GMé
clubnet FLYING HIGH A 3D model of a drone survey of the finishing hole at Le Golf National in Paris
A road map to better Course Management The greenkeeper module of ClubNet is an invaluable app designed to put control back into the hands of the course manager as Aidan Patrick discovers. Dublin-based Golfgraffix has long be known as a leader in producing top-class graphics and visualisations for tv broadcasts around the world, and the company is now utilising its nine years’ experience of working on some of the world’s top events – such as The Ryder Cup, The Open Championship and a number of European and PGA Tour events – to bring their cutting-edge technology to a course near you. This month sees the full launch of ClubNet, an app which is aimed at helping greenkeepers and club managers gain a better understanding of their golf course, and to help them manage their day-to-day activities in a far more efficient manner “As we work with more and more golf courses, we are seeing that there is often a lack of real detail on file about the actual golf course,” said GolfGraffix, CEO John Aherne. “Often the knowledge is only with one or two longer serving members of staff and not recorded anywhere at the club.” As Aherne explained, the need for ClubNet sadly became apparent when one of the clubs that GolfGraffix works with suffered the sudden bereavement of a key member of staff. “The real catalyst for the idea of ClubNet was based on the tragic circumstances where the head greenkeeper of one our clients passed away suddenly, and with him years of knowledge was lost.
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“With ClubNet we wanted to offer golf clubs a simple way of building up a library of information that could be very easily be viewed, stored and shared.” The ClubNet package will act as both a communication device and a graphic tool, allowing the user to survey and map their golf course from any smartphone or tablet. The app will act as a ‘live map’, with the ability to measure and draw new features; geo tag images; track movements in real-time; plot tree locations via GPS and even the capability to export data to CAD software. The platform is based on the same technology developed by Golfgraffix for producing 3D models for use in tv broadcasts for flybys and ball-tracking. The technology provides an accurate and editable 3D model of the golf course and the allows greenkeepers the flexibility of drafting alterations to the course, such as adding or removing trees and bunkers, which can prove especially useful when proposing design changes. “The real magic is in the app,” adds Aherne, “and I genuinely believe that with the launch of the greenkeeping module, ClubNet provides the first, real all-in-one golf management system that encompasses tee-time bookings, invoicing, marketing, CRM, communications and 3D graphics. “Naturally, over the years a golf course will evolve – bunkers will be added, grassing lines will be changed – so to
“with the launch of the greenkeeping module, ClubNet provides the first, real all-in-one golf management system”