The future of Golf as GIS Show wraps up another successful show

The 2014 Golf Industry Show (GIS) recently concluded in Orlando, FL and for the many that attended from the Mid-West, the weather in Florida was a welcomed relief from the wintery blast.

In attendance were several from the Kenney Machinery team, and as they gathered information on the upcoming trends and products for the industry they also took part in making sure several students from Purdue University Turf Program were also given the proper tour of the event.

We also wanted to share comments published by USGA in regards to those items they view as key factors to the future of golf and our industry.  GCSAA’s General Session featured the USGA Green Section, its technical director, Dr. Matt Pringle; its director of education and outreach, Jim Moore; and USGA agronomist for the Southeast Region, Chris Hartwiger. The speakers all focused on pace of play and golf’s use of water.  The following recap comes from a recent blog posting by USGA.  (For the complete article please go to this link.)

Pringle, who is responsible for the technical standards department, said that USGA is using science and technology to preserve and enhance the game of golf. Pringle says that pace of play, like a traffic jam, is an engineering problem and players are no more at fault than drivers stuck in traffic. If golfer come onto the course faster than they leave, then pace of play is slowed. As part of its intern program, USGA will be giving golfers GPS devices to carry in their pockets while they play. The golfers will return the devices, the data will be collected and analyzed to determine golfer activity for each course and what changes can be made to improve the pace of play. (Contact mpringle@usga.org to participate in the program).

Golf should be fast, friendly and fun, according to USGA’s Hartwiger. Pace of play is important because golfers are buying an experience, and anything that mars that experience (waiting to take a shot) should be avoided. USGA has an online resource center for superintendents who want to improve pace of play:www.usga.org/paceofplay. Making golf friendly means that all players should be treated fairly. Bad placement of women’s tees has become a common complaint, and superintendents and golf course owners should realize that women want to be challenged, but they don’t want to be intimidated (by the staff, other players, or the environment at the course). Tees should be placed to accommodate the average handicap (15 for men, 27 for women).

“It’s about more than conserving water,” says USGA’s Director of Education Jim Moore,”it’s about staying in business.” The challenge for courses is to conserve time and water. To maintain the pace of play, courses can remove trees and lower roughs. Superintendents can reduce maintenance and water applications in areas that are seldom played, and reallocate resources to areas that come into play most often. Expanding rough areas and giving some areas minimal maintenance can reduce fuel, labor, fertility and chemical inputs and water use. The GPS program described above can be used to see where golfers go — and where they don’t go. Where they don’t go, maintenance can be reduced without lessening the quality of the golf experience. Another way to reduce maintenance and water use is to enhance native areas. USGA is also working with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center outside of Austin, Texas, on converting stands of grass to native wildflowers.

Reducing pace of play and water use benefit the game, reduce expenses for the golf course and can make the game more enjoyable.