BARRIE, ON – Tangle Creek Golf Club is stepping it up a couple of notches with a new state-of-the-art golf cart GPS system designed to improve the pace of play and make the game more enjoyable.

In the space of three short years, the Rene Muylaert designed Tangle Creek GC has become known for great golf, great service and great value among locals and the Greater Toronto Area golfer looking for an exceptional golf experience. In a strategic move designed to give the public golfer more value for their money and make the course more fun to play, Tangle Creek has installed a new Course Management Systems (CMS) based on the integration of Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Systems, wireless communications, and computer networking technologies in its fleet of golf cars.

“The technology behind the Uplink System is amazing,” says Jamie Sheppard, Head Professional at Tangle Creek GC. “It’s unlike anything I have ever experienced before and we’re receiving rave reviews from our guests.”

Sheppard along with Tangle Creek GM Mark Elliott and managing partner Tom Fischer were first introduced to the system last February while attending the National Golf Course Owner’s Association annual conference in Orlando, Florida at Victoria Hills Golf Club. It didn’t take them long to agree that the $400,000 investment would be money well spent.

“It’s a unique interactive program that gives the golfer a lot of useful information and is a wonderful player’s aid,” Fischer says of the miniature TV screens that are mounted into the golf cars “It also allows us to manage the golf cart fleet, know where everyone is on the course and make sure everything is moving smoothly.”

UpLink’s Course Management System provides golf professionals, general managers, and superintendents with a real time view of the course, including the location of each player, marshals, and beverage cars as well as the location of ground maintenance crews.
At Tangle Creek GC golfers can take advantage of the on screen programs that include an electronic scorecard and course guide with helpful “pro tips”. With the global positioning players are also guaranteed to receive accurate measurements to the flag on the hole they’re playing, even if their ball has accidentally landed on another fairway.
The carts are also programmed for a four hour and 20 minute round of golf and pace of play is monitored on the screen. At the end of each hole, golfers can see if they’re ahead of time or falling behind where they should be. It can also tell players how far it really is to the group ahead of them. If someone is playing a par-4 or 5 and wants to make sure a group is out of range before teeing off that yardage is right on the screen.

“We have seen a huge improvement in our pace of play. It’s a subtle reminder and works better than having to send a marshal out to tell a slow group to move along,” Sheppard says. “Many first time players can find Tangle Creek challenging to play. The Uplink system is designed to hold their hand and help them through any rough spots, but it won’t find a lost golf ball yet!”

There is also an emergency button the players can press that alerts the pro shop and on course marshals to a problem. If the pro shop needs to reach an individual or call golfers in because of bad weather they can send a message to the golf carts. Golfers can also notify the halfway house or snack carts when they’re ready to place an order for food. If it’s cart path only on a particular day, the GPS system has the ability to warn golfers to stay on the path if they veer off and if someone strays too far a-field the cart shuts down automatically and asks the driver to return immediate to the path.

“For tournament and corporate golf outings one of the most exciting aspects of the program is the ability to create a tournament leader board,” Sheppard says. “Groups or individuals plug in their scores at the end of each hole. They’re tabulated and posted to the leader board on the golf cart screen throughout the round so other golfers or teams can keep track of the competition. It’s really exciting for the golfers and the feedback is very positive.”

Since opening in 2002, Tangle Creek GC has been nominated for “Best New Golf Course in Canada by Golf Digest (2002), received a Toronto Sun 2004 Readers’ Choice Bronze Medal Award for “Best Value in the GTA” and was ranked among Canada’s top-100 public courses by Globe & Mail Golf Magazine in the spring of 2005. In other exciting news Tangle Creek expects to start construction of a permanent 9,000-square-foot clubhouse later this fall.

Uplink Corporation (www.uplinkgolf.com) is based out of Austin, Texas and is the industry leader in golf course management applications.

For more information contact:
Head Golf Professional
Jamie Sheppard
jamies@tanglecreekgolf.com
866-844-1044 or 705-720-2150 Ext. 101
www.tanglecreekgolf.com
Brent Long

Longshot Communications
brentlong@cogeco.ca
905-681-1252