Robots on the Horizon?
As technology continues to evolve, professionals are also seeing advancements in robotics. At Greenbrier, Williams is eyeing robotic mowers and range pickers as the next wave of efficiency.
“We’ve demoed a few. I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but it’s coming,” he says. “Imagine showing up to a range that’s already picked or a fairway that’s perfectly mowed by a lightweight, autonomous unit. That’s the future. I don’t know if it’s months or years, but technology like this has my attention.
“Technology is a big part of the future of our industry on the golf course maintenance side, and it could save us a lot of labor – it’s fascinating to think about a robotic mower cutting perfect GPS-straight lines down the middle of the fairway without worrying about a staff member getting hit by a golf ball, or a group having a bad experience because they’re waiting for a piece of equipment to leave the hitting area. The thought of coming in and having all that maintenance done is incredible.”
Scott says more humanlike robots are expected to be available to employers in the years to come. It sounds like a sci-fi movie plot, but golf courses could have robots doing much more than mowing within the next decade.
“Right now we’re getting used to having robots in our operations, like the robots I see picking the range outside the PGA of America Learning Center powered by T-Mobile,” Scott says. “And those robots look like the things they’re replacing: the mowers and range pickers look like mowers and range pickers.
“The next generation are going to be more person-shaped. The prototypes generally look like humans with heads and limbs, and are capable of lifting heavy things or doing intricate tasks.”
Scott believes there will eventually be robots that can be trained to do a number of tasks at a golf course, such as staging golf cars, setting up for events and other physical tasks. Robotics experts project a price in the range of $30,000-$80,000 per humanoid robot when they become available in the years to come.
“At that price point there will be some real decision-making for PGA of America Golf Professionals in all three career paths – and all industries – about how to best take advantage of the technology,” Scott says. “What is that going to do to staffing? Also, what could it do to quality of life for the people who are on your staff? Could they sleep in 30 minutes later? Could they be doing something more stimulating and fulfilling?
“It’s very interesting to think about these things, and in real time we’re watching companies like Amazon start to deploy robots in their workforce. I think PGA of America Professionals will be able to look at this as a way to claw back more time for them and their staff members to focus on the golf experience for their customers, and it’s something we’ll all be thinking about a lot in the next few years.”
GPS tracking, automated lesson scheduling through apps like PGA Coach, and food & beverage ordering through mobile apps are already part of the daily workflow. Some golf professionals are even exploring beacon technology to alert staff when key members arrive on property.
All these tools, Williams says, add up to a better member experience – and more bandwidth for professionals to lead, teach and grow their business.
For professionals who are new to AI and tech, the advice is unanimous: just start.
“Pick one platform and go deep when you try AI,” Williams advises. “Let it learn your voice and your style. That’s when it gets really useful. And always have a human in the loop – it’s your name at the bottom, after all.”
Scott agrees. “Ask it to write a lesson plan, a thank-you note or a social media caption. Once you see what it can do, you’ll wonder how you worked without it.”
The tools are already here. The need for better efficiency, performance and quality of life isn’t going away. PGA of America Golf Professionals have the chance to step into that future – and remain the leaders in the game and business of golf.