One of the most valuable tools a golf course owner can use is the financial benchmarking tool produced by Golf Datatech for the NGCOA and in cooperation with the PGA.  The product is called  PGA Performance Trak.   The Performance Trak includes more than 40 reports, a few of them being revenue by department, operational expenses, maintenance costs, capital expenditures, and staffing levels.

On January 19, 2008, at the PGA Merchandise Show, each of the software vendors was requested to attend a presentation hosted by the PGA.  The intent was to get each software vendor to voluntarily export clients' financial information to expand the depth and breath of the PGA performance tracking system.

Such a request was valid.  While the national statistics are good, because of lackluster participtation by some, the state and local statistics are insufficient to draw meaningful conclusions.  Of 482 PGA Professionals in Michigan, for example, only 82 participate in Performance Trak.  Another example is Minnesota.  Only 65 of that state's 435 PGA professional participate.

Unfortunately, the PGA representatives were soundly rebuffed by the software vendors.  Why?  It is simply a lack of trust.  The software vendors don't trust the motives of the PGA.

Just as Turner Sports was naive in 2000 thinking that software vendors would provide access to their clients' tee sheets for free, the PGA thinking is also misguided.

Stuart Healey, President of Handicomp, stated that 20 years ago the USGA asked that software vendors participate in a research project that the Association was undertaking. Shortly thereafter, the USGA launched its competitive software product, GHIN. 

Harry Ipema, President of Fore Reservations, commented that his sole focus is responding to the requested needs of his clients.  None of his more than 1,400 customers have requested that he participate with the PGA.

For the PGA to achieve is noteworthy objectives, the following will have to occur:

1)  The PGA will have to enter into NDA and non-compete agreements with each software vendor.

2)  The PGA will have to pay each software vendor upwards of $10,000 in programming costs to create the interface.

3)  The PGA will have to pay each software vendor $2,000 in annual support costs to keep the software interface integrated.

While the investment will cost the PGA more than $250,000, no money could be better spent in 2008 than money spent to expand the great capabilities and potential of PGA Performance Trak.