34 PUBLIC & OPEN SPACES
A SOLUTION FOR
Management of Public Golf Courses
Golf courses around the world are faced with the challenge of controlling their assets in an efficient and cost-effective manner ; no different to any other industry . However , the management systems in place at these facilities are often archaic in their function , leading to severe underutilisation and missed financial opportunities . On-Pin , with over 20 years of experience within the golf industry have observed these issues on a regular basis , striving to develop a product that councils , golf course owners and general managers can utilise to remotely manage their assets , by means of a leading-edge technology platform .
VerifEye System – The Basics
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On-Pin ’ s integrated management solution – the VerifEye system – is constructed around a patented combination of RFID & smart camera technology . This technology , placed on the golf course or sports facility will count ‘ players ’ or ‘ users ’ and report daily activities . Consequently , this allows the course owner , or manager ( who may not regularly , or in-fact ever be present at the physical location ) to align actual usage with financially reported data ( received from point of sale systems , or reports submitted by low-level staff / contracted management teams ). Current implementations of the product have revealed an 8-15 % discrepancy between actual activity on course and reported usage . Reasons for this range from simple human error , to more sinister motives such as theft and illegal use of the facility . Regardless of the specific issue ( a facility could be subject to any number of problems ), the VerifEye system will identify the areas of concern and aid in the enforcement of more stringent management practices .
Player Management
Golf courses & other , similarly structured facilities are subject to a multitude of patrons coming and going at varying times throughout the day . Keeping track of players , and ensuring proper authorisation protocols are followed is a daunting task if not managed correctly . Within the golf industry , it is a standard practice for a golfer to report to the Pro-Shop , pay for their round , and play as directed by Pro-Shop staff ; whilst a course marshal is employed to ensure users are following rules and regulations stipulated by the course management .
On-Pin challenges managers to re-think the feasibility of this approach ; can a course marshal singularly remember the names & faces of every player authorised to be on the course at any given time ? Can the Pro-Shop staff ( often contracted and not employed directly by the golf club ) be trusted to correctly report usage data if there is no level of enforcement or oversight from the club itself ? Is it possible , that on such an expansive facility , a player , or group of players could walk onto the course without paying first ?
On-Pin offers two resolutions to the aforementioned problems . The first solution encompasses a camera / RFID combination ( complete VerifEye deployment ) which will align authorised players ( in possession of an RFID tag ) against unverified users ( counted by the camera , but not in possession of an RFID access tag ).
The complete system allows for additional data to be collected , including pace of play , personal details ( name , age , contact etc .), tracking around the course ,
GOVLINK » ISSUE 1 2017