The CSGA Links Volume 6 Issue 2 May, 2018 | Page 30

NEWS FROM THE USGA
A Bette r View of Cour se Main tena nce

T
he North American Golf Innovation Symposium seeks to provide research
and technology that will help the USGA advance the game. One fruit of these efforts is
the USGA’s Resource Management program, a relatively new web-based product that
will help golf course superintendents, owners and operators be more precise, efficient
and productive in maintaining their facilities.

Using maps that track course use, this too 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 con-
sulting services. This investment in technology is
an important next step, which will help facilities
realize immediate benefits through simple and ef-
fective behavioral changes.”

The USGA Resource Management tool fea-
tures a user-friendly interface that empowers su-
perintendents and facility managers to perform
“what-if ” analyses and develop models that quan-
tify the financial impacts of proposed changes in
maintenance.

Another key feature of the application is the
ability to generate visual mapping of golfer traffic
(as illustrated in the accompanying graphic), al-
lowing facility managers to focus maintenance and resources on the areas that are most
30 | CSGA Links // May 2018
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