CaddyChat – How I Built the World’s First AI Voice Caddy for Smarter Golf
iOS Development, Real-Time Voice AI, GPS & Weather Integration
Project Overview
CaddyChat is the world’s first AI-powered voice caddy, designed to transform how amateur golfers make decisions on the course. Built entirely in SwiftUI for iOS, the app leverages OpenAI’s real-time voice API to deliver personalized, hands-free golf guidance—acting as a strategic caddy that learns your game and helps you play smarter. The app syncs with over 48,000 golf courses across North America, pulling in real-time GPS, weather, and elevation data. Combined with the user’s personal shot history and club distances, CaddyChat provides intelligent, voice-driven recommendations for every shot. Whether you're a weekend golfer or a competitive player, the app delivers elite-level insights in a simple, conversational format. This project highlights my ability to combine real-time AI, mobile UI/UX, and geospatial data to create a seamless, high-performance experience that adds real-world value for users.
Key Accomplishments
Built the world’s first AI voice caddy using OpenAI’s real-time voice API and SwiftUI, delivering a fully hands-free user experience.
Integrated 48,000+ course maps via a robust GPS engine and dynamic course data ingestion pipeline.
Delivered personalized shot recommendations using user-specific club data, lie, distance, wind, elevation, and conditions.
Designed and deployed a beautiful, responsive iOS app with natural language voice interaction.
Implemented real-time score tracking, 3D hole previews, and conversational course strategy features.
Technical Highlights
Building CaddyChat required deep integration across multiple systems—from live voice AI to geospatial processing and mobile optimization:
Real-Time Voice Agent with OpenAI API
Connected OpenAI’s real-time voice API to enable back-and-forth voice conversations between the user and their AI caddy. Managed stateful context switching, user prompts, and semantic memory for consistent, intelligent guidance.
GPS and Course Data Engine
Mapped 48,000+ courses with precise GPS coordinates, hole-by-hole layouts, and elevation models. Developed logic to calculate remaining distance, shot angles, and suggested clubs based on lie, location, and wind.
Weather & Elevation Adjustments
Integrated weather APIs and topographic data to adjust club recommendations in real time. Factored wind direction, temperature, and elevation change into every shot decision.
Hands-Free iOS UX with SwiftUI
Built a sleek, intuitive interface using SwiftUI that remains unobtrusive during play. Voice interaction is prioritized, but users can manually interact with maps, stats, and scorecards as needed.
Persistent Game State & Club Tracking
Created a local game engine that remembers shot history, club distances, and tendencies over time—allowing the AI to personalize its recommendations for each user.
Features and Innovations
CaddyChat brings several first-of-its-kind features to recreational golf through a blend of AI, voice, and data intelligence:
AI-Powered Shot Strategy
Delivers real-time, voice-based shot suggestions tailored to the player’s game, course layout, and conditions—simulating a pro-level caddy experience.
Natural Language Voice Chat
Allows golfers to talk to their AI caddy mid-round (“What’s my distance?”, “What should I hit here?”, “How’s the wind?”) and get clear, contextual responses instantly.
3D Hole Previews
Users can explore detailed course maps with yardages, hazards, and elevation changes to better visualize each hole before making a shot.
In-Round Score & Stat Tracking
Seamlessly tracks strokes, putts, fairways hit, and other stats without disrupting play—providing golfers with insights into performance over time.
Fully Offline-Capable Core
Built a local fallback for course data, user preferences, and common queries to support low-signal environments without degrading user experience.
What I Learned
Building CaddyChat pushed my technical, design, and product thinking to new levels—especially when working at the intersection of mobile, AI, and real-world usage:
Designing for Voice-First Interfaces
Building an intuitive, context-aware voice interface required careful handling of prompts, latency, and fallback mechanisms. It deepened my appreciation for conversational design and human-centered AI.
Handling Complex Geospatial Data
Working with GPS, topography, and mapping APIs taught me how to normalize, transform, and visualize spatial data for real-time performance under mobile constraints.
Balancing UX and Performance on iOS
SwiftUI is powerful but requires optimization. Creating a smooth, responsive app that doesn’t drain battery or lag on real-time queries was a rewarding technical challenge.
Creating Delightful, Niche Experiences
CaddyChat reminded me that even small, focused products can have massive impact when they solve a clear user pain point—especially when combining emerging tech with everyday use cases.
