Gene, No, we wouldn't even have to change the search engine. As it is now, I believe you enter a Race Name in one field in the db. You then enter the Cert Number in another field. This ties the two together, so if I search for "Dam Run 5k", up pops the map for "CO11003DCR". If we keep a course name or race name off the map, the map shows as the map for "CO11003DCR". No possession indicated on the map. The cert does, however, show who paid for the certification.
Then, someone else wants to use the same course. They go into a new form on the USATF site, and enter their Race Name (Nuther Run 5k), and the cert number of the course they want to use, which in this case would be "CO11003DCR". Now, when someone enters either "Dam Run 5k" or "Nuther Run 5k" in the search engine, the map for CO11003DCR pops up. No race name, so runners aren't confused by seeing "Dam Run" on the map, if they searched for "Nuther Run". The cert may have to be modified just a bit, to indicate the race that the course was "Originally certified for".
If someone entered "CO11003DCR" as the cert number they are looking for (since it was advertised in both the Dam Run and Nuther Run brochures and Web sites), they see the map with that cert number on it. Again, no confusion, if we change the cert verbiage.
The downsides to this, as I see it, are that anyone can enter a race name and cert combination, and it goes into the db. How many people are going to enter bogus info? Not many, I hope. Or, a race director enters the wrong cert number, either through fat-finger, or they had the wrong cert number to begin with. Who does the maintenance?
I do see push-back initially from race directors, as "I paid for it, I want my name on it". But, we are certifying a course, not a race. A course really can be identified only by its number, I think. Having their race name on a map does not stop someone else from using a course. We can have a prominent blurb on the entry form along the lines of "Someone else paid for this course to be certified. See the certificate, and drop them an email, so you can make a contribution to offset their expense."