Some spiritual traditions hold that we have a third, invisible, mystical eye on our foreheads that some can access for insights well beyond what we ordinarily see—an augmented reality. Back here in the non-mystical realm, a different kind of augmented reality (AR) is attainable via the digital eye in our pockets. And those insights are available to anyone.

To wit: the U.S. Open AR app, developed by Deloitte in collaboration with the United States Golf Association (USGA). In a bid to provide greater benefit and engagement for its audience—particularly with a younger generation—the organization turned to technical innovation to unlock aspects of a sport often out of reach to casual viewers.

Augmented reality—technology that superimposes digital images on a user’s view of the real world—is well suited for activities where additional information is available, and it can enhance an experience. AR’s visual overlays (as seen through a mobile screen) can provide data and insights for learning or entertainment, enrich communication and collaboration, and create elevated, immersive experiences—features that were a good fit for the USGA, stewards of a sport in which a ball the size of … an eye is launched hundreds of yards through the air. (Features that, not coincidentally, are driving a quiet consumer revolution.)