal County Down, and it's like nature decided to throw the ultimate golf party. This place is straight-up iconic. It's nestled right between these epic Mourne Mountains and the chill vibes of the Irish Sea. The fairways? They're a total mood… 

Now I’m the one who feels like throwing up.