When golf’s top amateurs from the U.S., Great Britain and Ireland compete for the Walker Cup this weekend at the venerable Merion Golf Club, they’ll be doing so atop turf that’s “greener” than ever.  In this case, though, green will actually mean firm and fast thanks to a new soil monitoring technology called UgMO.

Short for underground monitoring, UgMO is a system of wireless soil sensors, above-ground wireless devices and highly intuitive software that provides golf course superintendents with precise data on moisture, temperature and salinity (salt).  Armed with this information in real-time, 24/7, superintendents are saving water, optimizing turf playability and conserving resources. 

“The golf industry has grappled with how to take the guesswork out of irrigation practices since the age of Old Tom Morris,” said Walt Norley, founder and CEO of Advanced Sensor Technology, developers of UgMO.  “Traditionally, knowing when and how much to water was more art than science.  Now, UGMO is changing that, and superintendents are telling us that the data is surprising them and impacting their methods and timing for irrigation, flushing and other practices.  It’s saving them water, and it’s saving them money,” he said. 

Since UgMO’s introduction to the golf world in February, the technology has been installed on more than 50 golf courses and sports facilities coast to coast.  The system consists of three parts:

For some clubs, like Merion, which started testing UgMO at the 2005 U.S. Amateur, it’s all about playability.  For others – especially in drought-stricken states like California and Florida – it’s absolutely about saving water and the costs associated with pumping it, as well as the environmental benefits of minimizing the use of and run off from fertilizers, pesticides and other additives.  The technology is showing water savings of up to 25% on these properties.

UgMO is gaining fans and users across the country; however, one of the technology’s biggest champions is golf’s winningest international champion, Gary Player.  An environmental advocate, himself, Gary joined UgMO as an investor after learning of the technology’s capabilities, and the eco-significance of UgMO’s intelligent software.

“This is no ordinary technology,” Player has said.  “This is must-have, breakthrough, environmental technology that gives golf course superintendents, property owners, architects, designers and others in this business the information that’s always been missing, creating a return on investment and, what’s more, protecting the earth’s most precious resource – water.  That’s something we all must invest in,” he said.

About Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc. (AST)
Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc. (AST) is a national environmental technology company with research and development offices in San Diego. AST designs, manufactures and markets innovative, wireless soil sensor systems and software.  This hardware, software and intuitive technology allow users to measure soil conditions in the rootzone on a real-time basis.  The results include: less water used, fewer fertilizers and pesticides applied, less stress on supplies of critical natural resources like water and energy, and dramatic cost benefits for users.  For more information, visit UgMO.com.