Master of Science

Title: Selected performance indicators of professional golf players. Objectives: The aim is to identify and describe the functional characteristics of elite golf players on the selected parameters of a body composition, a postural stability and a grip strength. Methods: The theoretical part has been processed on the basis of literature search. Participants were professional golf players and coaches (n = 36). Parameters of body composition were measured by the In Body 3.0 and the Datainput BIA 2000, the postural stability was measured by the pressure plate Footscan and the grip strength was measured by the hand dynamometer T.K.K. 5401. Results: In selected parameters of body composition and postural stability achieve elite golfer's good results. Especially in the parameters body mass index (BMI) and % fat came good to excellent results. The grip strength of hand located below on the "grip" is larger than the strength of hand located above on the "grip". The relation between game performance (level of HCP) and selected parameters was not confirmed. Only a slight relation between the HCP and the handgrip strength of hand based above on the "grip" were found. Keywords: Golf, performance, body composition, postural stability, grip strength.

To provide the average golfer with more consistent results, manufacturers have continued to improve the available equipment. This has led to larger club-heads, with larger ?sweet spots?, different shaft thickness for different swing styles, and the use of advanced materials, such as graphite and titanium, for the construction. The development of improved equipment, which utilizes advanced materials, has spurred the need for advanced scientific analysis using a variety of techniques. Among the most prevalent of these methods are finite element analysis and experimental modal analysis, and use of these techniques in examining a golf club is the focus of this research. The primary goals of this work are the development and correlation of an appropriate finite element model, the characterization of the hands-free boundary condition and the examination of the club golf dynamic response. To accomplish these objectives, the physical parameters of the golf club are determined to develop the finite element model. The analysis of natural frequencies and mode shapes correlate well with the results extracted from experimental modal analysis for the free-free and clamped-free boundary conditions. With the correlation established, a third boundary condition, hands-free, is tested experimentally to ascertain the effects of the golfer?s grip on the boundary conditions. With the FEA model confirmed, a nonlinear dynamic response of the club during the down-swing is investigated using the nonlinear solver in Algor, and the club-head position relative to the shaft is predicted. / Master of Science

Previous work has systematically and numerically demonstrated feasibility and performance benefits of the tension-element concept in golf club heads; however, higher fidelity models needed to be created and validated for this concept. There is a need for more accurate models for this concept to further investigate its performance benefits. Performance is measured in terms of impact efficiency of the ball and head and is referred to as coefficient of restitution (COR). COR is affected by the dynamic effective face stiffness and mass properties of the club. This thesis creates and validates high-fidelity, non-linear, dynamic finite element models for the tension-element golf club concept. These models predicted COR with less than one percent error when compared to dynamic experimentation results.

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Umeå Golfklubb har som målsättning att vara en fossilfri golfanläggning till 2030. Det medföra stora förändringar gällande maskiner, investeringar och kostnader med denna ändring. Genom omvandling till fossilfritt hoppas Umeå Golfklubb kunna bli en bättre plats för anställda och golfare, samt minska risken för föroreningar i naturen på golfanläggningen, i hänsyn till globala målen. Syftet är att undersöka ifall det går att driva en golfanläggning med enbart elektriska maskiner och hur utveckling ser ut kommande år för dessa maskiner. Samt vilka krav som ställs på dessa maskiner för bibehållen bankvalité.  Rapporten undersöker prestandaskillnader mellan elektriska och dagens fossildrivna maskiner. Från hydraulik, bladmaterial och automatiserade robotar till batterikapacitet och solenergi. Rapporten tar upp ett specifikt företag inom varje kategori maskin och undersöker utvecklingen av de elektriska maskinerna idag samt kommande år hos dem. Undersöker hur automatiserade robotgräsklippare kan klippa fairway, semiruff och ruff, antal robotgräsklippare som behövs, klippschema för varje robot och ifall det finns ekonomiska fördelar. Rapporten tar även upp entreprenadmaskiner som är aktuella för klubben.  Resultatet visar att en stor del av klipparna går att byta ut till elektriska, detta med förbättrad bankvalité. Fairway, semiruff och ruff kan klippas med robotgräsklippare som kan justera klipphöjden automatiskt. Robotgräsklippare kan klippa stora delar av anläggningen under natten. Genom nattklippning, störs medlemmar och gäster mindre av banpersonal, samtidigt som banpersonalen riskerar i mindre utsträckning att träffas av golfbollar. De elektriska maskinerna kommer kunna drivas av anläggningens egenproducerade el via solceller. Hela anläggningen kommer därmed inte kunna drivas med egenproducerad el, om man tittar på hela året. Rapporten visar att byta till elektrisk maskinpark troligen kommer att bli en positiv investering, både för ekonomin och bankvalitén. De positiva delarna för ekonomin är lägre servicekostnader, mindre personal behövs, lägre driftkostnader samt möjligheten att sälja solenergi vid överproduktion.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / William P. Winslow III / Sand bunkers serve multiple roles as components in the game of golf and golf course design. Bunkers began on early Scottish linksland courses as natural areas of exposed sand. However, as golf has grown since those early beginnings centuries ago, bunkers have become designed, constructed and maintained elements of the course. Significant resources are now used to build and maintain bunkers, in some cases more than are used on greens. As economic factors cause those in the golf business to search for opportunities to be more efficient, bunker maintenance and management plays a key role. This study identifies and analyzes the factors that are most important to bunker design, maintenance and management. It also examines the bunker design – management relationship and the impacts that bunker design decisions have on golf course management. A survey questionnaire targeted toward golf course designers and golf course superintendents was used to obtain opinions and statistical data pertaining to the study. A total of 109 completed surveys were returned. Survey responses were used to determine: 1. The importance of bunkers 2. Bunkers’ roles and characteristics 3. The most important factors related to bunker design and maintenance 4. The reasoning behind undertaking bunker modification projects 5. The degree of involvement among parties involved in bunker design and construction. Additional analysis was undertaken to determine potentially important differences or disconnects between the responses of the two survey groups – golf course architects and superintendents. Survey results and analysis indicate that the primary roles of bunkers are intended for player strategy and course aesthetics. The most important factors in bunker design and construction are their; location, visual appearance, drainage and structural quality, all of which directly impact a bunker’s overall maintainability. The results of the study and literature review show that the bunker design – management relationship appears to play a significant role in the playability and continued quality of bunkers over the long term. Issues that arise related to bunker maintenance and management can often be traced back to less than thoughtful decisions or actions made during design and construction. Conclusions are also presented regarding limitations of the study and potential areas for future related research. Additional exploration regarding the specifics of bunker design, construction and maintenance, as well as the associated resource expenditures, would be of relevance to professionals practicing in golf course architecture and maintenance. Future research also might focus on golf course components beyond bunkers using methodology similar to that set forth in this study.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / AENGLISH ABSTRACT: With the advent of the internet a few years ago many online communities have been formed from traditional communities. The ability of a traditional community to transform into an online community depends on the type of interaction that is required by that particular community. Based on the arguments of various critics of the online community, this study will focus on the feasibility of transforming the golfing fraternity from a traditional to an online community. The study project therefore proposes to understand online communities as a subset within the general concept of community. It will be determined if the golfing community that currently falls into the traditional framework is open to create itself into a modern online community. The characteristics of traditional communities include bonding, sharing of information and other items of common interest which is similar for online communities. It is within this objective that the characteristics of online communities and the relationship between traditional and modern communities will be discussed. The first phase was to develop a questionnaire based on desirability and expectations of an online golfing community and for the purposes of this study, the research population comprised of the registered golf members of golf clubs in the Western Province Golf Union (WPGU) in the Western Cape. Furthermore there is within the Western Cape golfing community, possibly scope for a universal understanding of this community as a whole. Golfing communities can be defined through their unique characteristics. Golf communities are traditional communities that have evolved over time. Since modern communities are no longer constrained by geography the question arises whether, golf which has all the characteristics of a traditional community would be able to migrate to a modern online community. From the empirical study it became evident that the current golf community is open to using the internet to gain information on golf. The potential for the success of an online golfing community especially an interactive one in the future is great as the survey results show that the current membership are open to the idea of an online community.FRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met die koms van die internet 'n paar jaar gelede, is baie aanlyn gemeenskappe vanaf tradisionele gemeenskappe ontwikkel. Die vermoe van tradisionele gemeenskappe om na aanlyn gemeenskappe te verander, is afhanklik van die tipe interaksie wat in daardie spesifieke gemeenskap benodig word. In die lig van 'n literatuurstudie oor die verskillende standpunte oor aanlyn gemeenskappe, is 'n ondersoek gedoen na die aanneemlikheid van die verandering van 'n tradisionele gemeenskap, naamlik die gholf gemeenskap, na 'n aanlyn gemeenskap. Die studie het daarom ten doel om aanlyn gemeenskappe te ondersoek as 'n sub-afdeling van die algemene gemeenskap konsep. Deel van die ondersoek behels die openheid van die gholf gemeenskap, 'n tipiese tradisionele gemeenskap, om 'n moderne virtuele gemeenskap te vorm. Die samestelling van 'n tradisionele gemeenskap beskik oor soortgelyke eienskappe as die van 'n aanlyn gemeenskap soos verbondenheid, die deel van inligting en ander items van gemeenskaplike belang. Dit is die doelwit van hierdie studie om die eienskappe van die aanlyn gemeenskap en die verwantskap tussen tradisionele en aanlyn gemeenskap te bespreek. Die eerste fase, was die ontwikkeling van 'n vraelys met klem op die wenslikheid en behoeftes van 'n aanlyn gholf gemeenskap. Die populasie vir die studie was lede van die Westelike Provinsie Gholf Vereniging (WPGU) in die Wes Kaap. Die data wat ontgin is uit die navorsing van die WPGU kan ook moontlik bydra tot 'n verstaan van die universele gholf gemeenskap in Suid Afrika. Gholf gemeenskappe kan gedefinieer word deur hulle unieke eienskappe. Hulle is tradisionele gemeenskappe wat ontwikkel het deur die jare. Sedert moderne gemeenskappe nie langer geografies beperk is nie moet die vraag gestel word of 'n tradisionele gholf gemeenskap tot 'n moderne aanlyn gemeenskap kan ontwikkel? Uit die literatuurstudie het die duidelik geword dat die huidige gholf gemeenskap oop is vir die gebruik van die internet om inligting oor gholf in te win. In die lig van huidige lede se aanvaarding van aanlyn gemeenskappe lyk die potensiaal en moontlikheid vir die sukses van 'n aanlyn gholf gemeenskap in die toekoms belowend.