NEWS & NOTES
USGA Introduces New Tournament Management Software
I n 2016 the United States Golf Association ( USGA ) announced its collaboration with software
company Golf Genius to replace the USGA ’ s outdated Tournament Pairing Program known as TPP .
This past November , the CSGA staff travelled to the USGA ’ s GHIN Conference in Amelia Island , Florida to get an introduction to the newly branded USGA Tournament Management product which was recently introduced to clubs for the 2017 season .
In February , the CSGA hosted its first training session on the product , led by CSGA Director of Club Relations Bill Bigler . The event was held February 16th at Saint Luke ’ s Episcopal Church in South Glastonbury , Connecticut , and was attended by more the seventy-five golf professionals and club representatives throughout the state . Training topics included Getting Started with USGA Tournament Management Club ; Running Events ; Scorecards and Printed Materials ; Enhancing the Golfer Experience ; and Utilizing the Help Center and Support Options . Speaking about the seminar and new Tournament Management software , Marc Bayram , Head Professional at Timberlin Golf Club said ,“ Bill did an amazing job . I am really excited to implement it at Timberlin right away . It is night and day better than TPP and quicker , a much needed upgrade . Great move by the USGA and CSGA .”
When the USGA and Golf Genius announced their collaboration it was well received in the golf industry . The existing Tournament Pairing Program has been in place for over a decade , and was in need of some updates . One of the most significant differences between the two products is that the new USGA Tournament Management Product is cloud based . This allows easy access to the software from any device , and paves the way for exciting features such as the ability for players to be involved in live scoring from their mobile devices . When speaking about the new product , CSGA Director of Club Relations Bill Bigler stated , “ The CSGA is excited to be able to offer such a robust tournament management system to its member clubs . The product has been very well received by those with previous Golf Genius experience and new users alike . While there is a learning curve associated with any new system , we are prepared to provide the assistance our clubs will need for a successful roll out .”
The CSGA will offer additional training sessions in the coming months , and will continue to offer its member clubs the support they need to learn the new features and functions of the Tournament Management product . The USGA will continue to support TPP throughout the 2017 season , and will fully transition to the Tournament Management product in January 2018 .
8 | CSGA Links // April , 2017 www . csgalinks . org