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A Sneak Peek at the New Golf Rule Changes and how they’ll Affect your Round

A SNEAK PEEK AT THE NEW GOLF RULE CHANGES AND HOW THEY’LL AFFECT YOUR ROUND 

January 1st, 2019 will see a number of important rule changes implemented by the R&A and USGA, in an effort to make them easier to understand and apply.

That will come as a welcome relief for many golfers and clubs alike – both will hope that the simplification results in a smoother flow on the course.

With golf competing against other leisure activities and modern players prioritizing pace-of-play as one of the most important factors in terms of enjoying a round, the sport has made its most sweeping rules revisions in more than 60 years.

Let’s take a look at some of the changes that stand out:

First, golfers now only have three minutes to search for a lost ball, rather than five minutes. Not only does this cut down on the amount of time you’ll have to spend traipsing in the long grass (admit it, you weren’t going to find it anyway), but it will hopefully ease on-course bottlenecks and prevent holding up of play.

In addition, it is now recommended that golfers take no longer than 40 seconds to play a shot, and “ready golf’ in stroke play is encouraged.

Golf clubs will be able to bring in a new Local Rule pertaining to out-of-bounds and lost balls as an alternative to the current stroke-and-distance penalty. Rather than the return to the tee and a one-stroke penalty, golfers can now drop a ball anywhere between where the original ball was believed to have come to rest (or went out-of-bounds) and the edge of the fairway, but no nearer the hole. This will incur a two-stroke penalty.

There are also changes to procedures for dropping the ball when taking relief. A player must now drop from knee-height, as opposed to shoulder height, which will help to ensure that the ball stays within the two-club-length drop area without having to try multiple drops.

On the green, the penalty for hitting a flagstick left in the hole when putting has been done away with. Look forward to the debate whether it is better to have the flag in or out the hole with your playing partners!

The bunker and penalty area rules have also been relaxed and simplified. Players may now also remove loose impediments in bunkers and prescribed penalty areas. An addtional relief option for an unplayable ball in a bunker has also been added – the ball may now be dropped outside of the bunker, albeit with a two-stroke penalty.

When taken together, the rule changes show that golf’s ruling bodies understand exactly how important pace-of-play is to the modern golfer. Certain rules are clearly aimed at saving time, while the simplification of other rules have been made with the underlying aim of making the rules easier to understand.

When these new rules come into effect, courses and clubs may notice a slight reduction in round time, but should remember that, in reality, most of the changes really only reflect how casual golfers have already been playing for some time! Using Tagmarshal’s pace-of-play golf club management software and the real-time, qualitative and in-depth data it provides will ensure that clubs can make the most of the new rule changes, in a way that ultimately generates more revenue. That could mean adding additional rounds through the day, or ensuring that happy golfers have more time to spend at the pro shop and clubhouse.

About the author:

Bodo Sieber, CEO and Co-Founder of Tagmarshal

Bodo is a dynamic leader and brings a wealth of business intelligence and corporate software applications experience to the golf industry. A German national with an extensive understanding of management and process optimization, Bodo has honed his applied data science expertise during more than a decade in the field.

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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5 Questions with Matt Barksdale at Pinehurst

5 QUESTIONS WITH MATT BARKSDALE AT PINEHURST 

Get to know Matt Barksdale, PGA Head Professional at Pinehurst Resort, one of the most celebrated courses in the world having hosted more championships than any other club in the USA, and site of the 2024 US Open.

How long have you been in the golf industry? Give us a quick snapshot of your career experiences and some of the highlights over the past few years.

I’ve been in the industry for nearly 15 years. I was at Pebble Beach for about 6 years, followed by a small club in Augusta GA called Champions Retreat for about a year and a half, and I have been at Pinehurst for about 4 years now.

The 2010 US Open was a great experience as well as the 2017 USGA Four-Ball Championship. The AT&T’s at Pebble were always a lot of fun being part of. All the championships at Pinehurst are highlights, from the North South Championship to the US Kids World Championship – it’s really neat to see the future of our game competing at such a high level so early in their careers!

Who was your golf hero growing up and why?

Arnold Palmer – he always spoke to everyone and always seemed to enjoy what he was doing and really appreciated the fans.

Why did your course decided to invest in golf course intelligence and, since it’s installation, what has the technology successfully influenced?

Tagmarshal gives all areas of the operation a full understanding of how the golf course is running at any particular moment. When pace of play is reasonable and individuals are not having to wait on every shot it makes the round much more enjoyable and gives the golfer the ability to get into a rhythm.

We want all golfers to enjoy themselves on the course and to help that, all golfers going out to play need to be self-aware and assist in the effort of a reasonable pace of play.

With Tagmarshal, the golf staff has full coverage of the entire golf course at a glance. We are able to keep our staff accountable, maintain concrete and accurate records, and assure our guests that we are tracking and monitoring pace of play regularly. We have been able to identify trouble holes and evaluate course set-up to decrease timing on those trouble holes. For us we do not really look at it as a revenue generator, but an experience enhancer.

What, in your opinion, are the most important on-course success factors for a golf course?

Course condition, pace of play, customer service, refreshments.

What are the key objectives for your golf course for the next 12-months and how will golf course intelligence assist in achieving these objectives?

We want to provide a US Open experience for all of our members and guests every time. Maintaining a reasonable pace-of-play is part of creating a great golf experience and with on course intelligence it only gives us more opportunity to be successful.

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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Tagmarshal and ExpressGolf Raise the Bar at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open

TAGMARSHAL AND EXPRESSGOLF RAISE THE BAR AT THE AFRIASIA BANK MAURITIUS OPEN 

While the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open welcomed the strongest field in its tri-sanctioned history, it was ExpressGolf that first took center stage in its inaugural ExpressGolf Tour Challenge, held recently at the Four Seasons Golf Club Mauritius at Anahita.

A new format of the traditional game, ExpressGolf provided a unique, original and entertaining experience that excited, surprised and challenged both the participants and spectators.

Founder and CEO of ExpressGolf, Ian Kennedy, laid out his team’s objectives heading into the Tour Challenge:

“While we have done many events for amateur golfers, it was always in our plans to showcase ExpressGolf on the world stage with professional golfers from the major world tours. The ExpressGolf Tour Challenge – Mauritius, gave us a great platform to showcase our technology and format and as it was a tri-sanctioned event between the European, Sunshine and Asian tours, we were able to put ExpressGolf on display to a wide audience.”

Powered by industry-leading Tagmarshal technology, controlling the on-course pace-of-play, the professionals were able to complete 18 holes in under 90 minutes. This same technology can guarantee that golf clubs can host ExpressGolf events and have their golfers finish 18 holes in 3 hours for 4 ball flights

Marcel Siem, Multiple Winner on European Tour, was pleased with the his performance saying, “I absolutely loved ExpressGolf and I played my best golf that I have played all year. It was an absolute blast and I putted the best I have putted in ages. Playing with the fast pace is better for spectators as well. ExpressGolf is the way forward and I believe it will help everybody involved in golf.”

Matthew Jordan and Tyrone Ryan finished 18 holes in 77 minutes the fastest time of the day, with a betterball score of 68.

The winners on the day were Clement Sordet and Romain Langasque who breezed around 18 holes in 79 minutes and shot 65.

It was a truly an exciting and fast-paced day with all the pairings completing their rounds below the goal time.

“The players absolutely loved it. The professionals spirit, excitement and enthusiasm was electrifying. They were all on such an adrenaline rush and this was very evident on and off the course. The endorsements from the players was very satisfying for us as they recounted how much they enjoyed themselves; how well they played, how much fun they had playing with a partner and how they would like to play a lot more ExpressGolf,” concluded Kennedy.

About ExpressGolf

ExpressGolf is an exciting golf event format that speeds up a round of golf to just 90 minutes, with a full 36-hole tournament being played in just 3 hours.

Powered by industry-leading Tagmarshal, ExpressGolf incorporates intuitive time-saving devices, a new format, and a patented scoring system to significantly speed up rounds.

Developed to combat the declining participation of golfers, influenced by several factors, with the most significant being the lack of time, ExpressGolf has been designed to complement the existing game by adding a new type of excitement.

ExpressGolf events are made-for-spectators and incorporate far more fun, player and crowd interactions, and new commercial branding opportunities, geared toward attracting a younger generation while at the same time retaining the traditions of the game.

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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George HW Bush Was A Great Advocate For Golf And Pace Of Play

GEORGE HW BUSH WAS A GREAT ADVOCATE FOR GOLF AND PACE OF PLAY 

The golfing fraternity joins the world in mourning the passing of the 41st President of the United States, George HW Bush at his home in Houston, Texas

Sworn in as the 41st President of the United States in 1989, George Herbert Walker Bush played a significant role in a new and more hopeful geopolitical era which was marked by the spread of freedom and free markets.

More than just a global leader on the political stage, his legacy was synonymous with golf, having come from a family rich in golf traditions. Golf was an integral part of his life and the lessons he learnt he applied in many aspects of his life.

Bush was the winner of the USGA’s highest honor, the Bob Jones Award, in 2008. In 2011, he was inducted as a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, in the lifetime achievement category.

“Golf has meant a lot to me. It means friendship, integrity and character. I grew up in a family that was lucky enough to have golf at the heart of it for a while. My father was a scratch player and my mother was also a good golfer. It’s a very special game.”

As much as he enjoyed his golf, Bush was no fan of slow play. He liked getting a lot of things done during the day and standing around a golf course the whole day did not suit his personality.

“I play golf fast because I don’t like to stand around and wait. Like a lot of other golfers, I get cold when I wait. Besides that, there are lots of other things to do. So get it on, play fast, go on to the next event.”

With 74% of golfers stating that pace of play is crucial to the enjoyment of their round, according to a recent USGA survey, many golf courses are realizing the necessity to better manage peak periods with an increase in demand to fit in a quick round of golf in the morning before heading to work such as the late Bush. 

George H.W. Bush was a leader who dedicated his life to peace and prosperity and did it with utmost respect and compassion. A leader and family man who will be dearly missed, but not forgotten in the golf community.

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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5 ways to exceed member and guest expectations on the course

5 WAYS TO EXCEED MEMBER AND GUEST EXPECTATIONS ON THE COURSE

Each member that sets foot on the course, whether frequently or infrequently, should be viewed as a walking spokesperson for the club.

Now, more than ever, social media has amplified the reach people have, and they can instantly broadcast their experience to hundreds of like-minded people with a Facebook or Instagram post.

The same is true of the members that walk your course, who can either become advocates for marketing the club on your behalf, or a disgruntled customer that drives potential new members away.

When a club does a better job of retaining customers, especially newcomers, they put themselves in a powerful position, with improved player experience resulting in higher participation levels.

Here are five ways that private courses can ensure members and guests are having their on-course expectations met, and exceeded:

Understand what really matters to the members

If you don’t know what it is that your members value, you cannot set clear goals. For example, 76% of players say the flow on the course, the pace of play, and respecting their time is crucial to their enjoyment of a round.

With Tagmarshal’s golf course optimization platform, marshals can constantly monitor the pace of play and the consistency of field flow, and intervene before bottlenecks occur and the problem spirals.

When members see a proactive approach by the club, they immediately feel like they are prioritized, and they also see more value in the membership fees and course fees that they fork out.

Innovate with technology and utilize modern opportunities

Advancements in golf management systems have not only created an enhanced member experience, but it’s also created additional revenue stream opportunities.

In a 2016 USGA survey, results showed that golfers under the age of 40 would pay 14.2% more for a better pace of play and shorter round times. With golfers between the ages of 40 and 59 willing to pay over 11.5%.

Using that information, and combining it with the available golf management software, clubs have figured out how to maximize their revenue potential.

To cater to those who place greater importance on pace of play, many private courses are now charging players premium rates for a guarantee that they won’t be held back by slower groups up ahead on the course.

Offering members and guests the chance to play through at earlier tee times, provided they finish their round within a stipulated time, reduces the on-course strain during peak capacity hours, and provides a superior experience to those who place emphasis on pace of play.

Empower your staff to walk in the shoes of the members

Members want to know that the staff, from top to bottom, can place themselves in their shoes, and that they understand what it takes to provide a consistently exceptional level of service.

Each member of staff is important but, on the course, it is the marshals who are of vital importance.

Using Tagmarshal’s systems, marshals can offer a golf experience tailored to each member. The golf course optimization software enables marshals to personalize conversations, remember players’ names, and better understand the expectations members have of the club.

Create positive on-course dialogue

Engaging with members regarding their pace of play is never easy. When on-course issues do arise, the wealth of data Tagmarshal provides allows marshals to handle them immediately, offering members positive, data-driven assistance.

This helps solve issues like poor pace of play in a positive and adaptive manner.

Marshals can also alert other staff members to follow up upon the completion of the round, which creates an environment of excellence that continues right through to the clubhouse.

Set clear goals and continually identify areas of improvement

A club should never rest on its laurels, and staff should know exactly what is expected from them in each aspect of their duties.

Once a member steps onto the course, Tagmarshal’s golf management systems allows management to send staff real-time notifications. These are assigned to a specific staff member, giving management a degree of staff performance tracking that many country clubs and private clubs currently lack.

Management can use this data to hold staff accountable for achieving maximum operational efficiencies, and to reward members and caddies who regularly achieve the pace of play targets set.

By following these five steps and incorporating Tagmarshal’s golf management software into the day to day running of your club, you can assure that members enjoy an exceptional experience, turning them into your most powerful marketing asset at the same time.

Continuous improvement via the Tagmarshal system improves staff effectiveness, scheduling, and reduces operational costs. In addition, those staff hours freed up can be in ways that open additional avenues of revenue.

Using Tagmarshal’s smart data and intuitive technology, clubs can now confidently promote and provide a consistent pace of play. Given that we know exactly how important members consider the pace of play and on-course flow to their overall experience, it’s no wonder that leading courses are prioritizing investing in golf club management software ahead of the new season.

About the author:

Bodo Sieber, CEO and Co-Founder of Tagmarshal

Bodo is a dynamic leader and brings a wealth of business intelligence and corporate software applications experience to the golf industry. A German national with an extensive understanding of management and process optimization, Bodo has honed his applied data science expertise during more than a decade in the field.

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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How Golf Course Intelligence Software Is Changing The Role Of The Modern Golf Marshal

HOW GOLF COURSE INTELLIGENCE SOFTWARE IS CHANGING THE ROLE OF THE MODERN GOLF MARSHAL 

They want to know that the staff, from top to bottom, can place themselves in the members’ shoes, and thus understand what it takes to provide a consistently exceptional level of service.

Each member of staff is important to keep things running smoothly, but when it comes to on-course interaction, it is the marshals who become the face of the club. Therefore, it is crucially important to ensure that marshals are trained to handle issues that arise, such as bad pace of play and flow challenges, in an adaptive and positive manner.

Clubs can train their marshals to think on their feet, but there is no substitute for the real-time, on the go data that golf club management software provides.

Tagmarshal, the industry leader in golf course intelligent software, provides clubs with the ability to offer an exceptional level of service. Marshals can establish a positive, non-confrontational approach to enforcing course rules and regulations, backed by intuitive data and analytics.

Better still, they can offer a golf experience tailored to the individual, as the golf tracking software enables marshals to personalize conversations, remember players’ names, and better get a feel of the kind of expectations members have of the course.

When on-course issues do arise, the wealth of data allows marshals to handle them immediately, offer members assistance, and follow up upon the completion of the round, all of which ensures an exceptional experience.

In the case of Wisconsin Club, Tagmarshal’s golf management software has empowered marshals to regularly beat pace of play challenges, and the course is now a four-hour round course, a fact that they can proudly promote based on the consistency of round times.

In addition, the club has since hit its capacity of 350 members, with the greatly reduced churn rate attributed to positive and reliable on-course experiences.

To put it simply, Tagmarshal’s pace tracking system means marshals can pursue an improved pace of play, based on a positive and data-driven approach in dealing with members. This creates an environment of excellence that continues right through to the clubhouse, in turn maximizing revenue for the club.

Given how competitive the market has become, and how much of a premium golfers place on pace of play, it’s clear that golf management systems like Tagmarshal are set to further revolutionize the game in the years to come.

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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