By Tim Reilly, Golf.com

From the PGA Tour to your local municipal course, pace of play is one of golf’s most pressing issues. The European Tour felt strongly enough about it to implement new rules to combat slow play, while the PGA Tour recently updated its pace of play policy.

It’s great that the pro ranks are doing their part to speed up the action, but changes at the top are hardly affecting weekend warriors like myself. Far too often my Saturday round takes up the majority of my day off. Sure, when I’m free from the office, the course is where I want to be. But for five-to-six hours? No thank you. In terms of enjoyment, waiting on every single shot is up there with my boss assigning me something at four o’clock on a Friday.

Days on the course are precious. Free time is precious. Neither is meant to be wasted due to slow play and now, neither has to be thanks to the Tagmarshal golf course intelligence system.

Tagmarshal offers an app that improves pace of play and provides golf course operation teams with real-time oversight and historical data. Its software uses data from more than 10 million rounds to provide tailored information to 250 partner courses. A whos-who logo collection—Carnoustie, Whistling Straits, Baltusrol, Kiawah Island, Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst and Erin Hills—are just a handful of the GOLF Top 100 Courses that currently use Tagmarshal.

Once a course implements Tagmarshal, transmitters which track every golfer are placed on carts or given to caddies. Information is then collected in the cloud and real-time data is available to course management. Should a problem arise, you won’t need to flag down a marshal to alert them, they’ll already know. For example, if a golfer were to fall behind on the third hole, the situation can be handled immediately, rather than waiting for a prolonged backup to reach back to the first tee.

No one likes being yelled at by a ranger, and truth be told, no good really comes from it. Targmarshal’s system isn’t all AI. It also has features that train staff to remain positive and encouraging. It’s all part of improving the overall experience to keep golfers happier and more willing to do their part to help pace of play efforts. If a ranger opts for a conversational approach with data points rather than a confrontational scolding, Tagmarshal feels a course will be better suited for success.

Additionally, once the Tagmarshal system is in place, courses can use data to better understand cause and effect. A course may use this information to recognize trends of specific locations that consistently become problem areas, or find routing or design flaws contributing pace of play issues. If there’s a private club member who’s regularly a slow-play issue, Tagmarshal will give course management factual data to present to the member.

Several private courses using Tagmarshal reward golfers who abide by pace of play rules with ideal tee times, keeping regular offenders from clogging play during busy hours. Baltusrol went as far as to install real-time monitors throughout their facility for staff and members to keep close tabs on the course. The management team, outside services and locker room attendants know what’s happening at any given time. How’s that for transparency?

“There’s nothing better than walking into the office and knowing exactly what’s happening on your golf course,” said Ryan Fountaine, Director of Golf at Baltusrol. “It’s fantastic knowledge and peace of mind.”

If a course can get more groups playing rounds in reasonable times, there’s more leeway for additional groups to get on the course, which opens up revenue potential. Instead of rushing to get home after a long round, your members might be able to spend time in the clubhouse with their golf buddies over food and drinks.

Just like Tagmarshal’s slow play data, it’s hard to argue with results. In only a month, Carnoustie claims that rounds played within their desired timeframe rose from 29 percent to 53 percent. Erin Hills says it brought in an additional $140,000 in revenue from greens fees in a season and credits Tagmarshal’s tee sheet optimization and live management system.

“It paid for itself a hundred times over,” Jim Lombardo, Head Golf Professional at Erin Hills, said.

There’s no way of knowing if Tagmarshal is the silver bullet to the slow-play dilemma, but Tagmarshal has stepped up to the plate to speed up the game. That’s a start, and it appears to be a strong start. Now all I need are my local courses to make similar efforts to keep things moving. It’s good for the game and more importantly, my Saturdays.

In case you missed it, the Tagmarshal Expert Session webinar is now available on-demand. Register now to watch the free video and discover how Quaker Ridge has enhanced loyalty among their members, by providing them with unparalleled on-course experiences.

 Erin Hills, Quaker Ridge, Castle Pines and Carnoustie Among Tagmarshal’s Diamond Award Achievers in Recognition of Their Exceptional On-Course Golf Experience and Flow of Play Performance

Tagmarshal, the golf course optimization and pace of play management platform, honored clubs, courses and resorts who provided golfers  with exceptional player experience and levels of on-course service with the 2019 Tagmarshal Awards. 

Statistics and insights from over 10 million rounds of golf tracked was used to benchmark and compare partners’ progress on data backed results achieved, empowering top standards and service delivery, as the industry recognizes the opportunity and necessity for improved player satisfaction, to not only ensure the growth and future of the game, but also achieve measurable business success.

“The awards are a powerful seal of approval for clubs who prioritize on-course experience and player satisfaction,” said Bodo Sieber, CEO, Tagmarshal.

“The awards system ranks courses based on achieving outstanding results with regard to player experience, pace and flow of play, player communication, and on-course service delivery and it is exciting to see that these levels of excellence can be achieved by a wide variety of facilities, from major hosts to $50 green fee operations.”

The Awards were presented at the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show at the conclusion of Tagmarshal’s Education Session entitled, “Pace and Flow of Play, the Key Player Experience for the Modern Golfer, featuring expert guests Jim Lombardo from Erin Hills and Ryan Fountaine from Baltusrol Golf Club. Six Diamond Awards, the top Award accolade, were presented to Erin Hills, Quaker Ridge, Castle Pines, Brookside Golf & Country Club, Club de Golf Alcanada and Carnoustie Golf Links.

Pace and flow of play data, improvement and results statistics form the backbone of the grading, with top accolades achieved through continuous improvement and performance over multiple years recognizing well-executed implementation, as well as on-going up-skilling and best practice guidance of management and staff.

In addition, 24 Platinum Awards and 35 Gold Awards were awarded to forward thinking courses, including Whistling Straits, Valhalla, Skokie, Fossil Creek, Baltusrol, National Golf Links of America, Cypress Point and several other courses who had shown excellent performance benchmarks and continuous improvement in their data trends, demonstrating that they’re likely to move up the award rankings in 2020.

“Tagmarshal’s vision is rooted in the positive impact it has on player satisfaction—while driving operational efficiency and generating additional revenue. We are proud to have so many of our partners excel in this effort,” said Bodo Sieber, CEO. 

“Each of the Diamond Award winning clubs demonstrated on-going commitment to provide the finest on-course service delivery and player experiences every day throughout 2019,” Sieber added. 

Pace and flow of play data, improvement and results statistics form the backbone of the grading, with top accolades achieved through continuous improvement and performance over multiple years recognizing well-executed implementation, as well as on-going up-skilling and best practice guidance of management and staff.

In addition, 24 Platinum Awards and 35 Gold Awards were awarded to forward thinking courses, including Whistling Straits, Valhalla, Skokie, Fossil Creek, Baltusrol, National Golf Links of America, Cypress Point and several other courses who had shown excellent performance benchmarks and continuous improvement in their data trends, demonstrating that they’re likely to move up the award rankings in 2020.

“Tagmarshal’s vision is rooted in the positive impact it has on player satisfaction—while driving operational efficiency and generating additional revenue. We are proud to have so many of our partners excel in this effort,” said Bodo Sieber, CEO. 

“Each of the Diamond Award winning clubs demonstrated on-going commitment to provide the finest on-course service delivery and player experiences every day throughout 2019,” Sieber added. 

Erin Hills Golf Club demonstrated a consistent improvement over a period of five years of utilizing Tagmarshal, continuously optimizing player experiences and generating over $140,000 per year in additional tee time revenue due to optimization with the system.

At New York’s iconic Quaker Ridge Golf Club, average playing time over the course of two seasons improved to well below four hours. Additionally, the percentage of rounds played within a goal time increased substantially from 70% in 2018 to over 90% in 2019.

Brookside Golf & Country Club over the course of four seasons achieved an average round time well below four hours with exceptional consistency and balance. Furthermore, the monthly percentage of rounds played on pace, within 10 minutes of goal time, increased by over 15% year on year 2018 to 2019.

Colorado’s well-known Country Club at Castle Pines achieved a 93% record in terms of rounds played on time. In accepting his club’s award, Andrew Hedrick, PGA head professional, said, “Our experience with the Tagmarshal system and the integration into our operation has been exceptional. The data provided is an  asset in our day-to-day operations.” 

Also honored were Pebble Beach Golf Links as “Top Innovator” and Carnoustie Golf Links as “Top International Achiever.”

Famed Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland recorded an impressive 16-minute improvement in average round time year on year (2018-2019) during The Open host’s busiest month.

In case you missed it, here are the highlights from the Tagmarshal Expert Session with Prof. Kris Schoonover, Director of Operations, Erin Hills in conversation with Bodo Sieber, CEO, Tagmarshal, which took place at the 2020 PGA Show.

Topic: USGA Research: Defining the golfer experience.

Watch this Expert Session to learn about: 

1. USGA Research: Measuring the golfer experience – what really matters?
2. USGA’s Challenge to the Industry.
3. How Erin Hills uses technology to optimize the on-course experience. 

Duration: 21.44 minutes

Thank you to everyone who joined us at this year’s PGA Show, helping to make this – Tagmarshal’s 6th consecutive year at the Show – our most successful to date! It was fantastic to catch up with our partners and friends.

Let’s take a look at the 2020 PGA Show in numbers:

The number of PGA Head Golf Professionals and PGA Ambassadors who took part in the PGA Magazine Golf Invitationals at Mission Inn Resort & Club and Reunion Resort, where players enjoyed using the Tagmarshal 2Way Mobile & Classic devices, keeping them on pace throughout play.

Over 200 live Demos took place at the Tagmarshal Booth #3023, keeping the booth buzzing with activity. Our Product Experts made sure that everyone was given a valuable overview of the Tagmarshal system, showcasing how it optimizes the on-course experience, driving player satisfaction, efficiency and increased revenue.

The number of people who attended this year’s fantastic Education Session, which focused on Pace and Flow of Play, the key Player Experience factor for the Modern Golfer. This engaging session was hosted by our Expert Guests, Jim Lombardo (PGA Head Golf Professional, Erin Hills) and Ryan Fountaine (PGA Head Golf Professional, Baltusrol), in conversation with Bodo Sieber, CEO Tagmarshal.

Tagmarshal Awards were presented to our partners who achieved the highest levels of performance in 2019, delivering exceptional player experiences, pace and flow of play, communication and on-course service at their courses. 6 Diamond Awards, as well as Special Awards for the Biggest Mover, Top Innovator and Top International Achiever were presented.

Expert Sessions hosted at the Tagmarshal Booth 3023. Our first Expert Guest, Prof. Kris Schoonover, Head of Operations, Erin Hills, shared her insights on the Player Experience, based on research conducted for the USGA in this riveting session. She was joined by USGA Head of Innovation, Hunki Yun, who introduced the session. Our second session, focused on Connected Courses, hosted by Expert Guest, Jon Schultz, CEO EZ Locator, who highlighted the opportunities presented by harnessing technology to create connected courses.

Partners and friends joined us in what is fast becoming a Tagmarshal tradition – relaxed beers and dinner at Miller’s Ale House on Thursday evening. What a fun night and so great to catch-up with everyone! We hope to see you there again next year.

The Tagmarshal team representing at the PGA show 2019. With team members from our Atlanta, Ireland and South African offices present.

Tagmarshal to Showcase Remarkable Results for Clubs, Courses & Resorts at

2020 PGA Merchandise Show, Booth 3023 and at

Education Seminar for Operators, PGA Professionals, Club & Resort Managers

Thursday, January 23, 12:30-1:30 Room WF3 West Hall East

Orlando, FL  (January 17, 2020) – Tagmarshal, the global leader in golf course intelligence software will again exhibit at the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show and welcome course operators, PGA Professionals, club and resort managers and the media to its booth #3023, – the same location as last year – just off the main walkway.

“The past year the company achieved remarkable results for many of America’s most elite venues as well as many grass-root facilities. Real, actionable and proven solutions have improved pace and flow of play, enhancing the player experience. This has translated into Tagmarshal growing at a formidable rate – more than double last year’s impressive results,” noted Bodo Sieber, Tagmarshal CEO. 

Tagmarshal’s success is rooted in the positive impact it has on player satisfaction – while driving operational efficiency and generating additional revenue.

The company will host an insightful Education Seminar for Show attendees with Expert Guests, Jim Lombardo (Erin Hills) and Ryan Fountaine (Baltusrol), who along with Bodo Sieber, Tagmarshal CEO and Co-Founder, will discuss “Pace and Flow of Play, the Key Player Experience for the Modern Golfer.” This session will focus on:

•  How to optimally manage pace of play (do’s/don’ts)
• Insights from data and USGA research
• How to optimize savings and unlock significant revenue

In addition, Bodo Sieber will describe how Tagmarshal’s proven ability to optimize on-course operations have been embraced by famous clubs including the likes of Whistling Straits, Erin Hills, Kiawah Island, Pinehurst, East Lake, Baltusrol, Quaker Ridge, Valhalla, Calusa Pines, Skokie, and Conway Farms, but more importantly, many regular daily fee and private facilities across the U.S.

Golf operators who are serious about improving the golfer experience at their operations in 2020, will want to make sure they don’t miss out on what promises to be the event of the Show – the Tagmarshal Education session taking place on January 23 at 12:30. Seats are filling up quickly, so it’s best to register in advance on tagmarshal.com to avoid disappointment on the day.

Tagmarshal will also be hosting a series of Expert sessions at its booth throughout the Show, with the Tagmarshal team and leading Industry Experts such as Professor Kris Schoonover discussing the USGA Research, “Defining the Golfer Experience” and Jon Schultz, EZLOCATOR, discussing “The Connected Course.” Learn more about these and other exciting events on tagmarshal.com

Real-time data collected by the system using small “tags” clipped onto golf bags, installed in buggies or offered on handheld or cart-installed proprietary 2Way screen devices, transmits information to on-course staff or personnel in the pro shop identifying groups that are out of position before issues arise. Player assistants can then intervene in a proactive, objective, non-confrontational manner resulting in improved player experience, consistent round times and player time freed up to purchase on-site food and beverage items as well as opportunities for additional tee sheet capacity.

“The company has tracked and improved over 10 million rounds of golf with the clear goal to optimize golfer experiences everywhere. USGA research shows that good pace and flow of play are key experience factors to the modern golfer and a non-negotiable on-course service delivery component,” Sieber said.

In the past year, Tagmarshal established partnerships with ten PGA sections across the United States and is currently working with the European Tour and other organizations to assist with pace and tournament optimization during its 2019-2020 season. 

Tagmarshal management will be at Booth #3023 Wednesday through Friday (January 22, 23 & 24). Industry attendees may schedule an appointment on Tagmarshal’s PGA Show page.