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Environment becoming Key in the Nation of Golf

Fife, in Scotland, has become the first local authority to have all of its council owned golf courses gain certification from the Golf Environment Organisation (GEO). A registered charity, Fife Golf Trust (FGT) manages and operates the seven public courses.

To gain the certification the Trust has created habitat by bringing in rough management and creating ponds, naturalised its watercourses and drainage works and invited in schoolchildren form the local area to help plat wildflower meadows for pollinators.

Steve Isaac, director of Sustainability at The R&A said, “Our congratulations to Fife Golf Trust in achieving GEO Certified® for all seven of the courses it is responsible for, setting a wonderful example that we hope many others will follow. Using OnCourse® to provide the evidence for certification also delivers a platform to turn sustainability theory into practice, making a positive difference to course condition and profitability.”

For information on the environmental and financial benefits of becoming GEO Certified®, visit the Future of Golf website

BVGA Appoints New Board

Christian von Oven (managing director, Golfanlage Seeschlösschen Timmendorfer Strand) has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors at the German Golf Course Owners Association (BVGA). Stuart Orme, Managing Partner of Golfpark Steinhuder Meer and Thomas Hasak, Managing Director of BVGA-Wirtschafts-GmbH, were also elected to the Executive Board.

The new Board has declared its intentions to strengthen the position of golf course owners and operators and to permanently expand the range of services available to all members.

Christian von Oven, Chairman of the Board stated that "The new Board is in agreement that the path to a successful future is the commitment to liberal entrepreneurship, free competition, growth, professionalism, quality, internationality and today's indispensable networking. These are the foundations on which the future of our members and partners as well as those of the association can be successfully shaped".

We at the EGCOA wish the best of luck to the whole Board over the coming year and look forward to working closely with them in the future.

Players 1st offers Key Insights in Holland

The NVG has joined forces with the Dutch Golf Federation and PGA Holland to offer courses and clubs in the Netherlands a customer satisfaction measurement solution. After a successful pilot program in 2016, almost 60 courses are now part of the program. The program, Players 1st, is an initiative from Denmark. The systems currently runs in several countries (Denmark, Finland, Sweden, UK and the Netherlands)

The software from Danish software developer Raw Milk allows courses to give owners, pros and management more insight into the services and products they offer their customers.

The system works with surveys that are automatically sent to players. The golf courses get insight into the results by means of an interactive dashboard that provides an extensive and interactive insight into multiple aspects of each course. There are 4 surveys available for courses/clubs; member, guest, new golfer and exit survey.

Martijn Scholte of the NVG stated that “This system lets our members easily and comprehensively compare themselves to the rest of the country. It allows benchmarks to be set anonymously, so all clubs see where and how they need to improve. It is a really exciting development for golf in the Netherlands!”

For more information on the program contact Martijn at ms@nvg-golf.nl

New Research shows Massive Demand from Women for Golf

A new report reveals a worldwide desire to try golf among females – a potential with the power to revitalise an industry. So if women want to play golf, why aren’t they? And could a ground-breaking women-only coaching scheme be the solution?

To an industry fed up with hearing stories of how golf is in a state of terminal decline, last December’s report into The Global Economic Value of Increased Female Participation in Golf represented a welcome spark of optimism.

Commissioned by Syngenta, leaders in the turf control industry, the report opened up a new narrative of potential, progress and positivity. For while women today represent only 24% of the world’s golfers, surveys of 14,000 people in eight prominent golf markets revealed a massive latent demand to play the game among females.

For further information click here.

Gregg Patterson - Round Tabling 

Managers are hungry for “ideas” to solve problems and create New Stuff.  They’re voracious and insatiable.

Successful Managers know that “creativity” is Job One for 21st century professionals, the “distinguisher” in a competitive world filled to overflowing with technicians and data gatherers. And Successful Managers know ideas “happen” when they gather The Team, release The Team’s creative juices and capture the ideas that gush forth from The Group’s Collective Mind.

Releasing “Group Think” is the key to finding The New and The Innovative.   “Group Think” requires Round Tabling--- a facilitated, directed, goal oriented, interactive, small group networking experience---that releases group creativity, builds relationships and makes idea generation FUN!!!

Successful managers have Round Tabling in their genes.   They find excuses to Round Table during staff meetings, committee meetings, Board meetings and user forums. When ideas are needed, successful managers start Round Tabling.

Find out how here. 

Rain Bird just made your Greenkeepers life so much easier

Rain Bird have released the new and enhanced version of its central control software, Version 8. It includes a multitude of new features, giving superintendents much greater control over their irrigation systems and includes most previously optional add-ons at no additional cost.

 “Our simplified map creation and navigation significantly improves the user experience,” said Scott Rottler, senior product manager for Rain Bird’s Golf Division. “The ability to visualize and manage irrigation directly from the new map interface gives the user complete control, from creating programs and adding schedules to implementing temporary adjustments or manually operating the system.”

Rain Bird Golf’s latest central control software builds upon the company’s Timeless Compatibility™ commitment. Every Rain Bird golf irrigation product is engineered with timeless compatibility in mind, meaning new central control software will work with any previously installed Rain Bird Golf products, as well as future Rain Bird Golf technologies.

To learn more about Rain Bird Golf’s new central control software or how to update your existing system, contact a local Rain Bird distributor or Rain Bird’s GSP team at gsp@rainbird.com or by going to www.rainbird.com