With a typical 18 hole golf course covering 100 acres, everyday communications between teaching professionals, pro-shop staff, course managers, greenkeepers, maintenance staff, irrigation experts, caddies and timekeepers can often be both costly and time consuming especially if mobile phones are used.
By contrast, Walkie Talkies allow staff to communicate instantly and effectively, saving costs, improving efficiency, ensuring resources are mobile and available where needed to ultimately deliver a better experience to players.
The beauty of two way radio communications is that once you have received your license to operate, all communications between users are instant and free save the cost of the equipment; these are just two examples from a wide range of benefits that two way radio communications provide to golf club management.
With the advent of trunked digital two-way radio systems, this ability to communicate by voice and data has been significantly improved in terms of quality, range, security and enhanced functionality.
Lets look at some other benefits in more detail
Management of Health, Safety & Security
Faster more effective response to emergency situations such as illness and injuries on-course.
Warn players and staff of the risk of storms and lightning.
Provide on-course staff with ability to report security issues.
Feedback on course condition
Respond instantly to player feedback on the condition of the course.
Reporting breaches of course etiquette
Allows staff on course to report to club management on breaches of club rules and etiquette.
Improved Tournament Management
Instantly connects tournament management with timekeepers, the pro-shop/player registration desk, practice area, car parks, referees, marshals, officials, caddies and other on-course staff.
Managing pro shop resources
Ensuring teaching professionals are kept updated on arrivals, caddies are organised, carts are available and players equipment is to hand.
Increased sales
Improve stock availability on beverage carts, at on-course catering outlets and pro shop.
Improved player experience
The seamless management of players from arrival at the club, through the pro-shop, during play and at the clubhouse.
Equipment selection
Having established the range of benefits that two-way radios can offer a golf club, the next consideration is the selection of equipment.
Given the large area and topography of golf courses, a number of factors come into play.
First, is there a requirement for Walkie Talkie communications to cover every part of the course including inside buildings and for different user groups to have their own channels?
Analogue two way radios have been in use for many years and while the functionality of analogue equipment has improved the technology has inherent limitations:
Analogue or Digital two way radio. Which is better?
Rather than describe any shortcomings of licensed or license-free analogue two way radio, which will in any case only be relative to specific applications and circumstances, the table below details some of the advantages of the Kenwood NEXEDGE digital two way radio system to illustrate the extended benefits of digital technology, especially if you are an existing analogue user:
Increased range
Digital transmission provides a stronger signal at the extremities, giving a much greater usable range.
Improved speech quality
The AMBE+2 Vocoder employed by NEXEDGE is a state-of-the-art voice compression digitization technology that offers superior clarity at varying signal strengths. This reduces the number of lost or misinterpreted calls caused by the effects of external background noises including environmental noise levels especially important in windy conditions.
Increased security
Improved security against eavesdropping via NXDN digital air interface. NEXEDGE also includes NXDN voice and data scrambling for security against external threats while providing confidentiality within the same system and talk group.
Reduced bandwidth consumption
All NEXEDGE equipment operates on 25 & 12.5 kHz in analogue mode and 12.5 & 6.25 kHz in NXDN digital modes effectively doubling or quadrupling the number of channels available.
Direct calling
Set up your NEXEDGE system to allow radios to call each other directly, without other radios hearing or being aware of the conversation.
Text Messaging
NEXEDGE radios can be used to compose and send short text messages using the keypad (or select from a list of pre-programmed messages).
Feature rich
A NEXEDGE system can be configured to provide GPS tracking, lone worker security, over the air programming, remote kill/stun, man down and radio to telephone integration.
Extended battery life
NEXEDGE hand portable radios/walkie talkies offer low power consumption compared to analogue radios, important for all day golf tournaments.
Digital/Analogue Mixed Mode
Unlike most other digital radios, NEXEDGE Digital Two-Way walkie-talkies feature an Analogue/Digital Mixed Mode which allows them to communicate automatically with any existing analogue radios whatever the make; providing a straightforward and economical way to use existing radios while migrating to the benefits of digital without compromising service quality and reliability.
Future Proof
NEXEDGE digital two way radio systems are designed to grow with your requirements starting with hand-portable walkie-talkies and mobile units for one to one communications with the ability to scale the system up to a trunked networks able to accommodate large user groups spread over wider areas.
Durability
All NEXEDGE hand portable walkie talkies conform to US MIL-STD-810 C/D/E/F/G for ruggedness and durability and are IP54/55 Water & Dust Intrusion rated, making them ideal for operation in open and harsh environments.
Discrete operation
You can connect a discrete microphone and earphone accessory to any NEXEDGE hand portable radios/walkie talkie so transmissions cannot be heard by others, important while on-course during a golf tournament. NEXEDGE hand portable radios are also small and light making them easy to carry or keep hidden out of view.
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