Demonstrations of John Deere’s state-of-the-art PRO Golf platform with be one of the main draws to the company’s BTME stand in January.
Every aspect of golf course management has been built into the PRO Golf package, which is now integrated into the John Deere Operations Center.
Accessible from any device with an internet connection, PRO Golf allows greenkeepers and course managers to keep track of staffing, working hours, equipment maintenance schedules, irrigation costs, chemical investment, the weather and much more.
Tasks that need completing can be created, assigned to staff, progress tracked, and marked complete, automatically generating full documentation of any action carried out by the team.
The development of PRO Golf, which is a subscription service that a course can buy an annual licence for, is the next stage in realising the full potential of a connected fleet.
Image: PRO Golf workboard example
All John Deere professional turf equipment now arrives with customers equipped to be connected through Operations Center. With PRO Golf activated, the whole daily, weekly and annual activity on a course can be managed and recorded.
“There is a lot for greenkeepers to get their heads around with the pace that technology evolves,” says Chris Meacock, UK Division Sales Manager for Golf and Turf.
“Golf clubs typically make a decision on their machinery package every three, five or seven years, so whatever they choose they need it to deliver value every day it’s working for the lifespan of that deal.
“Equipping your course with the best technology is one of the best ways of unlocking that value. With a connected approach – from the machine to the office – our customers are always working with the latest updates.”
Managing labour
PRO Golf allows managers to easily view, add, and assign jobs for anyone on their team, from any device, anywhere. This replaces the whiteboard in the maintenance shed, sending a schedule of work to an operator’s mobile phone.
Team communication is simplified and up-to-the-minute accurate. Colour coded indicators can even show users when overtime or additional costs are close to being incurred.
Image: Connected on the course
Managing the fleet
Keeping the machinery fleet in perfect working order is of paramount importance to any course, and PRO Golf streamlines workshop operations for mechanics.
From the dashboard, users can easily see the status of all equipment in the fleet, enabling them to schedule maintenance or repairs in a way that managers and operators can plan for downtime.
Pre-loaded maintenance schedules for John Deere equipment are aligned and updated with current factory recommendations so technicians know when servicing is required and what parts are needed.
Engine hours can be drawn from any connected machine’s telematics into the PRO Golf platform. Accurate and up to date hours allow staff to balance usage across the entire fleet, maximising residual values or allowing contract hire terms to be followed.
Parts used on recorded services are automatically removed from inventory upon job completion, and the system is integrated with the John Deere online parts catalogue, allowing the user to find the right parts for the job and order directly from their dealer.
A variety of automated reports provide detailed information on equipment use, availability, and cost of ownership. Customisable fleet management practices can be tailored your operation, and all reports are easily exported to Excel.
Course conditions
PRO Golf also works in tandem with other software which monitors the condition of the course.
It allows for important parameters to be input such as soil moisture, water usage, and speed of the greens. PRO Golf integrates with industry software solutions to automate data entry or manual entries can be made right on the dashboard.
John Deere PRO Golf demonstrations are available throughout the BTME exhibition in Harrogate from 21 to 23 January at stand 222.