This year's Ryder Cup attracted an estimated 250,000 spectators over the course of the final weekend of September in Bethpage, New York.

HPE, as the official technology partner for The Ryder Cup, golf’s premier event contested between the United States and Europe, provided connectivity for the event. At previous Ryder Cup events in the US, that role had been performed by the company’s rival, Cisco.

HPE, through Aruba Networking, provided WiFi connectivity across the Bethpage Black course. However, it wasn’t just WiFi; HPE also provided a private 5G network and AI to the officials and spectators on site.

DCD was fortunate enough to be invited over by HPE to see how the network was put together.

Building on Rome

Although it’s the first time HPE has provided network connectivity on US soil, the company has previously provided its kit to Ryder Cups in Europe, first at Paris, France, in 2018, and in Rome, Italy, in 2023.

In total, HPE deployed 170 CX switches, 650 WiFi 6E access points, 25 Aruba Network UXI sensors, which estimate user experience by testing critical metrics for network availability, and 67 AI-enabled video cameras. All of this was managed from HPE Aruba Networking Central, which was located inside a trailer on-site.

Indeed, James Robertson, VP CTO industry strategy at Aruba, stated that the company had created "one of the largest, if not the largest, temporary networks in the world."

The event, which at times spilled over into hostility, was played at Bethpage Black, which spans around four miles (6.4km), highlighting the scale of the event and the vast coverage needed.

“As it stands today, we've got 1,500 acres of a golf course that we've covered from end to end, edge to edge, with coverage for WiFi.” Aruba, a HPE company, and Athonet, which the company acquired in 2023, played key roles in delivering this network, confirmed Robertson.

He did note, however, that Juniper Networks didn’t play a role in the build-out of the temporary network, noting that the $14 billion acquisition was completed after plans were put in place for the event.

“We had to lock this down, obviously, before the deal was consummated and closed,” added Robertson, hinting that Juniper will play a role at the next event in 2027.

AI use cases

Unsurprisingly, a key focus around the event was that of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This, according to HPE, was used for a number of use cases.

HPE used AI to analyze spectator behavior, including monitoring queue times. The technology was also used to monitor merchandise, alcohol, food, and beverage sales, notifying suppliers of what they need to order more of. It was also used to track golf carts across the 1,500 acre course.

The AI-enabled cameras were installed by HPE to support retailers in analyzing activity, understanding consumer behavior, monitoring shopper flow and capacity, identifying wait times, and providing revenue forecasts.

"We're showcasing what is the art of the possible when you start to bring compute, storage, AI processing together to solve real-world problems," said Robertson.

Europe overcame a late fightback by the US on Sunday to win the Ryder Cup, 15-13.