Published on the 16/06/2014 | Written by Newsdesk
The internationally recognised golf course at the luxury resort has added a new dimension to its golfing experience and managers promise there is more to come…
Millbrook Resort is differentiating itself from its competition by being the first club in New Zealand to install a state-of-the-art GPS system in its golf carts.
The cloud-based Golf Pilot system by GPS Systems International has features that cater for both golfers and club managers. The interactive system tracks each cart’s location, which enables players to see where they are on the course, understand course no-go areas, and access pro-tips on how best to play the current hole – in any one of 60 different languages. Players can also use it to measure the distance to any point of interest including bunkers and the pin on the green.
Millbrook has fitted all 50 of its Yamaha carts with the Samsung Golf Pilot unit which links back to the main computer dashboard in the resort’s Pro Shop. The real-time map shows management where each of the carts are at any given time allowing them to better manage game play and alert players if they’re unlikely to finish before dark. Other features include live local weather and radar maps, two-way communication and messaging between the cart and pro shop, and advertising opportunities to showcase other services available at the resort. In the future players will also be able to order refreshments to be delivered direct to the golf cart or be ready for when they come off the course.
Millbrook Resort head golf professional Allan McKay said his favourite Golf Pilot feature as a player was the interactive “cross hair” target. “This is so accurate. It’s interactive so you can drag it to your golf ball and see what the layup distance is to any target you choose and what the distance is from there to the green. It’s gold.”
“From a manager’s point of view, the ability to know the location of every cart in the fleet is crucial and extremely important on a 500 acre resort. We can clearly see how far the last player is from finishing and if someone has taken a cart back to their room and forgotten to return it,” he said.
Millbrook Resort head of golf Brian Spicer said that guests and members who’ve experienced the system so far love it. “It really adds another unique element to your game,” he said.
“There’s been a significant increase in the availability of GPS devices for golf courses over the past five years. We’re always looking at creative ways of being innovative and Golf Pilot is a great system that takes Millbrook to another level technology wise.”
I have just played Millbrook and I am keen to get a similar size display for my golf cart. Do you sell individual units as opposed to fleet systems.