Technology puts golf on new course

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Businesses whose offices are America's golf courses are turning to high technology to put more golfers on the links and more money in the bank.

More than 8,000 golf course administrators attending the 68th international show of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America in Las Vegas got a look at course management devices, computerized irrigation systems and Internet technology ultimately designed to get more rounds in and enhance the experience for players.

But turning greens fees into greenbacks requires an investment in hardware and a quick course in computer science, attendees of the show that ends today learned.

Cart Watch, a maintenance system designed to increase the speed of play by managing golf cart fleets and keeping players out of restricted areas, is a two-way communication system that can keep wayward carts out of sensitive areas and reward golfers who do.

Douglas Zeytoonjian, division manager of Cart Watch, said modules mounted on the golf cart can communicate problems to course officials. If a golfer strays into a restricted area or players spend too much time on a hole, a message can be transmitted to the module informing the player to get back to the cart path or speed up play.

Players who wander into ultrasensitive areas get more than a warning -- they're alerted by an alarm that shrieks like a smoke detector and flashes a high-intensity halogen light. Cart operators are ordered by message to stop what they're doing immediately. In addition, the system logs the infraction and notes how long it takes a group to play -- Big Brother is watching you hole out.

The purpose of Cart Watch is to speed up play, but it's also being marketed as a course beautifier. The bread-loaf-size radio-activated warning system serves as a deterrent in the same way a rope is a barrier for keeping carts out of restricted areas.

Zeytoonjian said incentives can be built into golf pricing packages to reward players who maintain a good pace. For example, a foursome that plays a round within a predetermined time frame can get part of the cart fee refunded or have a beer on the house at the end of the round.

Cart Watch is operated by a small transmitter and a network of buried lines that can send signals to the module on the cart. Systems are custom built and the cost varies by project.

A computerized irrigation control system was demonstrated on the trade show floor by the Irrigation Division of the Toro Co., Riverside, Calif.

The company's SitePro system manages complicated hydraulic design systems through a Windows 95 interface. Using a special map-making program, the computer screen shows a representation of the golf course with every water line and sprinkler identified.

A system operator can run an irrigation system right off a map. An operator also can lasso a specific portion of the course and program a variety of irrigation schedules.

The program can also incorporate a data base to keep records on how much water is used at each station. Like the Cart Watch, systems are custom built and vary in cost.

Golf course executives also are finding that Internet communications will help them find resources to solve problems on issues ranging from lake and pond management, to government relations, to sod, seed and sand.

A California Internet service provider has taken on the golf management industry by establishing www.GolfTrade.com, a website that serves as a resource to managers in the industry.

The site, built by Internet Marketing Services, Vista, Calif., features classified advertisements, an events calendar, a summary of golf projects under way and links to other golf web pages.

The sponsor of the show has its own website. Dave Bishop, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America senior manager of information services, gave a detailed presentation on available resources on the GCSAA website.

Like the commercial website, it has numerous links to golf industry resources. It also has a research data base and e-mail addresses to GCSAA board and staff members.