New USGA Technology Helps Golf Facilities Manage Resource Consumption and Increase Productivity

GPS Tracking Allows Facilities to Manage Turf Areas by Viewing Player Traffic Flows 

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA  (March 6, 2017) - The USGA has introduced Resource Management, a new web-based product that will help golf course superintendents, owners and operators be more precise, efficient and productive in maintaining their facilities.

Launched today during the North American Golf Innovation Symposium in Vancouver, USGA Resource Management is a map-based tool that allows facility managers to understand better their consumption of resources – such as labor, water and fuel – and to measure accurately, even down to the square foot, the allocation of these resources to each feature of the golf course. The data will help facilities to manage their maintenance practices in ways that reduce costs while also improving the experience of their golfers.

“As the cost of maintaining a golf course continues to rise, facilities increasingly need smart tools and data to operate efficiently,” said Rand Jerris, the USGA’s senior managing director of Public Services. “For nearly a century, the USGA has helped improve golf course operations and golfer experience through educational materials, research, and agronomic and environmental consulting services. This investment in technology is an important next step, which will help facilities realize immediate benefits through simple and effective behavioral changes.” 

The USGA Resource Management tool features a user-friendly interface that empowers superintendents and facility managers to perform “what-if” analyses and develop models that quantify the financial impacts of proposed changes in maintenance.

Another key feature of the application is the ability to generate visual mapping of golfer traffic, allowing facility managers to focus maintenance and resources on the areas that are most heavily used, while reducing unnecessary costs on acreage that has little to no impact on golfer experience.

“Information and data are critical in our business,” said Darrell J. Marcinek, director of golf maintenance for the Somerset (N.J.) County Park Commission. “This tool would take the guesswork out of our budgeting, and the end product will be better for the golfers because we’re maximizing our limited resources. 

“The USGA is at the forefront of our industry. There’s nothing on the market that I’m aware of that does what this tool does.”

The USGA Resource Management product will be an important part of the toolkit used by USGA agronomists across the country in 2017 as they work directly with facilities to improve the impact and efficiency of their maintenance practices. To contact a USGA Green Section agronomist, go to www.usga.org/greensectionstaff.html.

The USGA also has begun working with the industry to develop additional functionalities for the application and encourage innovations built on this platform. The ongoing development and refinement of USGA Resource Management reflect the USGA’s commitment to advance the game by making the benefits of science and technology available to all facilities. These advancements will help to elevate the golfer experience and improve productivity at 35,000 golf courses around the world.

Hosted by the USGA in conjunction with Golf Canada and the Mexican Golf Federation, the North American Golf Innovation Symposium provides golf course operators/owners and industry experts with an information-exchange forum to advance the game of golf and spark innovative thinking. 

Live coverage of the presentations will be available at usga.org/NAGIS or the USGA’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/TheUSGA. Click here for a full schedule (all times Pacific Standard Time).

NOTE TO EDITORS:  Images of the new tool and other photography can be downloaded by clicking here:  2017 North American Golf Innovation Symposium Images

About the USGA
The USGA conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open, as well as 10 national amateur championships, two state team championships and international matches, attracting players and fans from more than 160 countries. Together with The R&A, the USGA governs the game worldwide, jointly administering the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, equipment standards and World Amateur Golf Rankings. The USGA’s reach is global with a working jurisdiction in the United States, its territories and Mexico, serving more than 25 million golfers and actively engaging 150 golf associations.

The USGA is one of the world’s foremost authorities on research, development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history and invests in the development of the game through the delivery of its services and its ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program. Additionally, the USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries.

For more information about the USGA, visit usga.org.
 

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