The 19th Hole with Michael Williams

Bodo Sieber, CEO and Co-founder of Tagmarshal, the golf course optimization and pace of play management system, returns for his second appearance on The 19th Hole with Michael Williams radio show.

Bodo Sieber discusses the importance of data in managing daily golf operations, and how Tagmarshal partner courses use the data insights that the system provides, to deliver exceptional golfer experiences. He also shares Tagmarshal’s involvement, working on pilots with the European Tour and the LPGA.

Listen to the full conversation from 08:20 here:

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About Michael Williams

Williams has a reputation as a savvy broadcaster, and as an incisive interviewer and writer. An avid golfer himself, Williams has covered the game of golf and the golf lifestyle including courses, restaurants, travel and sports marketing for publications all over the world.

He is currently working with a wide range of outlets in traditional and electronic media, and has produced and hosted “Sticks and Stones” on the Fox Radio network, a critically acclaimed show that combined coverage of the golf world with interviews of the Washington power elite. His work on Newschannel8’s “Capital Golf Weekly” and “SportsTalk” have established him as one of the area’s most trusted sources for golf reporting.

Williams has also made numerous radio appearances on “The John Thompson Show,” and a host of other local productions. He is a sought-after speaker and panel moderator, he has recently launched a new partnership with The O Team to create original golf-themed programming and events. Williams is a member of the United States Golf Association and the Golf Writers Association of America.

In case you missed it, the Tagmarshal Expert Session webinar on demand, is now available to watch in your own time. Watch the video and find out what the optimal player experience looks like, and how this can be achieved, by using data and processes to enhance golfer satisfaction.

Sports Innerview with Ann Liguori

Join Ann Liguori in conversation with Bodo Sieber, CEO and Co-founder of Tagmarshal, the golf course optimization and pace of play management system used at Pebble Beach, Erin Hills, Pinehurst, Quaker Ridge, East Lake and many other leading golf courses – including 20 of the US Top 100 courses.

Bodo Sieber discusses how Tagmarshal partner courses, generate additional revenue and drive efficiency, while delivering exceptional golfer experiences.

Listen to the full interview from 13.24 here:

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About Ann Liguori

Award-winning sports talk show host, network golf correspondent and author, Ann Liguori, talks with top names in sports, with a heavy emphasis on golf, her passion. Described as “a woman who has transformed sports broadcasting,” Ann is a trailblazer in the industry as the first woman to host a call-in sports talk show on WFAN-NY, the first all-sports radio station in the country; one of the ‘originals’ on Golf Channel where she hosted her own weekly, prime-time series, golfing with and interviewing stars in sports, entertainment and business; and the host, executive producer and owner of the award-winning cable series, “Sports Innerview with Ann Liguori,” a treasure chest of interviews she has done with legends in sports.

In her “Sports Innerview with Ann Liguori” podcast, Ann takes you inside the lives and minds of the current-day movers and shakers, stars and influencers in sports and entertainment. Billed as one of the best interviewers in the business, Ann has a way of getting the most out of her fascinating guests. You will enjoy hearing both fun and serious discussion, keen insight and opinions, on a wide variety of issues and topics in golf and beyond. Be sure to reach out to Ann with questions, comments and your own opinions on the subjects she and her guests discuss.

Taking the Lead on Pace of Play Management

Pace of play has been in the spotlight this year, with major golf professionals speaking out and the USGA, making this a major focus. At the 2019 USGA Golf Innovation Symposium, the USGA put out a challenge to the industry: 

To improve golfer satisfaction by 20 percent while reducing the consumption of key resources by 25 percent before 2025.

With golfer satisfaction directly linked to pace of play, this challenge emphasized the importance of this issue. In addition, the new Rules of Golf, issued by the USGA earlier this year focused on pace-orientated changes. The industry has recognized this challenge – and both golf courses and players are committed to finding solutions. 

1. A key challenge and opportunity for the game – PLUS a key revenue opportunity

The USGA has carried out a significant amount of research on pace of play, with one of their key findings being that “74% of Golfers believe that pace of play and field flow, is the crucial enjoyment factor.” (USGA)

In addition, the research shows that “positive playing speed and ranger etiquette” rank as the top positive scoring experience factors (+0.966). Conversely, negative marshal engagement and pace, are rated as having the biggest negative impact on player experience scores (-1.000).

While the golf industry understands the impact, many courses have failed to take action.

“Our research showed that 75% of facilities think that pace of play is a key factor in golfer enjoyment, but only 35% of facilities have any kind of formal program to improve pace. So there’s a significant gap right there between knowing there’s a problem and trying to do something about it.”  – Scott Mingay, Director of Product Development, Research, Science and Innovation for the USGA

For those courses that have embraced pace of play management, the opportunity to drive additional revenue is significant. The impact of improved pace is broad reaching – resulting in more time spent engaging at the golf course, with increased F&B spend. It also allows for additional time on the tee sheet, which at a busy course, can add thousands of dollars in additional revenue, to the bottom line.

“Research shows that Golfer satisfaction is improved through the optimization of pace of play, but the data insights generated, also identify unique opportunities to drive efficiency and generate additional revenue, which have positive implications for the bottom line.” – Bodo Sieber, CEO and Co-founder, Tagmarshal.

Read more…

2. Traditional ways require A LOT of man-power and effort

Traditionally, pace of play is managed by a team of marshals, who spend their days circling the course, looking for slow play – but with no real line of sight. Some proactive courses, such as Deer Run, created “Fast Play Fridays” placing a marshal at every 3rd hole and posting tee times on each golf cart, to try to speed up pace of play. 

But even with a team of motivated marshals, once a slow group is identified, a difficult conversation often ensues. Players tend to be defensive, and fail to identify as part of the problem. Further to that, as members (or frequent visitors), feel entitled to spend as long as needed playing their round. This results in confrontational interactions with marshals, who are not always service orientated, and have no objective data to support their position. Resulting in a negative experience, for both the slow group and the groups stuck behind them. 

Findings from a  recent Elite Junior Golf Survey (Golf.com), highlighted this point:

“86% of golfer consider pace of play a problem. Only 3% consider themselves slow.” 

This is in stark contrast to data driven solutions like Tagmarshal, which use technology to optimize pace of play in real time, in a neutral and objective way, which is difficult to achieve using traditional marshals. Technology allows staff to pinpoint exactly where the issues are, allowing for efficient intervention, before it affects other groups of players. Courses relying on manpower alone, would need a significant number of marshals to effectively manage pace in this proactive way.

“Before 2017, we were operating blind – we could put two staff members out in golf cars and ride around, but you could go halfway around the course before you got to the trouble spot. We had members asking if we could just pay more retirees to help manage pace of play as hourly employees.” – Andrew Hedrick, PGA Head Golf Professional, The Country Club at Castle Pines

“Our members expect an optimized experience, which is what we get from technology in so many other parts of our lives.” Says Hedrick.

Read more: Castle Pines Case Study

3. Data is critical to understand, benchmark and measure improvement 

Pace of play is an issue which golf has grappled with for some time, but through the use of new technology and the data insights which it provides, courses are able to find new ways to optimize pace. These data insights provide a deeper understanding of the issues, and can be used as metrics to measure success over time. 

“The ability to visualize and analyze data on a large scale makes new strategies possible. To get data points from hundreds of rounds or thousands of golfers really helps move the needle in a way that anecdotal evidence simply can’t.”

“A lot of this isn’t possible without today’s technology – it empowers everything we’re looking at in pace of play.” – Scott Mingay, USGA

“There’s an increasing understanding that you need to measure something to understand it – and improve it – and that’s where this technology, with all its optimization data, comes into play.”  – Bodo Sieber, Tagmarshal CEO and Co-founder

Adding to this, Sieber says, “A (data driven) solution like ours can help you accurately know when to step in to speed somebody up with a polite visit from a golf team member, and how to stagger tee times, goal times and intervals to get more out of your quicker time of day and literally pull more business along.”

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4. Improving Pace is essential for service delivery  

Matt Summer, PGA Head Golf Professional at Mountain Branch, was looking at ways in which to improve service delivery at his course. Aware of the perceptions around pace of play at daily fee courses like Mountain Branch, he was determined to find a solution. He reviewed a number of options and selected Tagmarshal, as his on-course optimization partner.

By installing Tagmarshal’s GPS trackers into his fleet of golf carts, he is able to monitor pace of play, with the system feeding this (data) information back to his team in real time – where they are able to intervene in a proactive, neutral and objective manner. 

As result of implementing this solution, he could significantly reduce the number of marshals (there are days when no marshals are present), while improving pace of play, and was able to reinvest this budget into hiring additional PGA Professionals, adding significant value to the golfer experience and improving on-course service.

By combining technology and excellent customer service, he has improved golfer satisfaction, resulting in frequent, repeat visits amongst his daily fee players. In peak season, round times have improved by over 15 minutes – reducing from 4:08 to 3:53. In addition, his team are freed up to focus on delivering impeccable service at this busy 23,000 a year course.

Read more: Mountain Branch Case Study

5. It works: High buy in from Players and Members and the results speak for themselves 

Players and members have responded positively to the use of Tagmarshal at their courses, recognizing the value that it adds to their experience, through pace of play management and on-course optimization. The discreet, objective way in which Tagmarshal works, respects the traditions of golf, while enhancing player satisfaction. 

“The members love that we’ve invested in a solution that helps them move consistently around the golf course, and they ask about their times. We also have data on which players could speed up, and we can have that conversation from a position of being helpful instead of embarrassing them.” – Andrew Hedrick, PGA Head Professional, The Country Club at Castle Pines

“Most important, when players come off 18, we see more happy faces. That keeps the staff in a good mood, too, which is why this is one of my favorite things we’ve done while I’ve been at Mountain Branch.”   – Matt Summers, PGA Head Golf Professional, Mountain Branch

“The response from the membership has been ecstatic. It’s added to their appreciation of our events that they don’t have to take all day to play anymore. We have more members playing in our events, and they’re having a great experience. As PGA Professionals, we’re always trying to create better member experiences and interactions.” – Jim Morris, PGA Head Golf Professional, National Golf Links of America

Read more: Success stories

Pebble Beach’s, Eric Lippert, on how to Achieve Optimal Pace of Play

One of the best parts of my job is the privilege of meeting scores of eager golfers every day. Many of them are here for the first time, most of them anticipating this day for a lifetime. 

Whether your tee sheet is full of golfers crossing your course off their bucket list or is a group of members or customers who enjoy their facility every day, ensuring they have a positive and memorable experience is vital to bringing them back, retaining their business, and increasing participation. 

Regardless of the type of facility you run, pace of play is one of the biggest influences of that experience. With technology leading the way in tee time reservations, coaching, and equipment, it seems logical we’d use it to help us keep play moving on a daily basis. 

So in 2017, we began testing a GPS-enabled hardware and software system, Tagmarshal, and found that by clipping a GPS tracking unit onto one bag in each group, we are able to monitor the pace and spacing of every group on the course from any connected device. 

This real-time information has fundamentally changed the role of our on-course player assistants, who now can dedicate nearly all of their time to solving issues as they develop rather than trying to identify them. 

In addition, this technology generates thousands of data points each day that we analyze and use to inform our pace of play communications, expectations, and policies. Safe to say, advancement in technology has been the cornerstone of a refocused pace of play program at Pebble Beach that has yielded considerable improvement recognized by new and repeat guests alike.

Eric Lippert on the business impact of maintaining an acceptable pace of play:

Simply put, the best way to promote a return visit from a guest is to exceed his or her expectations. Our biggest challenge in meeting that goal historically has been pace of play. 

As a public facility, we have golfers of all skill levels intermingled, and of course, it only takes one slow group at the beginning of a summer day to potentially ruin the experience for over 200 guests. 

Technology has now given us the tools and information to revamp the way we address these problem groups. As a result, we’ve been able to increase the percentage of golfers who play in under five hours from 60 percent in the first month we began tracking this data, to over 85 percent in the most recent month. 

Golf Cart GPS Tracking Market Leader Tags Azalea for European Expansion

Tagmarshal, the golf course intelligence and pace-of-play system used globally by golf courses, has retained Azalea to elevate the brand in key European markets and to introduce it to golf clubs and resorts across the continent.

The revenue-optimising system is already managing player flow at several Major-hosting venues, including eight-time Open Championship course Carnoustie; 2017 US Open host Erin Hills; four-time US Open and 1951 Ryder Cup host Pinehurst Resort & Country Club; and Whistling Straits®, the three-time US PGA venue and site of the 2020 Ryder Cup.

Additionally, it is also in operation at prestigious venues such as Ballybunion – a world top-20 course – highly regarded Iberian venues, such as West Cliffs, Club de Golf Alcanada and Sotogrande, and a large number of mid-range clubs, both private and daily fee, across the globe.

Tagmarshal’s industry-leading algorithms display real-time alerts for clubhouse staff and marshals to pre-emptively address golfers falling behind the required pace of play. Data transmission is provided from a small GPS device clipped to golfers’ bags or installed on buggies.

Data shows partner courses are routinely able to shave off between 14 and 24 minutes from an average round, in just six months, using Tagmarshal’s systems – the equivalent of one more tee-time per day.

This ensures a well-balanced on-course experience, and optimised player satisfaction in what is a key factor in golfer enjoyment. At Erin Hills, an improvement of 17 minutes per round resulted in new customers and $140,000 in additional green-fee revenue last season.

Tagmarshal’s managing director, Stephen Knoop, said: “We realised some time ago that we needed the experience and creativity of a well-established agency in Europe if Tagmarshal was to maintain its position as the industry leader. We’ve been speaking to Azalea for a while now and engaging with their existing clients, who speak very highly of them.

“The company has a reputation for creativity in both its marketing and its ability to tell a client’s story. It’s also very well connected, so provides a perfect fit for us and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”

Azalea’s managing director, Sean Noble, added: “Increasingly, the golf industry is benefiting from data analytics, whether from the perspective of business management or the positive impact on the golfer experience.

“Tagmarshal has applied the most accurate metrics and data intelligence to take the guesswork out of golfer movement and management at golf clubs of all sizes, providing a significant opportunity to optimise player experiences and increase club revenue, and we are delighted to be able to have the opportunity to spread that message far and wide.”

Over the last 12 years, Azalea has established itself as one of Europe’s leading specialist agencies, working with some of the continent’s major national and regional tourist boards, flagship golf clubs and resorts, and leading brands.