Local Knowledge

January 2021



USGA TM PRODUCT UPDATE – REPORT COMPOSER

Amid last year’s trying times, it would have been easy to gloss over some of the notices regarding upgrades to the USGA Tournament Management product. But with the likelihood of some slow days due to inclement weather, it’s a good time to review enhancements to the Report Composer, one of the most important tools for golf course operators.

There are a variety of reports available in the USGA Tournament Management system. However, some reports may not quite give you exactly the look and/or content you are looking for. The Report Composer, similar to the Page Composer, offers extensive customization in building reports.

Among the Report Composer usability improvements introduced last year include:

• Grouping Objects – The Group Objects functionality introduces a new action button on the left side of the design page. Users can now select multiple objects, click the Group button, and actions performed will be applied to the group instead of one individual object.

• Page Numbers, Print Date/Time – Three new fields have been added in the Report Header and Report Footer areas: Page Number, Print Date (date report was generated) and Print Time (time report was generated).

• Keyboard Shortcuts – The keyboard shortcuts added to the Report Composer design area include: Shift + Arrows (move objects more quickly), Backspace or Delete (delete the selected object(s)), Shift + Click (select multiple objects) and Selectable Area (ability to select multiple objects by clicking and dragging the cursor). These shortcuts are also available in the Page Composer and Scorecard Composer. Check out this helpful Tips & Shortcuts article to learn more.

• Additional Report Composer Enhancements – Alignment lines now fully cover the entire report design area (both horizontally and vertically); Cursor will automatically be placed in the Report Name field when creating a new report; Page dimensions are now included in the Layouts dropdown; and Sort and Filter settings are visible on the Report Structure page.

For more details about Report Composer upgrades in the Knowledge Base article, click here.


BENEFITS OF BEING A YOUTH ON COURSE PARTNER CLUB

Encouraged by a successful 2020 introductory campaign in San Antonio, the Texas Golf Association Foundation (TGAF), with the support of local golf clubs, is looking to expand the popular, nationwide Youth on Course (YOC) program throughout the rest of Texas in 2021.

Established in 2006 by the Northern California Golf Association, YOC is a non-profit organization dedicated to opening doors, supporting dreams and transforming the lives of young people through opportunities on and off the course, including subsidized golf to make the game more appealing, inclusive and accessible to nurture the next generation of lovers of the game.

It’s easy for clubs to join the YOC network, and participating courses have the opportunity to fill unused tee times, drive revenue to their courses and welcome in new and loyal customers – all without sacrificing the bottom line.

To learn more about the benefits of being an official YOC course partner and growing the game of golf in Texas, click here.


JOIN TEXAS LEAGUE PLAY AND BOOST CLUB SPIRIT

Texas League Play begins its 17th season in 2021 looking to expand the roster and attract more TGA Member Clubs that would like to join in on the fun.

Regional Conferences may be established anywhere in the state where there are four TGA Member Clubs who are interested in competing against each other in a six-match regular season. Each team will host three matches, and will play an away match against each opponent at their course.

Since its inception in 2006, Texas League Play has helped to foster the appeal of interclub matches all across the state. This exciting team match play competition utilizes the Low Handicap Index established by the World Handicap System to level the playing field for competitors of all skill levels and presents TGA Member Clubs with a unique opportunity to engage with their members. The thrill golfers get out of playing for their home club in Texas League Play is an amazing way to provide high-energy fun, build camaraderie, boost club spirit and strengthen member relationships.

Registration for 2021 Texas League Play opened on Jan. 5 and will close on March 3. If your members would enjoy being part of this unforgettable golf experience and need some help getting started, please contact Andrea Daly, TGA Tournament Manager and chief administrator of Texas League Play.

For more information about Texas League Play, click here.


REMINDER: GOLFERS REQUIRED TO CREATE GHIN DIGITAL PROFILE

Beginning in early January 2021, golfers will need to create a GHIN Digital Profile to be able to access the suite of GHIN products, including the GHIN Mobile App and GHIN.com. In order to create a digital profile, a golfer will need to have a unique email address and password in their account within the USGA/GHIN Admin Portal.

To minimize the impact on golfers who plan to access the GHIN Mobile App and GHIN.com in 2021, the TGA would like to remind its Member Clubs it can assist golfers by collecting and adding email addresses for updated digital profiles. Member Clubs can follow the steps below to input email addresses into the USGA/GHIN Admin Portal.

Adding email address to USGA/GHIN Admin Portal:

1. Click on the member/golfer’s name

2. In the light blue section, click on the “Account” tab

3. Within that box, in the upper right, click on the “Edit” link

4. Input member/golfer’s unique email address

5. Click the blue “Save” button

6. Repeat steps for the next member/golfer

For more information, please visit the Digital Profile FAQs page within the “Tools & Resources” section of the USGA/GHIN Admin Portal. For questions or clarification on any matter, please contact either Mary Harrison, Senior Director, Handicapping & Membership or Geoff Greenwood, Technical Services Manager.