Automated dispensing system for the golf course

Reference installation

Golf Club Hostivař, Prague
Golf resort Kunětická Hora
Golf Club Divoká Šárka, Prague
Albatross Golf Resort, Vysoký Újezd
Driving range Jičín

At the beginning of 2006, CodeWare was approached by several golf clubs with a request to use identification technologies. The aim was to streamline the booking system and automate various activities (e.g. entrance to the car park, dispensing of new balls, use of the locker room, etc.). Of course, the image of the golf club, its prestige and last but not least the satisfaction of the members with the services provided also play a role. CodeWare has used its experience from previous installations of various access and ticketing systemsand created a modular system applicable to different customers with different degrees of automation of their own operations. The modular concept enables the delivery of a single component implemented in an existing system(e.g. an automatic ball feeder for a smart card) or a complete solution with hardware and software.

System architecture

The booking system is based on a database server, which is connected to the Internet on one side for the possibility of booking registered servicesm users of the golf club directly from their homes, and on the other side to the hardware infrastructure of the various machines in the golf course.

<table border="0\" cellpadding="0\" cellspacing="0\"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="golf-system" src="/images/static/252_golf-system.jpg" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" /></td> <td style="text-align: justify;">Permanent players use RFID chips or magnetic stripe cards. They can use them to operate doors, turnstiles, barriers, lockers in locker rooms, vending machines, use a chip or card in a gift shop, etc.<br /> <br /> The system allows to introduce new ID chips/cards (customers) into its database, to delete customers automatically after leaving the premises or manually, to modify customer parameterscustomer (name, ID of the card used, ...), assign credits to each customer, which can be spent in the premises for access to individual services or in the shop for the products offered. It is also possible to assign to each customer the time he can spend in the premises (time from-to-do, permanent tickets for a day, a week, ...) with the possibility of charging for any overrun of this time. All these operations can be carried out either at the point of system installation using the Windows application or via the web interface.<br /> A customer established in the system can log in via the Internet and change his/her personal data or rebook for a specific day and time. These bookings are editable by the customer up to a certain time, with the possibility to charge the customer credits for not filling the order.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p> </p> <h2>Technology</h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">Various types of identification technologies can be used and combined with each other on the premises. In the picture below on the left you can see a golf ball dispensing machine equipped with a barcode scanner. The picture on the right shows the same type of machine, but a set of golf balls is dispensed by attaching a contactless card with an RFID chip.</p> <table border="0\" cellpadding="0\" cellspacing="0\">

Are you a member of a golf club ...

What does it actually look like if you are a member of such an equipped golf club?

You've just had a call from a friend and you've decided that you'd like to play in about two weeks. Your computer is already on, so you open your golf club's website during the call and log in using the card you have. They have free capacity on Saturdays from 11am to 3pm - that's great! You reserve parking, locker room, balls and lanes for 4 people. You bring your son and your friend goes with his wife. In the evening you will still transfer some money from the bank to your account at the golf club. You've noticed that you'd probably have to make a cash payment after the game.

On Saturday, you drive your car. The barrier at the club parking lot lifts as soon as you attach your membership card. There's bound to be a space, you've booked a parking space from home. You go straight from the car to the locker room, you don't have to stop at the ticket office to get your ticket. The entrance turnstile lets you in with no problem after you've swiped your card. By the way, it's a card with an RFID chip, so you don't even have to look for it among the documents. You simply attach your entire wallet to the scanner. In the locker room, you use any available locker and lock it again with your card. You'll get a set of balls from the machine, stop at the cafeteria for some snacks, and head to the course.
You're a little tired in the afternoon after your game, so you sit in the clubhouse restaurant for a while with a beer and juice before heading home.

You haven't needed cash or a credit card all day. All you needed was your club card with the RFID chip. Need a tax receipt, a receipt? You can print it out at home, including a detailed breakdown of the services used and goods purchased.