DEACON R27 Release Notes
The USGA Green Section is pleased to announce our latest update to the DEACON management system launched on Monday August 11, 2025. DEACON R27 includes major updates for user management, surface boundaries, mapping visualization, and more. Here is a summary of the updates:
Revamped User Management & Permissions
Your organization administrator can customize which DEACON features each of your users have access to. For more information, view https://gsshop.usga.org/hc/getting-started/deacon/account-permissions.
Measurements on Unmapped Surfaces
More flexibility in the field. You can now record roll, drop, and soil measurements even on areas that haven’t been mapped, using a catch-all "Other Surface" on the course.
GPS Location Improvements
We learned that GPS location drift could move a soil test reading taken on the putting surface boundary edge into another surface (Example: approach or fairway). The update allows for a 10-yard buffer zone that will ensure all your tests stay on the intended surface. The first test must be successfully recorded on the selected surface for the buffer to work.
Moisture Maps (DEACON Web)
Moisture maps are now available on DEACON web. View your soil test readings on a particular day or a custom date range. You can also compare up to three different test sessions to understand your trends. Each map will have color coded pins based on the target ranges set in DEACON web (Course Operations -> Course Targets.) Hover over the pins to see values.
Set target ranges:
View moisture map:
Compare up to three sessions:
Moisture Pin Color Changes
Moisture map pin colors have been updated to be more intuitive. Pin colors are determined by the target ranges you set in DEACON. Blue = Too Wet, Green = In Target, and Red = Too Dry. Also in target will display as green for all metrics, beyond moisture.
Independent Widget Loading
Recently, the DEACON iOS app was down for a few hours due to an issue with the data received from our weather provider. Now, even if weather or a different app is experiencing issues, the rest of the app will function.
We encourage you to discover all the changes in DEACON R27. Please contact greensection@usga.org with any questions or comments.