OCEAN CITY — Another casualty in the Town of Ocean City’s budget deliberations could be the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) on the golf carts at Eagle’s Landing, but there is some sentiment for keeping the devices slowly declining in popularity.
During a budget work session on Wednesday covering Eagle’s Landing, the town’s municipal golf course in West Ocean City, a debate started over the validity of keeping the GPS systems on the golf carts at a lease price of $25,000. The GPS devices on the carts allow golfers to track distances to the hole, hole layouts and other pertinent information, but they are slowly becoming obsolete because so many golfers are now relying on cell phone apps for the same information. On Wednesday, Mayor Rick Meehan questioned the validity of keeping the GPS systems on the golf carts.
“Isn’t it time to let that go?” he said. “Not many courses in the area are offering GPS on their carts anymore. Don’t a lot of golfers have apps on their phones and devices that let them figure out distances and things like that. It seems like more and more people are using their phones for that and this could be an area where we could save that $25,000.”
Eagle’s Landing PGA Professional Bob Croll agreed more golfers are using phone apps for GPS information, but explained the GPS devices on the carts are used for other purposes at the course.
“It does help us manage the course,” he said. “We can see all of the carts on the course and we can manage the pace of play. It isn’t just a $25,000 expense without any return. We can monitor where everybody is.”
Eagle’s Landing Superintendent Joe Perry said the course could do without GPS on the carts, but said they have other purposes beyond directing golfers around the course.
“We’ve talked about ways to go without it,” he said. “We can figure out ways to manage. We do use it to get messages out to the carts about conditions, staying on the cart path, specials in our dining facilities things like that.”
While some advocated for eliminating the GPS system and cutting the $25,000 from the golf course’s budget, Councilman Dennis Dare said it was a worthwhile investment for the return. He pointed out many of the course’s golfers might be playing it for the first time or maybe just a couple times a year.
“I think it’s an integral part of being a resort-quality golf course,” he said. “Many of the players come out to Eagle’s Landing just a couple of times a year and they use the GPS system. Speed of play is so important, especially during peak times.”
Dare also said the GPS phone apps don’t provide the same level of service for the most part.
“I’ve tried the GPS app on my phone and it doesn’t work,” he said. “It works for about six holes and then your battery is dead. They really drain phone batteries.”
Croll explained the company from which the GPS devices are leased are slowly phasing them out and they would likely stop producing them in the near future. He suggested that might be the time to get rid of GPS on the carts.
“The system isn’t made any more and eventually it will go out of service when there aren’t enough systems for the number of course that are using them,” he said. “That would be a day to consider dropping it. We’ve held onto it because we do get a lot of value out of what we use it for.”
However, he also said Eagle’s Landing could survive without them.
“If it came down to making the budget or not, I’d get rid of it,” he said. “If I needed $25,000 to balance our budget, that’s the first thing that would go.”
Councilman John Gehrig suggested the Eagle’s Landing officials go back with a counter-offer to the GPS company to see if they would come down on the price, especially since the systems are going to be phased out eventually.
“If it isn’t supported and since there is very little cost for them to maintain and operate it, maybe they would consider coming down to $12,000 or even $15,000,” he said. “All of the benefits of it are real. If it helps manage the pace of play, that makes revenue for the course.”
Councilman Tony DeLuca referenced Eagle’s Landing recent ranking as the number one course in Maryland by Golf Advisor.
“I really think it’s about customer convenience,” he said. “Are people really using it compared to phone apps? I think it’s very inconvenient to use a phone app when there is GPS on the cart. You have your club, your glove, your tee and maybe a beer in your hand, and now you’re going to have to use your phone? If there is value on the revenue side and there is a customer service value, it might be worth keeping. You just got named number-one in the state and there is an expectation that comes with that.”
Council Secretary Mary Knight, an admitted non-golfer, also questioned if players at Eagle’s Landing expected to have the GPS system on the carts and also referenced the recent number-one ranking.
“You were rated number one for customer service and pace of play,” she said. “Do the other courses on the list have GPS on the carts? I’d hate to lose that because we took away something for $25,000.”
The council advised Croll and Perry to go back to the GPS provider and attempt to negotiate a lower price and revisit the issue during budget wrap-up sessions.
