The Golf Business Network webinar, “Doing more with less: Technology’s impact on the future of golf operations,” is now available for viewing. Tagmarshal’s CEO and Co-founder, Bodo Sieber, joined by expert guests from EZ Locator, Golf Genius and CaddieNow, share best practices on how technology is creating a positive impact in a new era of how golf operations are managed.

Key points of discussion:

• Is now the time to implement a new system in my operation?
• With a smaller staff, how can I implement technology to provide a better service 
• What level of service will members expect when we reopen? 
• How do we combine technology with tradition to solve problems? 

Watch the presentation here:

To learn more about how Tagmarshal improves the golfer experience, through on-course optimization, watch the free demo here.

Tagmarshal’s CEO and Co-founder, Bodo Sieber, was recently invited to join a panel of experts at the free virtual Golf Inc. Innovation Strategy Conference, where the panel presented on how innovation can reinvigorate your business after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Expert Panel:

• Ken Kosak – General Manager & COO, Belfair 1811
• Bodo – CEO & Co-founder, Tagmarshal
• Lynne Lefond Deluca – Executive Director, Association of Club Catering Professionals
• Kris Strauss – VP of Sale and Marketing, Troon

Key points of discussion: Smarter on-course operations

• Doing more, with less
• Flow of play – safe, tech managed player movement 
• Oversight of on-course operation with actionable data 
• Save costs, maximize revenue 

Watch the presentation here:

The golf industry is very optimistic about the future of golf, as courses prepare to reopen. Operators now have the opportunity to innovate and streamline the processes they use to manage their on-course operations, to ensure player safety and success.

In a recent Tagmarshal webinar poll, 80% of the attendees were positive that they will see more play. When asked “How will your course be adapting to a new world, post Covid-19,” 73% of attendees said they’d be looking to “find ways to work with less touch points and resources.”

Golf Inc. Innovation Strategy Conference

CEO and Co-founder of Tagmarshal, Bodo Sieber, recently attended the Golf Inc. Innovation Strategy Conference,  where he formed part of the Expert panel, discussing the topic: “Tech to the rescue: Using technology to bring customers back.”

The virtual conference aimed to inform golf course operators and industry professionals regarding how the use of technology, can play a crucial part in bringing customers back, and help businesses to rebound after Covid-19.

The timing was perfect – as many clubs that were closed, are now gearing up to reopen, and are busy putting plans in place for the season.

Bodo Sieber presented the “5 Step Plan for Player Safety and Course Success”, which helps operators to streamline processes, assisting them in achieving success this season.

According to players and golf operators these are the key objectives for the season:

• Providing a safe playing environment
• Doing more, with fewer resources

5 Step Plan for Player Safety and Success

Key objective: Providing a safe player environment, while doing more, with less.

1. COMMUNICATION 

Provide a safe environment!

• Define your internal processes and train your staff to be accountable and well versed in why and how. Enforce policies!
• Share with your players what you do to provide a safe environment. (website, mailers, social media, posters) because that is what attracts players to play at your course at the moment.

Refer to tagmarshal.com/SafeGolf for ready to use posters and tips

2. TRACK ALL PLAY

Knowing where people are and using technology to control and manage social distancing, providing accurate data and making sure people are aware of that.

“We are 100% in control of what is happening on the course. On top of optimizing our course flow, we can empower our staff and have objective data to manage and continuously improve our operation.” Kristoff Booth – Alcanada Golf

Below are tips on how, using Tagmarshal, you can establish a safe and no-player-touch handout process and ensure compliance.

Safe, no-player-touch handout (Classic tag & 2Way handheld/cart-based mobile/tablet)

• Pick up device and sanitize (visibly)
• Attach to player bag / pushcart / single rider
• Inform players it is for their safety and to ensure social distancing on the course so that all can be safe and the course is fully compliant with health regulations. 
• Remind them to keep their social distancing gap of 6ft and the interval gap to the group in front. Don’t touch the flagstick, don’t rake bunkers, no handshakes. Enjoy a great round! 
• Ability to set halfway house order reminders
• Retrieve after round

3. MANAGE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND FLOW OF PLAY ACCURATELY AND PROACTIVELY

There are different variables on the course that is why it’s important to have real and accurate data to manage the field. This is where technology can really help, so that you can control these variables well. Visibility – show players what you are doing for them

“Averting player bottlenecks and improving performance with actionable data are testaments to the effectiveness of Tagmarshal technology.” Ben Hoffhein, Westchester CC

Full line of sight: Industry-leading dynamic distance and gap calculation 

Social Distancing Monitor: Clear view of social distances between playing groups and alerts. For more info visit https://tagmarshal.com/new-features/social-distancing-monitor/ 

Live management: To ensure the no1 player priority – A safe playing environment. Script example:

“Hi, I’m here to help everyone stay safe and keep their distance in line with regulations. Can I assist you to get back in position and catch up about 5 minutes?”

Trackmap data to ensure compliance: The system offers group by group and cart by cart track map data and archives all rounds.

4. USE ACTIONABLE DATA TO MANAGE YOUR COURSE PERFORMANCE 

Manage live play, set-ups, holes, bottlenecks, flow risks, intervals, goal times, starter accuracy, staff efficiency. Benchmark and keep improving!

“The system’s actionable data allows our team to be accurate, pre-emptive and proactive in their operational and on-course management.” John Wittemore Advanced Golf Partners

• Efficiency and optimization
• Data for better decision making
• Benchmarking and performance tracking
• Data empowered superintendents drive savings

To facilitate effective and SAFE Field management and to optimize capacity

• Deep Analytics with controls and goal setting
• Tracking of group size/cart usage for detailed reporting
• Dynamic Goaltimes
• Interval optimization

5. COMMUNICATION 

Share results, processes and successes using your data in internal (stakeholders/staff) and external (players) communication because this is what your players will communicate to other players, driving increase in play volume.

• SUCCESS: ie. 300 yards / 9 minutes average distance adhered to by our playing groups this week
• SUCCESS: ie. 100% social distancing success of our playing groups this week
• SUCCESS: ie. 30 effective interactions to ensure player safety and social distance guidelines adherence providing a safer environment this week

For more information regarding how Tagmarshal’s  golf course operations platform, optimises the on-course experience, resulting in improved efficiency, enhanced, safer golfer experiences and additional revenue and cost savings, watch the Demo: www.tagmarshal.com/demo

Tagmarshal, the global leader in golf course optimization and flow of play management, has introduced an innovative feature, the Social Distancing Monitor. This new feature was developed based on years of experience and insights with the release accelerated for the purpose of Social Distancing, due to the immediate need for creating a safe player environment as a result of COVID-19.

Designed to allow golf courses to accurately and proactively manage group distancing and flow of play during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Tagmarshal has made this tool available free of charge to all partners due to the timely need for player safety this season. The tool adds immediate value as most courses opening are operating with reduced resources, needing to do more, with less – while prioritizing player safety.

“The number one priority for golf course operators and PGA professionals is providing a safe playing environment. At the same time, operators this season have less staff and resources available. In an effort to support the industry in this challenging year, the Social Distancing Monitor will be provided immediately to Tagmarshal partners at no additional cost this season,” said Bodo Sieber, Co-Founder and CEO.

Learnings based on tracking over 10 million rounds of golf, as well as insights developed through working closely with several major tournaments, has guided the development of the Social Distancing Monitor. This practical tool will transform courses into safe spaces for players, as well as managing field flow effectively.

The data from the Social Distancing Monitor is tracked and recorded, so that courses can ensure compliance with Social Distancing requirements and also have a record, as proof of compliance, should this be needed as part of Health and Safety checks.

In the mid to long term, this feature will be used as a best in class gap time monitor to ensure the effective management of field flow. This means that with effective, tech-assisted management, courses do not need to increase their tee time intervals – and can avoid the loss of critical capacity and associated loss of revenue and green fees. The effectiveness of the Tagmarshal system is well known with operators routinely and safely adding capacity and revenue on days when it matters-all while optimizing staff efficiencies and management accuracy.

The Social Distancing Monitor is located on the Tagmarshal dashboard and allows operators to ensure there are safe social distances between each group of players. This may be monitored from a remote location such as the golf office or pro shop, as well as on-the-go on a mobile device, as the software dashboard provides full line of sight.

Tagmarshal has long been at the forefront of providing technology that uses data to manage field flow, improves decision-making, real time management, and  optimizes the on-course player experience.

“Averting player bottlenecks and improving performance with actionable data are testaments to the effectiveness of Tagmarshal technology,” said Benjamin Hoffine, Westchester Country Club.

“The system’s actionable data allows our team to be accurate, pre-emptive and proactive in their operational and on course management,” noted John Wittemore of Advanced Golf Partners.

During this critical period, Tagmarshal has continued to offer a specially-designed Season Recovery Program with a six-months no-payment start enabling golf courses, whether private, daily-fee access, resort or municipal facilities, to benefit from the advantages of Tagmarshal’s on-course optimization system. This allows a course to do more, with less resources and touch points, by improving on-course efficiency, providing full oversight and reporting, and data driven management, that results in cost saving. 

A trusted provider to the industry, Tagmarshal has integrations with all leading tee sheets and is in use by 30 of top 100 US clubs as well as over 250 middle of the road clubs, both private and $50 daily green fee facilities – who all aim to optimize for effective processes, increased revenue and savings as well as improved player experiences.

By WE ARE GOLF

5 May 2020

Three-Phase National Framework Aligned with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines

As part of an industry-wide collaboration to lead the responsible return of golf in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the game’s allied organizations have established “Back2Golf,” a plan outlining operational guidelines for golf’s 16,000-plus facilities that adhere to nationally established protocols and best practices.

After review from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), golf leaders and medical experts, the game’s national organizations have adopted a three-phase approach for golf’s careful reopening, focused on prolonged social distancing and enhanced sanitization practices. Using measures set by the CDC and The White House “Guidelines for Opening Up America Again” plan, the recommendations will progress at various paces depending on geographic location.

“The Back2Golf Playbook and Guidelines that the PGA of America and golf’s allied organizations have put together are both comprehensive in nature and, most importantly, layout a responsible way to get back on the golf course,” said Dr. Bradley Connor, clinical professor of medicine at the Weill Cornell Medical College and an attending physician at the New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell campus.

“The guidelines emphasize social distancing and other preventative measures in alignment with the plan established by The White House and CDC. Golf is a terrific recreational outlet that offers a number of physical and mental health benefits.

“While we all must remain vigilant and continue to take precautions, this plan allows golf to be played in keeping with social distancing best practices,” Dr. Connor continued. “I applaud the golf industry for helping to be part of the solution to get us back outdoors in a healthy and responsible manner.”

This industry-wide initiative has been primarily focused on ensuring golf courses that have remained operational or will reopen soon, do so responsibly to protect golfers, employees and all members of the community. Each organization has distributed “Back2Golf Guidelines” and the corresponding “Operations Playbook” to its respective audiences to implement and administer. Updates will be made as interim guidance on COVID-19 is issued by the CDC.

“The importance of social distancing and responsible behavior during this pandemic has become a part of everyone’s daily life,” says Seth Waugh, CEO of PGA of America, whose team took a leadership role in developing Back2Golf.

“Reopening golf responsibly under strict social distancing practices is something we can all unify behind. While we recognize there is no perfect solution and
various areas of the country will progress in these phases at a different pace, it is imperative that we reopen golf in a way that prioritizes the health and well being of the entire golf community.”

Back2Golf is driven by key stakeholders of WE ARE GOLF, a division of the World Golf Foundation created in 2010 to spearhead initiatives on behalf of the game. Organizations include PGA of America, USGA, PGA TOUR, LPGA, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), and Club Management Association of America (CMAA), among others.

“Golf inherently provides many health and fitness benefits, including the opportunity to spend time outdoors with family and friends, which is needed now more than ever,” says Greg McLaughlin, CEO of World Golf Foundation. “It is a sport that naturally lends itself to social distancing and the ‘Back2Golf’ guidelines. We greatly appreciate the collaboration between all the allied golf organizations. It represents another example of our industry coming together for the greater good as our game has done so many times before.”

For more information, please visit www.wearegolf.org/back2golf.

Please share these tips, articles and insights, so that as many people as possible can benefit from #SafeGolf.

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Provide a safe environment for your players with the innovative NEW Social Distancing Monitor

Introducing the world class Social Distancing Monitor, a new tool from Tagmarshal that allows you to accurately and efficiently manage social distancing, creating an environment that is safe for your players.

This new tool was developed based on years of experience, with the release accelerated for the purpose of Social Distancing, due to the immediate need for player safety this season.

Designed to allow golf courses to accurately and proactively manage group distancing and flow of play during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Tagmarshal has made this tool available free of charge to all partners due to the timely need for player safety this season. 

The tool adds immediate value as most courses opening are operating with reduced resources, needing to do more, with less – while prioritizing player safety.

Tagmarshal’s Social Distancing Monitor will ensure:

• Player Safety with optimal safe social distances
• Accurate and Efficient Monitoring
• Social Distancing Reporting & Compliance
• Effective field flow and interval management

Learnings based on tracking over 10 million rounds of golf, as well as insights developed through working closely with several major tournaments, has guided the development of the Social Distancing Monitor. This practical tool will transform courses into safe spaces for players, as well as managing field flow effectively.

“The number one priority for golf course operators and PGA professionals is providing a safe playing environment. At the same time, operators this season have less staff and resources available. In an effort to support the industry in this challenging year, the Social Distancing Monitor will be provided immediately to Tagmarshal partners at no additional cost this season,” said Bodo Sieber, Co-Founder and CEO.

Please schedule a demo to find out more about the Social Distancing Monitor and how this will make a difference at your course this season.