Golf is an individual game. Data helps the USGA know each individual.
The USGA Unified Data Platform is designed to streamline data access and helps deliver more valuable, personalized and impactful interactions with those who live the game.
THE SITUATION
The United States Golf Association (USGA) views data in its many forms as a reflection of how people live the game. Data underpins the Handicap Index®, which is what golfers around the world use to manage their gameplay. Data comes from courses where new golfers learn the rules of the sport and experienced players compete in qualifying tournaments. Data is also collected in areas such as event attendance, digital engagement and merchandise sales.
Behind all this information are people: USGA members, players, employees, fans, donors, golf course superintendents and the broader golf community. And in data, as in life, people are multidimensional. Someone might be a handicap index holder, a ticket purchaser, a donor and a merchandise buyer.
USGA leadership recognized the importance of communicating with that person authentically, in one voice rather than many. But without a single platform, it could be challenging for USGA employees to access and reconcile information available from so many disparate sources and in different formats. The organization lacked a unified view of its data and a clear understanding of its audiences’ multidimensional connections to the USGA to help it create smoother, more engaging experiences.
Legacy data management systems used tools that made sense at the time they were created, but technology and consumer expectations have continuously evolved. USGA leaders want every individual, no matter which category (or categories) they fall into or what level of play they’ve reached, to feel connected to something bigger than a game. Leaders believed uniting the USGA’s fragmented data sources could help the organization deepen its relationships across the golf community, deliver more personalized experiences, and enable fans to become more connected to the game.
Through its longstanding relationship with Deloitte, the USGA wanted to explore how a unified data platform (UDP) could provide a foundation for harnessing the power of data together. The USGA saw that unifying its fragmented data sources in a single ecosystem could provide a clearer picture of its audiences and their interactions with the game. A UDP could deepen the USGA’s connections with its constituents and help unlock value through analytics. Once built, the UDP could position the USGA to grow its database of golfers and fans, increase membership and drive deeper engagement.
HOW DO DOZENS OF DATA SOURCES BECOME ONE CLEAR READ?
THE SOLVE
Deloitte understood the USGA’s aspirations were focused on the people behind the data. What data did various USGA teams ultimately need to create a unique identity for a constituent, understand who they are as an individual, and deliver a personalized experience that resonates with them? And how could USGA employees then create that experience, smoothly and at scale?
Using the Deloitte IndustryAdvantage™ approach, Deloitte helped the USGA break down the approach. Together, they refined an upfront strategy and vision for a customized data solution that could equip the USGA with tools for enhancing fan engagement, increasing lifetime value, and decreasing customer/member acquisition costs. They also looked deeper to identify how the solution could scale and evolve to support the USGA’s aspirations for the future.
Deloitte’s multidisciplinary team brought more than a decade of experience helping retail and consumer companies connect with customers. The global team comprised product managers, engineers and specialists in data matching, identity resolution, cloud technologies, advertising, marketing and AI engineering.
When the work began, the USGA’s data existed in 49 different data sources from 15 disparate systems—from modern databases to local spreadsheets. Cross-departmental collaboration was essential for building trust that data would be managed optimally.
Once the data was consolidated into a custom data lake, the USGA’s data needed to be catalogued to identify what data could be useful versus what could be extraneous. This informed a data model—a central repository with common fields across systems enabling standardized records, each with a unique Unified Data Platform ID.
The identity resolution process was facilitated by Deloitte’s AI and engineering specialists, who helped identify duplicate data records and establish hierarchies to help the system determine the most accurate, current record.
Stitched together, the result was a unique, unified view of each fan.
To support impactful two-way engagement, Deloitte helped the USGA explore how it could unlock insights from its data and use it to fuel decision-making that can amplify its voice and impact in the market.
Together, they defined personas that included fans, players and business partners. This enables the USGA to create segments and deliver targeted messaging so members and fans can access the information they want and need and discover new experiences, whether that’s tickets, merchandise or expert information.
BETTER MANAGEMENT OF DATA CAN DRIVE BETTER AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
THE IMPACT
“Personalization” at scale means having the ability to deliver the optimal message in the optimal channel at the best possible time. But first, you need to know your audience, and the UDP gives the USGA that capability across millions of individuals.
More than 48 million people played golf last year, a number growing over the past decade,¹ especially among women, people of color and younger audiences. The UDP establishes a single consolidated system for data that can connect the USGA to the expanding community of people who play and love the game.
“The UDP can really help us reach those audiences and continue to build those relationships to continue our growth into the future,” says Amanda Weiner, Managing Director of Global Media and Ticketing for the USGA.
USGA employees have gained a current and unified view of golfers, fans, members and donors. Through a deeper understanding of the people who live the game and all the ways they choose to participate, the USGA can make more informed decisions and explore new ways to communicate authentically to a growing ecosystem—and drive increased participation in the sport.
The UDP can also enable the USGA to measure engagement and adjust as needed to drive greater impact. Deloitte has been alongside the USGA and the journey has progressed from helping develop top-level strategies to ideating, innovating and building modern technologies together that endure and evolve as the game continues to change.
With the UDP, the USGA has taken an important step in the 132-year-old organization’s journey toward modernization and its next 100 years. With the UDP built, the USGA has established a strong underlying data foundation ready to evolve with AI, emerging technologies, and the USGA itself.
HITTING THE SWEET SPOT WHERE UNIFIED DATA AND DEEPER INSIGHTS CONVERGE
¹ Short Game, "Golf's Growth Era – The Road to 50 Million Golfers," National Golf Foundation, May 6, 2026.
Chad Deweese
