2019 Yearbook.indd

12 | COMMUNICATIONS T he past year was a busy one for the Iowa Golf Association, informing and communicating with members regarding topics from rule changes in 2019, tournament results, and upcoming World Handicap information to name just a few. The IGA is committed to continue to be the ‘go to’ source of information for the game of golf in the state. The IGA saw an increase of over 22,000 visits and 74,000 more pageviews (652,000+ overall!) to the website in 2019 compared to 2018. From the feature articles, live scoring from championships and other crucial information it goes without saying iowagolf. org was the place to be in 2019 for golf news. If you haven’t perused around the site, take a few minutes when you have time and dig a little deeper – you might just find a nugget of information that you didn’t know before! Social media is another tool the IGA uses to relay information, updates and news to not only members, but world-wide! The IGA continues to grow on Facebook (over 2,100 following) and Twitter (over 2,500 following). If you haven’t already, be sure to follow the IGA on social media to stay updated on announcements, news and other information. The GHIN mobile app on your phone, that many use to track your handicap, continues to see more and more use year after year. In 2019 the app saw over 512,000 visits and just over 140,000 rounds posted. In 2020, as you many of you have heard about from the IGA, a new GHIN mobile app, which features more capabilities than the previous app, is now available and coincides with the launch of the World Handicap System. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2020, the World Handicap System (WHS) brought six different handicap systems together into a single set of Rules for Handicapping, enabling golfers of different abilities to play and compete on a fair and equal basis, no matter how or where they play. The IGA Communication Committee was again honored in 2019 to recommend the recipients of IGA Annual Awards in the six different categories to the IGA Board of Directors, which were approved in November. You can view the winners later in this yearbook. We are excited for what is to come in 2020. We have a lot on our plate with communications regarding the World Handicap System, our championship and qualifier schedule, continuing to promote the GOLDEN HARVEST book, and all the other programs and services we offer. If you haven't already, we encourage you to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well as make iowagolf. org a frequent stop on your internet travels. We usually have a new story up every day. Here's to great golf in 2020! TOM NEWBANKS, COMMITTEE CHAIR