NEWS
Golf courses, superintendents grapple with coronavirus
By Andrew Hartsock, GCSAA
18 March 2020
Amid closures and quarantines, the golf course management industry is adjusting to a changing operational landscape. Superintendents share their plans and perspectives.
Editor’s note: While there is no lack of general information about the coronavirus available, GCSAA has compiled resources specific to golf and golf course management. Find customizable business and communications templates, relevant OSHA and CDC information, and more on GCSAA’s coronavirus resources page.
On Thursday, March 12 — the day the COVID-19 pandemic lost any remaining abstraction across North America, when the NCAA pulled the plug on March Madness and the NBA marked the first full day of its postseason and all the other sporting dominos tumbled or at least teetered — Hunter Brewer fired off a tweet.
His tweet wasn’t the first, surely, and unquestionably not the last on the topic, but it had to be among the most starkly eloquent — concisely putting words to a question that had to be on the minds of everyone in the golf course maintenance industry.
So what happens, Brewer tweeted, when a Superintendent or Assistant or crew member comes down with this thing? Are we just going to abandon the golf course for 2+ weeks while everyone quarantines? Everyone is in close contact with everyone else on a daily basis. This could be a wild ride.
The tweet didn’t exactly explode, but it did spark a digital discussion that’s far from over.
“For me, up to the point I sent the tweet out, nobody had asked the question, ‘What if one of us gets it?’” says Brewer (@TurfBrewer), senior assistant superintendent at FarmLinks Golf Club at Pursell Farms in Sylacauga, Ala., and an eight-year GCSAA member. “At the time, we were one of four states not to have coronavirus, but it would be crazy to think we didn’t have it here.”
The day after Brewer’s tweet, Alabama confirmed its first case.
“I was just thinking, how can we get ahead of this thing?” Brewer says. “And I know other guys were thinking the same thing. The response was great — generated a lot of great ideas.”
Less than a week later, it has become obvious there is no easy answer. Heck, it may not even be the right question.
But what is?
“I’d say it’s a huge international effort to figure it out,” says Jason Haines, superintendent at Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club in Roberts Creek, British Columbia, and a four-year GCSAA member. “But I think everybody is just waiting for leadership from the government. What do we do? What are we allowed to do? Who am I to say golf is safe? I’m not an epidemiologist; I’m just a greenskeeper. All we can do is reduce potential risk areas. But, again, I’m not an infectious disease expert. What do our staff do? How can we pay our bills if we can’t work? How can the golf course pay our bills if it’s not open?”
Adjusting course
Recently, Haines and his staff have made several changes to the way they work and prepare the 18-hole golf course.
“We’ve been, obviously, disinfecting common areas, common surfaces,” Haines says. “And we’re reducing common surfaces — (removing) bunker rakes, ball washers. They’re saying the virus can survive outside the body two to three days on certain surfaces. Obviously, we’re disinfecting the driving range and washing carts.”
One novel tactic: raised cups. The Sunshine Coast G&CC staff is leaving an inch or two of each cup above the putting surface, eliminating the need to remove the flagstick — which, under the Rules of Golf, is unnecessary now anyway — or to touch the inside of the cup.
We are on temps this am but this is our solution for not having to touch flag or hole. Hit the cup with your ball and if it remains within one putter length call it a sunk putt. pic.twitter.com/lGag2GoEFy
— Jason Haines (@PenderSuper) March 16, 2020
“If you hit the cup with your ball and it doesn’t bounce more than a putter’s length away, you call it a sunk putt,” Haines says.
Brewer’s course is instructing golfers to leave the flagsticks in.
“We’ll have our starter encouraging people to take gimmes,” he says. “You know, ‘Pick that 3-footer up. Give each other gimmes.’
“We’re a huge, open-air space,” Brewer adds. “You should feel safe here. You should be safe here.”
A fluid situation
It’s all very much a moving target.
Consider the case of Michigan on Monday. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order announcing “temporary restrictions on the use of places of public accommodation” and specifically mentioned golf clubs and country clubs as among the places that, as of 3 p.m. Monday, were to close until March 30.
After what the Detroit News described as a frantic, confusing day for many staff members of the state’s 650 courses — the paper reported some courses kicked golfers off the property and closed; others remained open — a spokesperson for Gov. Whitmer clarified Monday night that the closings were meant only for the courses’ pro shops and clubhouses. The actual playing of golf could continue — subject to all other (and, often, changing) restrictions.
Similarly, in Washington — the state hardest hit so far by the coronavirus, specifically the Seattle area — Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday announced, effective at midnight, that all “restaurants, bars, and entertainment and recreational facilities” were to close temporarily, but the fate of the state’s golf courses was … murky. The situation had cleared somewhat by Monday night, when it appeared golf courses could remain open — with restrictions, such as limits to the number of people per gathering — but food service, for instance, would have to close or meet other restrictions, such as no dining in.
What about the agronomy?
Back to Brewer’s tweet: Are we just going to abandon golf courses for two-plus weeks?
“It’s 80 degrees here today,” Brewer said Monday. “We’re about to be on a mowing schedule pretty quick. I don’t know if we can survive if we lose a whole crew for two weeks or longer. Now it sounds like this might be the new normal through July or August. Right now, there are a lot more questions than answers.
“I guess a worst case, if nobody could be here two weeks … I live on the property. If it came to that, I’m here. I could do greens by myself — if I’m not sick. I could at least keep everything alive. Any longer than that, you might talk about losing greens. People say, ‘It’s just grass,’ but you can’t grow a green overnight. That’s a scary point for me. We’re a bentgrass course in Alabama. The window is pretty tight for the stress this thing can handle. I’m not worried about losing greens this time of year, but … ”
In that regard, Haines is fortunate.
“We’re lucky,” he says. “Normally, we’d probably be applying our first fertilizer of the season. We’re stopping all of that. Growth rates are super slow right now. We are charging our irrigation system. If we need to, we can remotely operate the sprinkler. We don’t need that much water anyway. We are stocking up on irrigation parts, so if we do have any breaks, we can fix them. And we’re figuring out how few people we need. I figure I could do it with one person. We could go six weeks with zero maintenance. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, but it would take a while to get it back.”
That’s right now. In a month or so, growing season will begin in earnest.
“The grass just starts to jump out of the ground,” Haines says. “We could have a three-person skeleton crew, and 100% of what we’d do would be just mowing. Of course, if the golf course isn’t open, there are a lot of things you don’t have to do — you don’t have to worry about rolling greens, mowing greens, and you could let your fairways go dormant.”
‘I don’t have guys working together’
Some golf courses remain open, and even those closed to the public can, in some cases, still be staffed. But just how do golf course superintendents manage their employees in the days of social distancing?
Summerfield Crossings Golf Club in Riverview, Fla., was still open as of the writing of this article — just hours after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the closure of all bars and nightclubs for 30 days, prompting yet another meeting of Summerfield Crossings’ management about the potential implications for golf.
“Most of my guys have been keeping their distance from one another, and most bring their own lunch and sit in different areas of the shop or somewhere out of the way on the golf course,” says Keith Lamb, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Summerfield Crossings and a 17-year GCSAA member.
Right: At Summerfield Crossings Golf Club in Riverview, Fla., superintendent Keith Lamb and his crew are spending extra time cleaning and disinfecting touchpoints — flagsticks, carts, etc. — or removing them entirely. Signage also makes plain the limitations to group size and food and beverage availability. Photo by Keith Lamb
Courses across the country have reported altering their shift schedules to avoid overlap. For Lamb, that isn’t an issue.
“I don’t have a large crew, and my guys stagger their arrival as it is,” he says. “All of our tasks right now are individualized, so I don’t have guys working together. Only exception is, I have two guys who are brothers and live in the same household, so they have been assigned tasks to complete together. We have no plans to cut our staff unless ordered by the government or my owner. I could keep things going with just three to four guys, but my staff is only eight guys to begin with.”
The bottom line
Golf, like nearly all industries, walks a fine line. Courses need to remain open, but they’re obligated to keep their staffs and patrons safe. They might need to close to ensure the latter, but then how long can they stay closed and hope to reopen?
“One concern I have is if we were forced to shut down and quarantine for any length of time,” Lamb says. “I’m not sure how long ownership could afford to pay us, and I haven’t heard any real financial relief coming from the government. The one-time $1,000 payment would be a joke if we were out more than two weeks.”
That’s only part of the worry. While some courses are reporting an increase in rounds played — those who can’t go to work or gather in groups often seek outside solo or small-group recreation — for others, business is understandably slow. And as paychecks get missed and jobs lost, golf will likely take another hit.
“We’re a semiprivate club,” Haines says. “Our membership dues carry us into mid-spring. We rely on green fees after that to stay open. If everybody else is self-quarantined, they won’t have any discretionary money to golf. I don’t see how we’ll be able to stay open.”
Shortly after speaking with GCM on Tuesday, Haines learned Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club would be closing indefinitely.
‘Perspective is important’
About a 12-hour drive to the southeast of Haines’ course sits Seneca, Ore., home of the Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch, a remote, eco-friendly resort that features 52 holes over four courses. Sean Hoolehan, CGCS, who served as GCSAA president in 2006, is the superintendent there. The courses are slated to open May 1, so coronavirus responses have been minimal.
“So far, nothing,” says Hoolehan (right), a 35-year association member. “We have temporarily closed all the food and beverage operations. We are in wait-and-see mode right now, preparing the course and grounds for visitors but keeping an eye on the COVID-19 situation, following all state guidelines.”
Guidelines for the way people play golf are more fluid, Hoolehan says. “It is going to take communication and golfer cooperation. It’s not going to be golf by USGA rules necessarily, but it beats the alternative,” he says.
In response to Brewer’s tweet, Hoolehan shared words of wisdom.
It’s a golf course not a hospital. Everything will be salvageable. It might be a good idea to take measures to keep your staff and patrons safe. Perspective is important right now. #FlattenTheCurve
Speaking with GCM, he offered further perspective: “Superintendents are leaders first, managers second and agronomists third,” Hoolehan says. “Now is a time to lead. First, don’t let anxiety paralyze you. Focus on your family, staff and facility, in that order. I have a saying: We aren’t saving lives at work. There is no job on the course worth risking your, your staff’s and, in this case, your staff’s families’ health and well-being. Always remember there are people in worse shape than you.
“I have been a superintendent through Black Monday in 1987; Sept. 11, 2001; the Great Recession of 2008; and now this. All seemed dire on a national scale. My parents grew up in the Great Depression and were thrown right into World War II. Adversity is part of life. Embrace, learn and move on.”
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More than 25 of the top 100 US courses partner with Tagmarshal including over 250 leading courses globally.
To learn more about how Tagmarshal improves the golfer experience, through on-course optimization, watch the free demo here.
By Andrew Hartsock, GCSAA
18 March 2020
Amid closures and quarantines, the golf course management industry is adjusting to a changing operational landscape. Superintendents share their plans and perspectives.
Editor’s note: While there is no lack of general information about the coronavirus available, GCSAA has compiled resources specific to golf and golf course management. Find customizable business and communications templates, relevant OSHA and CDC information, and more on GCSAA’s coronavirus resources page.
On Thursday, March 12 — the day the COVID-19 pandemic lost any remaining abstraction across North America, when the NCAA pulled the plug on March Madness and the NBA marked the first full day of its postseason and all the other sporting dominos tumbled or at least teetered — Hunter Brewer fired off a tweet.
His tweet wasn’t the first, surely, and unquestionably not the last on the topic, but it had to be among the most starkly eloquent — concisely putting words to a question that had to be on the minds of everyone in the golf course maintenance industry.
So what happens, Brewer tweeted, when a Superintendent or Assistant or crew member comes down with this thing? Are we just going to abandon the golf course for 2+ weeks while everyone quarantines? Everyone is in close contact with everyone else on a daily basis. This could be a wild ride.
The tweet didn’t exactly explode, but it did spark a digital discussion that’s far from over.
“For me, up to the point I sent the tweet out, nobody had asked the question, ‘What if one of us gets it?’” says Brewer (@TurfBrewer), senior assistant superintendent at FarmLinks Golf Club at Pursell Farms in Sylacauga, Ala., and an eight-year GCSAA member. “At the time, we were one of four states not to have coronavirus, but it would be crazy to think we didn’t have it here.”
The day after Brewer’s tweet, Alabama confirmed its first case.
“I was just thinking, how can we get ahead of this thing?” Brewer says. “And I know other guys were thinking the same thing. The response was great — generated a lot of great ideas.”
Less than a week later, it has become obvious there is no easy answer. Heck, it may not even be the right question.
But what is?
“I’d say it’s a huge international effort to figure it out,” says Jason Haines, superintendent at Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club in Roberts Creek, British Columbia, and a four-year GCSAA member. “But I think everybody is just waiting for leadership from the government. What do we do? What are we allowed to do? Who am I to say golf is safe? I’m not an epidemiologist; I’m just a greenskeeper. All we can do is reduce potential risk areas. But, again, I’m not an infectious disease expert. What do our staff do? How can we pay our bills if we can’t work? How can the golf course pay our bills if it’s not open?”
Adjusting course
Recently, Haines and his staff have made several changes to the way they work and prepare the 18-hole golf course.
“We’ve been, obviously, disinfecting common areas, common surfaces,” Haines says. “And we’re reducing common surfaces — (removing) bunker rakes, ball washers. They’re saying the virus can survive outside the body two to three days on certain surfaces. Obviously, we’re disinfecting the driving range and washing carts.”
One novel tactic: raised cups. The Sunshine Coast G&CC staff is leaving an inch or two of each cup above the putting surface, eliminating the need to remove the flagstick — which, under the Rules of Golf, is unnecessary now anyway — or to touch the inside of the cup.
We are on temps this am but this is our solution for not having to touch flag or hole. Hit the cup with your ball and if it remains within one putter length call it a sunk putt. pic.twitter.com/lGag2GoEFy
— Jason Haines (@PenderSuper) March 16, 2020
“If you hit the cup with your ball and it doesn’t bounce more than a putter’s length away, you call it a sunk putt,” Haines says.
Brewer’s course is instructing golfers to leave the flagsticks in.
“We’ll have our starter encouraging people to take gimmes,” he says. “You know, ‘Pick that 3-footer up. Give each other gimmes.’
“We’re a huge, open-air space,” Brewer adds. “You should feel safe here. You should be safe here.”
A fluid situation
It’s all very much a moving target.
Consider the case of Michigan on Monday. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order announcing “temporary restrictions on the use of places of public accommodation” and specifically mentioned golf clubs and country clubs as among the places that, as of 3 p.m. Monday, were to close until March 30.
After what the Detroit News described as a frantic, confusing day for many staff members of the state’s 650 courses — the paper reported some courses kicked golfers off the property and closed; others remained open — a spokesperson for Gov. Whitmer clarified Monday night that the closings were meant only for the courses’ pro shops and clubhouses. The actual playing of golf could continue — subject to all other (and, often, changing) restrictions.
Similarly, in Washington — the state hardest hit so far by the coronavirus, specifically the Seattle area — Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday announced, effective at midnight, that all “restaurants, bars, and entertainment and recreational facilities” were to close temporarily, but the fate of the state’s golf courses was … murky. The situation had cleared somewhat by Monday night, when it appeared golf courses could remain open — with restrictions, such as limits to the number of people per gathering — but food service, for instance, would have to close or meet other restrictions, such as no dining in.
What about the agronomy?
Back to Brewer’s tweet: Are we just going to abandon golf courses for two-plus weeks?
“It’s 80 degrees here today,” Brewer said Monday. “We’re about to be on a mowing schedule pretty quick. I don’t know if we can survive if we lose a whole crew for two weeks or longer. Now it sounds like this might be the new normal through July or August. Right now, there are a lot more questions than answers.
“I guess a worst case, if nobody could be here two weeks … I live on the property. If it came to that, I’m here. I could do greens by myself — if I’m not sick. I could at least keep everything alive. Any longer than that, you might talk about losing greens. People say, ‘It’s just grass,’ but you can’t grow a green overnight. That’s a scary point for me. We’re a bentgrass course in Alabama. The window is pretty tight for the stress this thing can handle. I’m not worried about losing greens this time of year, but … ”
ABOUT TAGMARSHAL
Tagmarshal, the market leader in on-course optimization technology, provides courses with full, real-time operational oversight and reporting, giving golf operators the tools to manage pace and flow of play effectively, resulting in enhanced player experiences, increased efficiency through automation, and additional revenue generation.
Tagmarshal’s technology has collected over 1 billion data points from more than 50 million rounds of golf and has relationships with in excess of 500 partners, including Hazeltine, Whistling Straits, Baltusrol, Fieldstone, Bandon Dunes, Serenoa and Erin Hills.
Tagmarshal partners with several golf management groups, private, daily fee, public and resort courses, including 35 of the Top 100 US courses, as well as many $30-$50 green fee courses, which are seeing excellent results using the system.
SOLUTIONS
NEWS
How golf clubs are adjusting (and readjusting) to find a role amid coronavirus crisis
By E. Michael Johnson, Golf Digest
18 March 2020
Like most businesses during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, golf clubs are trying to figure out how to maintain elements of their operation while still protecting the safety of their employees and members. As a board member and a past president of a small private club in Connecticut, I’ve been a part of a series of conversations and decisions that underscore how complicated that balance is, and how quickly things can change.
After consulting with our staff management team and other clubs in the area, our initial communique last Friday was that the golf course and range would be open and we would have limited dining. The new golf simulator we installed in the clubhouse would be shut down. Carts would be available (and be heavily sanitized), but in understanding that many members would not feel comfortable riding, we waived the “trail fee” (a charge for walking) that we normally employ on weekend mornings. We encouraged members to take their clubs and shoes with them to reduce the number of “touches.” We told people not to shake hands but rather offer a wave.
Related: How to play golf amid coronavirus crisis
At the time, this felt appropriate, sensible and safe. It also seemed a reasonable way to allow our members to enjoy the club during what is an unsettling time. Little did we know that less than 24 hours later we would be sending a follow-up note to the membership informing them dining and bar service would be suspended and in the clubhouse, only the locker rooms would be open. In order to keep on some hourly staff, we offered take-out food orders with curbside pickup. Drive out and your order would be placed in your car by a member of the wait staff wearing gloves.
Since then even more steps have been taken. Flagsticks are to remain in the hole, and bunker rakes have been removed from the course—all in an effort to limit touch points. Carts are restricted to one person per cart unless immediate family. To give our social members (who do not have golf privileges) an opportunity to get out, we extended them temporary golf privileges on a couple of weekdays.
We are currently having further discussions. What do we do with ball washers and trash bins? Do we open the tennis courts (if you’re playing doubles that means four players are touching the same ball)? And what happens when we run out of sanitizing products? So many things to consider, all through the prism of trying to do what’s safe while offering people a respite from a distressing 24-hour news cycle. A bit of normalcy. A bit of fresh air.
We’re also discussing if there is a way to help the community in the process. With schools closed, kids who rely on school for nutrition are impacted. Is there a way we can help in that regard? So many questions. So few solid answers.
Short of mandates at the government level, every club has to make its own judgments based on the best information available, then adjust if needed. Many clubs we’ve spoken to have reflected similar steps—trying to keep the golf course open, heavily sanitizing carts and limiting (or discontinuing altogether) food service. Some clubs with caddies are left to decide whether they’re essential during the crisis. Social distancing guidelines might suggest no, but that’s another income impacted.
Some municipal courses are closed not only for health reasons, but because of broader directives about non-essential facilities. In other words, even in the time it takes to post this to our website, something could change.
Other clubs have come up with some creative ideas worthy of consideration. Shorehaven Golf Club in Connecticut and Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey, No. 139 on our last Second 100 Greatest ranking, are taking the additional step of raising cups slightly above the putting surface and deeming any putt to hit the cup as holed to eliminate the need to touch the cup or flagstick.
Brownson Country Club, also in Connecticut, is offering its members a 5-percent discount on future food and beverage purchases as a way to generate cash flow during this time where revenue is scarce. Rye Golf Club in New York has access to its clubhouse by appointment only.
Quaker Ridge Golf Club, a Golf Digest 100 Greatest Golf Course, informed its members on March 12 it has made a number of the above adjustments in addition to staggered shifts for employees; caddies with gloves and disinfectant sprays; closing its indoor golf studio; and all food in pre-packaged containers among other measures.
Out west, Haggin Oaks in Sacramento is dealing with a mandate that anyone 65 and older must self-quarantine. According to Ken Morton Jr., 40 percent of his facilities’ staff is in that category, including entire departments like carts and course marshals. Morton says the facilities will shorten retail-store hours to help shift some of its staff in the stores to help cover shifts elsewhere.
Sherwood Country Club in California is closed but is allowing its members to play golf (no carts or caddies), racquet sports or swim at their own risk. The club is also paying its impacted staff for their regular hours through the end of March as a first step, while researching existing and developing state and federal programs and actions to assist its staff.
Such steps are more the norm than the exception. According to the National Club Association, 40 percent of its clubs have indicated moderate modifications as a result of the coronavirus, approximately 25 percent have indicated “a lot” (such as canceling all events) and nearly 20 percent have closed their facilities. Only 1 to 2 percent indicate they have made no modifications. A recent online town hall drew more than 2,000 people to hear experts in the medical and club fields while also collecting data on what many clubs are doing. Some of the actions the NCA is advocating clubs consider include (For more information, go to coronavirus.nationalclub.org):
• Establish phone trees to efficiently contact employees to check on and alert them during an emergency.
• Keep contact information for suppliers, vendors and other key contacts both in print and online in case of absence of an employee who typically deals with those individuals.
• Prepare for operational disruptions now by conducting employee cross-training, if possible, for key responsibilities and positions, as well as lining up backup staff.
• Review HR policies for paid and unpaid leave and teleworking.
• Establish club policies during a pandemic and be aware of Family Medical Leave Act requirements (if the club has more than 50 employees).
As mentioned earlier, my club’s course is open at the moment. I played this past weekend as did many others. Still, there was a sense that these rounds were more like the final few rounds you squeeze in prior to the course closing for winter than the start of a new season.
We can only hope that this “winter” is as mild as possible.
Please share these tips, articles and insights, so that as many people as possible can benefit from #SafeGolf.
ABOUT TAGMARSHAL
Tagmarshal, the market leader in on-course optimization technology, provides courses with full, real-time operational oversight and reporting, giving golf operators the tools to manage pace and flow of play effectively, resulting in enhanced player experiences, increased efficiency through automation, and additional revenue generation.
Tagmarshal’s technology has collected over 1 billion data points from more than 50 million rounds of golf and has relationships with in excess of 500 partners, including Hazeltine, Whistling Straits, Baltusrol, Fieldstone, Bandon Dunes, Serenoa and Erin Hills.
Tagmarshal partners with several golf management groups, private, daily fee, public and resort courses, including 35 of the Top 100 US courses, as well as many $30-$50 green fee courses, which are seeing excellent results using the system.
SOLUTIONS
NEWS
You can still play golf provided you ‘keep a distance’
By Alistair Dunsmuir, The Golf Business
19 March 2020
Golf course superintendents share steps they’re taking to manage both their teams and their to-do lists in the wake of COVID-19.
The UK’s chief scientific adviser has responded to a health select committee question about playing golf during the coronavirus crisis by effectively saying it is an activity that is allowable.
Sir Patrick Vallance said: “It is OK – if you keep a distance.”
The question was put forward by Dean Russell MP. He asked: “Exercise is going to be key . If someone wants to play golf, can they still do that if they’re not close together?”
Sir Patrick Vallance stated: “We’re not asking everyone to be completely isolated. The specific advice is to avoid close contact. A walk is OK if you keep a distance.”
Sir Patrick Vallance
A number of golf clubs have closed their clubhouses but kept their courses open so that golfers can gain the essential health benefits of moderate exercise at this extraordinary time while minimising the risk of becoming infected.
One golf club in London has issued a directive to all its golfers that they must not touch the flag on any of the holes, in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Epping Golf Course has said it has implemented other measures as well.
“We will attempt to make sure that scorecards’ registration and payment for drink and food are available through window service to avoid people having to come into the clubhouse if they don’t want to,” stated Epping’s owner, Neil Sjoberg.
Numerous golf events ranging from the Scottish Girls’ Open Championship to The Masters have been postponed or cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of golf clubs have also reported that the virus has hit at least one member, and in most cases the club has remained open.
In response, to assist the golf industry in the UK, BIGGA, the PGA, the GCMA and the R&A have produced this guideline document for UK golf clubs: https://ocs-sport.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/sg/2020/03/COVID-19-Golf-Industry-Guidelines.pdf
‘Your golf facility needs to have a senior group of managers who are in constant contact and can spring in to action if something happens. This should be your club manager / secretary, course manager / head greenkeeper and PGA professional and any other relevant department heads. During a period of heightened risk, meet on a daily basis and provide an update on staff absence, business pressures such as stock levels or machinery maintenance and other matters. When the crisis subsides, this group should continue to meet on a monthly basis to ensure policies are maintained and updated,’ it states.
‘Engage in a dialogue with the other golf clubs in your immediate area and discuss an action plan. If one of your clubs is forced to close, is there a reciprocal arrangement in place to allow members to play at a different facility?’
One golf club manager welcomed the document.
“That was very, very useful as it allowed us to sit down and work out some kind of battleplan,” Simon Payne, secretary at Cowglen in Scotland told The Herald.
“Up until then, I think people were maybe a bit blasé about this but when you consider the wider ramifications, they are huge.
“There are knock on effects for green fees, subscriptions, bookings, our suppliers, from diesel for machinery to drink in the bar. If bar staff or catering staff are off, then takings are down. It’s everything.
“The worst-case scenario is if the greenkeeping staff have to go into isolation, then the course doesn’t get maintained.
“The course is the number one thing for members. You can tell a volunteer how to lock the clubhouse but you can’t suddenly upskill someone to cut a green.
“We are coupling up with other clubs in the area with a kind of buddy system to help each other out just in case.
“Our course manager has a group of trusted friends at other courses so there will at least be a limited maintenance to keep things going should the worst happen.”
“People are handling pins, they are handling ball washers and rakes in bunkers. We started going through potential risks and they just grow and grow.
“Like a lot of clubs, the over-65s are a relatively large element here. Their health and well-being on our premises is paramount.
“The older golfers may now be considering just staying away and it will be interesting to monitor numbers going forward.
“While everybody has to take responsibility, we’ve just tried to do as much as possible to at least give members the confidence that we can operate as best we can.
“Many clubs are living hand to mouth. The impact of this could be hard to take for some.”
“I’ve been here for 30 years and the weather recently has been the worst I can remember in terms of getting out to play. But the addition of the coronavirus has made it a whole lot worse.
“It’s a minefield. We don’t know how long it will be like this for. The Beast from the East a couple of years ago was the first time we had ever closed the place down entirely. Nobody was on site, it just shut.
“But this virus is a different kettle of fish. It’s the unknown. When the snow melted, you knew we would be back. But who knows with this?”
A Scottish Golf spokesman added: “In these difficult times it is important to highlight the health benefits of golf as a sport that allows players to exercise outdoors in the fresh air where the risk of contracting COVID-19 is low,” in response to the release of this document.
Please share these tips, articles and insights, so that as many people as possible can benefit from #SafeGolf.
ABOUT TAGMARSHAL
Tagmarshal, the market leader in on-course optimization technology, provides courses with full, real-time operational oversight and reporting, giving golf operators the tools to manage pace and flow of play effectively, resulting in enhanced player experiences, increased efficiency through automation, and additional revenue generation.
Tagmarshal’s technology has collected over 1 billion data points from more than 50 million rounds of golf and has relationships with in excess of 500 partners, including Hazeltine, Whistling Straits, Baltusrol, Fieldstone, Bandon Dunes, Serenoa and Erin Hills.
Tagmarshal partners with several golf management groups, private, daily fee, public and resort courses, including 35 of the Top 100 US courses, as well as many $30-$50 green fee courses, which are seeing excellent results using the system.
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Rounds at Carnoustie 16 minutes quicker in busiest month last year
By Martin Dempster, The Scotsman
The welcome statistic, which came to light in more than 10 million rounds of golf being tracked worldwide, has earned recognition for the Angus venue in golf’s bid to speed up play.
Carnoustie achieved the highest status, a Diamond Award, in the inaugural Tagmarshal Awards at the PGA Merchandise Show in Florida, as well as being named the “Top International Achiever”.
Tagmarshal track rounds using “real-time” data collected by using small ‘tags’ clipped onto golf bags or handheld carts or installed in buggies. The information is transmitted to on-course staff, allowing identification of groups that are out of position before issues arise.
“The awards are a powerful seal of approval for clubs who prioritise on-course experience and player satisfaction,” said the company’s CEO, Bodo Sieber. “The awards system ranks courses based on achieving outstanding results regarding player experience, pace and flow of play, player communication, and on-course service delivery.”
Whistling Straits, venue for this year’s Ryder Cup, was one of the US courses to pick up an award along with Valhalla, Baltusrol, National Golf Links of America and Cypress Point.
ABOUT TAGMARSHAL
Tagmarshal, the market leader in on-course optimization technology, provides courses with full, real-time operational oversight and reporting, giving golf operators the tools to manage pace and flow of play effectively, resulting in enhanced player experiences, increased efficiency through automation, and additional revenue generation.
Tagmarshal’s technology has collected over 1 billion data points from more than 50 million rounds of golf and has relationships with in excess of 500 partners, including Hazeltine, Whistling Straits, Baltusrol, Fieldstone, Bandon Dunes, Serenoa and Erin Hills.
Tagmarshal partners with several golf management groups, private, daily fee, public and resort courses, including 35 of the Top 100 US courses, as well as many $30-$50 green fee courses, which are seeing excellent results using the system.
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NEWS
How one company is using artificial intelligence to combat slow play
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.
ABOUT TAGMARSHAL
Tagmarshal, the market leader in on-course optimization technology, provides courses with full, real-time operational oversight and reporting, giving golf operators the tools to manage pace and flow of play effectively, resulting in enhanced player experiences, increased efficiency through automation, and additional revenue generation.
Tagmarshal’s technology has collected over 1 billion data points from more than 50 million rounds of golf and has relationships with in excess of 500 partners, including Hazeltine, Whistling Straits, Baltusrol, Fieldstone, Bandon Dunes, Serenoa and Erin Hills.
Tagmarshal partners with several golf management groups, private, daily fee, public and resort courses, including 35 of the Top 100 US courses, as well as many $30-$50 green fee courses, which are seeing excellent results using the system.
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NEWS
Webinar: How Quaker Ridge drives member loyalty, by creating exceptional on-course experiences.
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.
ABOUT TAGMARSHAL
Tagmarshal, the market leader in on-course optimization technology, provides courses with full, real-time operational oversight and reporting, giving golf operators the tools to manage pace and flow of play effectively, resulting in enhanced player experiences, increased efficiency through automation, and additional revenue generation.
Tagmarshal’s technology has collected over 1 billion data points from more than 50 million rounds of golf and has relationships with in excess of 500 partners, including Hazeltine, Whistling Straits, Baltusrol, Fieldstone, Bandon Dunes, Serenoa and Erin Hills.
Tagmarshal partners with several golf management groups, private, daily fee, public and resort courses, including 35 of the Top 100 US courses, as well as many $30-$50 green fee courses, which are seeing excellent results using the system.
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