Ecology is a hot topic at Northamptonshire County Golf Club and an integral part of Course Manager Rob Hay’s role.

As we know, golf courses have a significant impact on the environment (both positive and negative) and there are many ways those courses can help the environment, be it using sustainable materials, protecting habitats, managing water, reducing waste, promoting biodiversity or improving air quality to name just a few.

Rob has used the Clere Golf Hub to identify and categorise areas of the course in need of attention. Work carried out has then been logged with the results shared amongst all necessary stakeholders.

Rob’s team have combined aspects of the HUB’s mobile GPS system which has enabled work to be logged while ‘on-course’ with the ability to refine this data from the desktop by adding further information and supporting assets.

The Hub has quickly become the club’s central location for all data relating to not just the Ecology project, but any course related information from irrigation as-built plans to course-wide topographic data.

From board members to greenkeeping staff, all stakeholders can access the Hub through an intelligent permissions interface. Parts of the system can be made read-only or editable down to record level by individual log-ins so that Rob doesn’t have to worry about his work being compromised.

Having an Ecology programme provides everyone at Northamptonshire County a point of focus on which they can work together towards a common goal; the Hub allows all of the great work being carried out to be logged with photographic evidence, stored and shared each step of the way.

With the Hub being underpinned by a course wide sub 10cm accurate photographic survey, Rob is able to measure area and distance remotely as accurately as if on the course. For example, measuring features within the system ensures spraying rates are calculated precisely while aggregates and feeds are ordered more efficiently than ever saving Rob time and money.