One thing I always keep asking myself is how we as a staff
can leave work each day knowing we made Elcona just a bit better than when we
got into work that morning. Our eyes and
sense of touch are still the most useful tool in answering that question, but
increasingly technology is changing how we can become better stewards of the
club’s resources. The USGA has integrated
one such piece of technology into their 2017 USGA Golf Utilization Survey, and
has asked Elcona to participate. We are
one of 48 golf facilities nationwide participating.
The careful management of resources (water, labor, energy,
fertilizer, pesticides, etc.) is an integral part of golf courses becoming more
economically efficient and good care-takers of the environment while providing
golfers with an enjoyable golf experience. To help golf courses achieve these
goals, the USGA has developed a method to analyze how golfers use their course.
This USGA Course Utilization Study provides decision makers at golf facilities
with valuable insight into where available resources need to be focused the
most.
How It Works
Members are asked to carry small GPS trackers in their
pocket or clipped to their clothes during their round. You need to do nothing
else except play the course as you normally would, and turn the device in to
the Golf Shop staff after your round. After
the round, the devices are collected and the data is downloaded. The result is
a visual image that is imported into Google Earth.
After the tracks of 200 golfers of varying abilities from Elcona
are downloaded, the movement patterns will reveal a great deal about traffic
patterns, feature use and potentially places on the course where pace of play
issues arise. This data can be used to assess current and future maintenance
needs as well.
How You Can Participate
By agreeing to carry a GPS tracker, you are helping our staff
better manage your course. You also are helping the USGA preserve the game now
and in the future. The USGA will not collect the names of players who carry the
GPS trackers. You are only asked for your name just in case you forget to
return your tracker at the end of the round.
The USGA does charge a $50 fee
for each unreturned tracker, so it would be very important to return them so
the club does not incur that cost.
I thank you in advance if you are asked to help us with this
survey, and I look forward to sharing the results with you when the USGA
processes the data. As always, if you have
any questions. Please contact me at ryan@elconacc.com,
or stop me while you are out on the golf course. Have a great week!