The biennial Ryder Cup, founded in 1927, is golf’s greatest team contest and one of the landmark events in global sport. It sees the 24 leading golfers from the United States and Europe go head-to-head in a three-day gladiatorial battle. The 2023 match, held at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, saw ticket applications from 140 different countries, with 272,000 spectators descending on Rome. Organized by Ryder Cup Europe - part of the European Tour group - the Tour’s vision was to match the gladiatorial contest inside the ropes, with a rich amphitheatre of technology to ROME match. While innovative technology and ancient history may not appear to go hand-in- 2023 hand, the fundamental expectation of the modern-day spectator is technology that is ubiquitous, frictionless and reliable. Golf is arguably the most technologically challenging sport in the industry. There is not one single stadium to connect, but 18 fields of play spread across many acres. For the Ryder Cup in Rome, a mini smart city was essentially built from scratch in the middle of the countryside. Furthermore, technology is more relevant in golf than many other sports because it can be challenging for spectators to understand the status of play across a vast competitive landscape. Our challenge was to bridge the gap between armchair fan and on-course Authored by spectator. The 2023 Ryder Cup proved to be one of the most intelligent sporting experiences ever, and contrary to the perception that Rome is paved in history, unequivocal innovation was brought to the eternal city.