5 PACE OF PLAY TIPS EVERY CLUB NEEDS TO FOLLOW

Time and time again, golfers have expressed the importance of field flow and the on-course pace of play. For many, it’s up there with the most vital aspects of an enjoyable golfing experience.

A recent USGA survey saw 74% of respondents agree that pace is “critical” to the enjoyment of their round. When clubs fail to deliver on this front, members are often quick to complain, and a club can gain a bad reputation that proves very tough to turn around.

Each member of staff are an important part of keeping things running smoothly, but when it comes to on-course interactions, it is the marshals who become the face to the members and guests of the club. That means, it is crucially important to ensure that marshals have the tools to handle issues that arise, such as a slow pace of play and flow challenges, in an adaptive and positive manner.

Ensuring a consistent field flow and a steady pace of play also has a massive impact on a club’s bottom line, influencing everything from the number of members who tee off through to the amount of time they spend at the pro shop and clubhouse.

To both maximize revenue opportunity and improve the members’ on-course playing experience, here are five pace of play tips clubs need to bear in mind.

Consistency

When it comes to field flow and pace of play, consistency is king.

The club can start by providing a consistent product, beginning with the course layout and conditioning. Once those boxes have been ticked, it needs to look at ensuring that each member of staff is up to speed with pace of play protocol.

With the data provided by golf club management software such as Tagmarshal, not only can management monitor member performance on the course, but they can also use the data gathered to inform and educate staff in the correct pace of play procedures.

Management can oversee all on-course operations in real time, ensuring processes work efficiently and correctly, with staff performance then analyzed and streamlined to make the most of staff hours.

Smarter starter

Pace of play starts right from the tee box, and the starter needs to hold members accountable. Teeing off at the prescribed time sets the right tone and makes keeping the intervals true throughout the rest of the day far easier.

Starters should also pay attention to factors that consistently affect pace of play, such as age, handicap, and mobility.

Once these groups are out on the course, Tagmarshal’s real-time data and golf cart GPS tracking software can keep tabs on each grouping’s pace of play and adjust accordingly.

Field flow

One of the fundamentals of pace of play is measuring how on-course flow directly impacts the members’ golfing experience.

Some clubs tend to think that when members are out on the course on time, their job is done. This reactive, rather than proactive, approach results in problems like bottlenecks, and a jammed field eventually leads to groups missing their tee times.

Clubs who tackle pace of play problems and on-course operations proactively and in real-time can offer pre-emptive support to members.

In turn, members will always react positively to a club that values their time, and readily adopt the club’s field flow and pace of play processes. The data Tagmarshal provides allows for fact-based discussions, ensuring that the occasional uncomfortable conversation with a slow-playing member can be handled tactfully.

Prioritize spending

Ultimately, money spent needs to be done so in a way that can influence the club’s bottom line.

Club management needs to illustrate the return on investment opportunities that golf management software provides, which is something that Tagmarshal has consistently shown.

At the Country Club at Castle Pines in Colorado, for example, groups playing on pace increased from 52% to 70%, even with the volume of rounds increasing by more than 500% during peak season.

In addition, round times decreased from 4:09 to 4:04, improving on the set goal time by 11 minutes. This allows clubs to increase the number of members playing through, in such a way that the quality of the experience is not compromised.

Tagmarshal’s system then offers the reporting functionalities needed to produce detailed reports, which are invaluable when developing budgets and making management decisions.

Which brings us to our final tip…

Time equals money

Many clubs often feel like they don’t have enough time or money, but they aren’t making effective use of either.

Given the wealth of data and intuitive technology now available, poor staff management is an entirely unnecessary drain on a club’s time and budgetary resources.

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:

Daniela Viotti, Key Accounts Manager of Tagmarshal

Rich with golf industry experience, Daniela brings fresh, forward-thinking ideas to her account management role. Armed with a passion for the game, she holds an MBA and is a former athlete and golf coach of the women’s golf team at the University of Missouri – St Louis. Daniela plays an integral role in supporting Tagmarshal’s partner courses.

PROOF THAT TODAY’S GOLFERS WILL PAY PREMIUM PRICES FOR QUICKER ROUNDS

Successfully run daily fee and resort courses are ones that can strike a balance between maximizing revenue and maintaining a consistently satisfying golfing experience.

Patience might be a virtue, but when it comes to field flow and pace of play on the course, it’s not a virtue that golfers are especially known for. Because of this, clubs straddle a fine line, and an error made in either direction can, ultimately, have far-reaching consequences.

Without the proper tools for complete oversight, golf course operators lose out on the opportunity to optimize the flow of the field, gain invaluable, real-time information, and provide an exceptional experience with an improved pace of play.

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%.

With this ever-increasing demand to fit in a round of golf in the morning, before having to be in the office, courses are realizing the need to better manage peak period demands by freeing up capacity.

To cater to those who place greater importance on pace of play, many daily fee and resort courses have started charging players a premium rate to guarantee that they won’t be held back by slower groups up ahead on the course.

Those golfers who play the course regularly, or those who like to play more dynamic golf without being held up, are happy to make and pay for this commitment.

Using Tagmarshal’s intelligent golf club management software, and the real-time data it provides to manage on-course field flow, operators can make use of variable goal times for different times of the day.

If courses can get player commitment to finish with a 3:50 round time, and then use the Tagmarshal course optimization system to ensure this happens, they can free up capacity for peak periods of the day.

The Ocean Course at Kiawah, the site of the 2021 and 2012 PGA Championships, 2007 Senior PGA Championship, and 1991 Ryder Cup, run their early rounds at a 4:15 target time, rather than the usual 4:45 target time.

Data shows that around 14% of groups play at 30 minutes or more over per round, which is due in large parts to delays in earlier groups. Encouraging players who enjoy a faster pace of play to tee off earlier sets a course up for smoother operations throughout the rest of the day.

The return on investment when it comes to an increased pace of play is obvious. Just two ‘Fast Track Golf’ mornings a week, charging $10 extra through the five tee times generates an extra $11 200 through a seven-month season.

At the same time, a well-balanced flow adds to player satisfaction, which leads to a greater chance of them returning. With the experience enhanced by great field flow, the value perception improves tremendously, especially for any groups that would otherwise be held up or delayed.

Ultimately, successful courses are coming to realize that for many of their golfers, the value lies not in how much the round costs. Rather, they want a course that guarantees a consistent pace of play, and one that shows a proactive approach to on-course flow.

Deliver on these fronts, and deliver consistently, and courses will find more and more golfers returning for another round.

MICHAEL WILLIAMS TALKS WITH BODO SIEBER ON GOLF CLUB MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Tagmarshal’s CEO and co-founder, Bodo Sieber, was featured on The 19th Hole with Michael Williams, discussing golf club management software and how Tagmarshal is optimizing operational efficiencies and player experiences at courses worldwide.

Michael Williams is savvy broadcaster and writer, producing critically acclaimed shows on Fox Radio network and Newschannel8. A keen golfer, Williams has produced publications covering the game of golf and the golf lifestyle around the world. Williams is a member of the USGA and the Golf Writers Association of America.

Listen to the full conversation here:

HOW GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT AND A GOOD ROUND OF GOLF MIRRORS THE SUCCESSFUL RUNNING OF A GOLF CLUB

We have all heard the adage that ‘golf is a good walk spoiled’. Anyone who has ever had to hunt down a wild tee shot can relate, but private courses understand that they need to do everything in their power to create a unique and memorable experience for each golfer.

In the same way that a golfer needs to master a range of skills to shoot a solid round, so too does course management need to understand each aspect of the club’s smooth running.

To ensure maximum operational efficiencies, you need to be a strong visionary, a good manager who understands the nuances of what makes the course tick, and an improver of business processes.

Tagmarshal’s revolutionary golf management systems empowers managers and staff with the knowledge and tools to tick these boxes, providing real-time data to produce detailed reports that are invaluable when making critical management decisions.

Much like how improving accuracy off the tee can inexplicably lead to a wonky iron game, implementing new systems will often come with some frustrations, and as one problem is solved, another invariably arises. Getting the most out of a tool as powerful as Tagmarshal takes time and training, and a course’s needs may shift and change, but sticking with it is key.

After all, as a rather famous golfer once said, “The harder I practise, the luckier I get.”

In business, as in golf, it’s a game of inches. A gust of wind here, a putt that lips out to a few yards there, and you’re walking into the clubhouse with a very different-looking scorecard.

Private clubs operate in the same way. If you underinvest in something critical like golf course optimization, your club can still fail, even if you’ve done everything else masterfully.

Too often courses think that once the golfer is out on the course, the quality of their experience is in their own hands, when they should be thinking of ways to optimize every aspect, no matter how small the detail.

The average round of golf takes somewhere around four hours, and it’s during this time that a club can really set itself apart.

Something as simple as the marshals greeting each group by name can have a huge bearing on how people perceive their day on the course. Showing players that you’re proactively tackling pace-of-play issues using on-the-go data is an invaluable asset, and is just one example of the lengths the club will go to make up those all-powerful inches.

A successful round is a sum of all its parts, and the same is true for a for a private club. Utilizing Tagmarshal’s industry-leading golf course optimization platform, management can keep their eye on the ball, ultimately increasing their chances of making each player’s walk a little less spoiled.

THE COUNTRY CLUB AT CASTLE PINES ACHIEVES OVER 90% ON-PACE ROUND TIME SUCCESS, OPTIMUM PLAYING EXPERIENCE USING TAGMARSHAL

(CASTLE ROCK, Colo.) – Tagmarshal – the golf intelligence and field flow management system coveted by golf courses, country clubs and resorts globally – is achieving exceptional results at the exclusive The Country Club at Castle Pines.

Considered one of the elite private clubs in Colorado, The Country Club of Castle Pines is experiencing a significantly improved flow of the field through Tagmarshal’s state-of-the-art geo-tagging and pace algorithms to consistently speed rounds by 11 minutes. The Country Club of Castle Pines also achieved ideal field flow through Tagmarshal, as groups playing on pace increased from 52% to over 70%. In addition, over 90% of groups consistently finishing within 10 minutes of goal time, even with volume increasing more than 500% in peak season.

“Our experience with Tagmarshal and its unique functionalities, together with the implementation into our operation, has been exceptional,” says Andrew Hedrick, PGA head professional at The Country Club of Castle Pines. “The data provided is an asset in our day-to-day operations. Our members have embraced the system and are often asking our on-course staff to review their live statistics and get an accurate status on their group.”

A recent USGA survey shows 74% of players believe appropriate field flow is critical to the enjoyment of their rounds. Tagmarshal is an industry-leader in golf course intelligence and field flow management, and utilized by more than 200 golf courses in nine countries. Those trusting Tagmarshal include Carnoustie (site of the 2018 Open Championship), Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (2019 U.S Amateur Championship), The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort (2021 PGA Championship), Whistling Straits (2020 Ryder Cup), Erin Hills (2017 U.S. Open), East Lake (2018 TOUR Championship) and Valhalla (2014 PGA Championship).

“The tremendous success found at The Country Club at Castle Pines showcases the outstanding benefits Tagmarshal can provide to exclusive private clubs,” says Craig Kleu, COO of Tagmarshal. “Management and staff members at clubs of all types are provided data-driven tools that enable them to operate efficiently and enhance player experiences.”

Partnering with Tagmarshal allows courses like The Country Club at Castle Pines to become pace setters with improved operational efficiencies, including labor savings. Adding prime tee times thanks to Tagmarshal is resulting in more than $100,000 in annual incremental revenue for many courses. Superintendents use Tagmarshal data to better manage pin placements, wear patterns and hole set-ups.

View original article here

About The Country Club at Castle Pines

Located just minutes south of Denver, The Country Club at Castle Pines boasts a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design that weaves seamlessly into the Rocky Mountain landscape. The exclusive family-oriented club offers first-rate amenities, year-round fun and original family activities. Its Club Vision 2020 plan will provide a full complement of country club amenities in two years including new adult and family dining areas, and outside terraces with spectacular views of Pikes Peak and Devils Head, adult and family cliffside pools with cabanas, new men’s and women’s golf locker rooms, a grand ballroom and a par-3 course.

HOW TO EMPOWER MARSHALS AND ON-COURSE STAFF TO BE EXPERIENCE MANAGERS

From the moment that members and guests step onto a golf course, they expect the club’s staff to strive to make their experience as enjoyable as possible.

Personally, I, and I’m sure these sentiments are shared by most golfers, want to know that the staff, from top to bottom, can place themselves in my shoes, and understand what it takes to provide a consistently exceptional level of service.

Each member of staff are an important part of keeping things running smoothly, but when it comes to on-course interactions, it is the marshals who become the face to the members and guests of the club. That means, it is crucially important to ensure that marshals have the tools to handle issues that arise, such as a slow pace of play and flow challenges, in an adaptive and positive manner.

Country Clubs and private golf courses alike can train their marshals to think on their feet, but there is no substitute for the real-time, on the go data and analytics that golf course intelligence, golf cart GPS tracking, and golf club management software provides.

Tagmarshal, the industry leader in golf course intelligence software, provides country clubs and private golf courses with the tools and abilities to continuously go above and beyond members and guests expectations, through consistent on-course field flow, excellent pace of play and memorable playing experiences.

With Tagmarshal, 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 unique golf experience tailored to the individual, as the golf tracking software enables marshals to personalize conversations, know players’ names, and better get a feel of the kind of expectations members have of the course. It also provides additional experience functionalities, such as notifying the on-course drinks carts and ensuring the safety of members and guests during severe weather.

Additionally, Tagmarshal’s User and Staff Management module allows for the customization and prioritizing of notifications and alerts. These additional alerts include geofence alerts, pace alerts, and critical zone alerts and can be set to display system pop-ups, send alert emails, text messages or even an automated phone call for high priority warnings.

These pioneering features ensure marshals get real-time, relevant information, in the best-suited format, for both information purposes and to respond proactively. It also allows for improved task and efficiencies management, as each marshal can be tracked individually. This feature improves, for example, interventions, course effectiveness, and starter accuracy.

When on-course issues do arise, the system’s intuitive real-time data allows marshals to handle them immediately, offer 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 course intelligence and 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 a greatly reduced churn rate attributed to positive and reliable on-course experiences.

To put it simply, Tagmarshal’s GPS pace tracking system means marshals and player assistants can pursue an improved pace of play, based on a positive, non-confrontational and data-driven approach in dealing with members. This creates an environment of excellence that continues right through to the clubhouse, and ultimately 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 the author:

John Willmore, International Sales Director, and Co-founder of Tagmarshal

With a wealth of experience in technical sales, John takes a relationship-based approach to his business development and marketing responsibilities. As a life-long golfer with a single-digit handicap, John knows that a positive pace of play is non-negotiable.