Combining Course Superintendent knowledge and experience with technology to maintain Golf Courses to the highest level
Utilising new machinery, equipment and tools is nothing new in the world of sports turf maintenance. Over the past few decades it has proven to be a game changer for many sports, from faster turf recovery times and more sustainable courses to an overall higher standard of playing surface. It has proven so successful that the use of emerging technology has become the norm in many different levels of sport arena and playing areas.
Having seen how successfully it was being utilised in the horse racing industry, another sport that uses large areas of turf, I was interested in exploring the benefits of it for golf courses. Having already provided turf analysis for major racecourses in Australia, Australian Turf Analysis are proven in this area of analysis, and once I had discussed with them the needs and benefits for golf courses, we began our Golf Course Analysis Programme at Eastlake Golf Club.
HOW IT WORKS
With 192 acres of course to analyse, aerial sensors are by far the most efficient way of capturing every part of our golf course. The entire area is surveyed by a multispectral sensor and camera that is attached to a suitable RPAs (drone). As the RPAs surveys the ground of the course, the aerial multispectral sensors can see what the eye cannot. It does this by capturing five precise spectral light bands: blue, green, red, red-edge, and near-infrared (NIR). Amongst other things, these bands capture the chlorophyl levels of the plant life as it surveys and so can determine exactly how healthy it is and show this accurately well before it can be noticed with the human eye. Whilst gathering this data, the sensor is simultaneously taking high resolution images, thus collecting full-colour 4K imagery as well as plant health indices such as normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) or normalized difference red edge (NDRE) data. Although turf may still look healthy, the sensors can accurately determine the true condition and health of the grass and display it clearly for us to see and treat it accordingly before it becomes a problem.
Once the data has been collected and processed, all of the information is uploaded to our account so that myself and my team can see the results. The entire course is now at our fingertips, and we can see the health and condition of every inch of our course in detail. Here we can see an overview of part of our course, and then a closer view for more detailed inspection:
GETTING STARTED
Once ATA had obtained the required authorisation from the regulatory authorities to fly over our golf course, we set a date for the first survey. Having never had the golf course surveyed before, we were surprised by the ease of the procedure. Due to their previous planning, ATA arrived and completed the survey of the entire course in a few hours with no disruption and we had the full analysis data on our system to view within 24 hours.
The data gave us information about our golf course that we had never had before in a way that was easy to view and analyse. We could see areas of the course that needed attention and how effective our different treatment practices and methods were. We could see how different grass types were performing and how the irrigation system of the course was more efficient in various sections of the course. We could assess a particular area and make our decisions with much more information than we had had previously.
With each further survey we could accurately assess how the treatment that we had applied was working and get the most out of our resources. The surveys that we have done so far has given us a real insight into the behaviour and condition of our course, enabling us to keep it in the best possible condition for our members and players week in, week out.
THE BENEFITS
Since we started our course analysis programme, the benefits are already becoming apparent. For me, as Course Superintendent, the biggest benefits have been:
The surveys are non-destructive and quick. I am able to get information and data about the course without having to disturb the ground of the course or have an impact on players, the Club schedule or the environment.
Having an accurate overall view of the condition of the course is invaluable for future planning and deciding on the way forward when it comes to course treatment and ground works.
Trends of the course can be determined, and successful changes made as required. From irrigation methods and positioning to determining variations in stress levels around the course that can be managed accordingly.
Historical data – Every survey is dated and stored on our private account, so we can look at previous surveys and compare as our course maintenance and management goes forward.
Cost efficiency – Having the ability to see exactly where certain treatment or adjustments is needed saves us not only man hours and expensive chemical use but also improves the course whilst saving costs.
Environmentally friendly – By showing the specific areas of need, the surveys are a quick and non-destructive way of reducing the amount of chemical treatments needed.
Report writing and compiling – The software that we use enables report writing to a level that we have never had before. Images of any part of the course, both NDVI and full 4K photographs can be easily selected and then annotated with any notes by myself. This is then converted into a full report with all of the information that I have selected, making it easy for me to present to stakeholders or relevant parties.
This list just highlights the current benefits as I feel that we are just scratching the surface of what the surveys will provide as we gather more and more data moving forward and become more familiar with the information that is provided. The more data we have over a longer period of time, the more we can base our management and maintenance decisions on accurate data that we know will be more effective as time goes on. Decisions can be made on the actual condition and health of the course much earlier, preventing costly works that may have to be carried out by picking it up much later.
THE FUTURE
Golf courses in Australia have a fantastic reputation around the world, and as we move forward, the expectations of Club members and players gets higher and higher. One of the biggest challenges is that whilst the quality and condition of our courses will be expected to improve, we will have to maintain that upward trend whilst also being as environmentally friendly as we can be. And this is one aspect of the aerial multispectral surveys that really stands out. There are the obvious day to day benefits of having all of that information to hand - the ability to plan with accurate information and really see the condition of the entire course and how it is changing and coping with the rigors of 364 days a year of play and easy transfer of information to team members and stake holders, but the surveys do all of this whilst helping to reduce the environmental impact on the area. The survey is quick and can remove the need for destructive ground works and the information provided can lead to the use of less chemicals such as fertilisers, pesticides and weed killers by spotting problems much earlier or highlighting areas of need rather than mass coverage. All of this is good news for our golf courses and our golf course management.
NATHAN BRADBURY - EASTLAKE GOLF CLUB SUPERINTENDENT