The USGA has released USGA Tournament Management, a suite of products that advances golf event management technology used by golf associations and more than 13,000 clubs within its Golf Handicap and Information Network (GHIN) subscriber community.
Powered by Golf Genius Software, USGA Tournament Management improves efficiency and enhances the golfer experience by helping golf professionals and association staff better manage a wide array of competitions ““ from leagues to charitable outings, club tournaments to championships.
As a partner of the USGA in Colorado, the CGA will be responsible for helping CGA clubs transition to the new software and training them on it throughout 2017.
The new suite includes three product versions ““ Club, Club Premium and Association ““ and was rolled out to the State and Regional Golf Association (SRGA) community late last year. SRGAs will begin offering the Club version this month to GHIN-subscribing customers, with the opportunity to upgrade to the Club Premium edition at preferred rates.
“We’re leveraging advanced technology to deliver a modern product that makes it easy for golf professionals to develop and produce engaging events,” said Sarah Hirshland, USGA senior managing director for business affairs. “The Golf Genius platform has been used by club managers for several years and is scalable, portable and dynamic. The response from the golf community has been overwhelmingly positive.”
The USGA began a pilot program with six SRGAs last year, working directly with Golf Genius to meet the tournament management needs for both clubs and SRGAs. The product provides all the tools needed to set up and run golf events, leagues and outings, including roster management, round management, customizable scorecards, live scoring, customizable event websites and GHIN integration. It also provides comprehensive support for tournament and scoring formats ranging from single-round gross events to complex multi-round net events.
“We’re honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with the USGA to bring our capabilities to thousands of GHIN clubs,” said Michael Zisman, Golf Genius CEO. “Golf Genius has evolved its products over many years by applying modern cloud-based technology, listening to customers and employing golf professionals who have a deep understanding of customer needs.”
Associations and clubs will also enjoy the tool’s robust product support features, including a comprehensive online knowledge base, an event setup wizard and step-by-step guides for setting up popular event formats. It is fully integrated with the GHIN system, giving users direct access to Handicap information as they plan their events.
The new technology suite replaces the Tournament Pairing Program designed by the USGA and first offered to its member clubs in 1995. It was one of the first computer-based tournament management programs developed in the United States and is still in use today.
