MET PGA GIVES TAGMARSHAL THE NOD TO ENHANCE TOURNAMENT FIELD FLOW AND ON-COURSE OPTIMIZATION

Tagmarshal, a pioneering golf course intelligence, and pace management software, recently announced an exciting partnership with the Metropolitan PGA Chapter, which will see the adoption of Tagmarshal’s innovative golf course intelligence platform into the Chapter’s annual tournament roster.

From its inception, the partnership has been crafted to benefit MET PGA members by bringing to bear Tagmarshal’s distinctive pedigree for on-golf intelligence innovation. MET PGA members will appreciate Tagmarshal’s continued advancements, by providing actionable insight and intuitive data at tournament level.

“From a tournament pace of play management perspective, Tagmarshal has provided a solution that we have long been in search of,” says Jeff Voorheis, Executive Director of MET PGA. “Our partnership is predicated on the utilization of this wonderful resources for some of our major events while increasing awareness about the Tagmarshal system and its capabilities among PGA professionals in our section.”

This multi-year partnership will afford Tagmarshal comprehensive brand positioning, promotion, and relationship-building opportunities throughout the chapter.

Geared towards assisting MET PGA member courses to effectively manage a variety of competitions, from qualifiers and local competitions at the club level to tournaments, leagues, and tours at the association and professional level, Tagmarshal’s Tournament Track recently tagged, tracked and analyzed the New York State Open, hosted at Bethpage State Park, who will be hosts to the 2019 PGA Championship and the 2024 Ryder Cup

With 74% of golfers believing pace of play is critical to the enjoyment of their round, the player experience remains top of mind for the MET PGA. Fittingly, Tagmarshal’s revolutionary solution utilizes real-time data and industry leading algorithms to improve the average round times of a tournament, ensuring a well-managed and consistent course flow and pace of play.

Courses using Tagmarshal’s revolutionary solution almost immediately realize returns through improved on-course experiences, achieved with fewer staff, and also through increases in available daily rounds and capacity.

“Tagmarshal premium and core systems, which are used in day to day golf operations to optimize the on-course experience for members and guests have enjoyed rapid adoption and positive results with partner courses in the NY Met region. ” says Bodo Sieber, CEO of Tagmarshal.

“The partnership with MET PGA allows us to add value to their competitions and also share data learnings and educational insights with the PGA professionals they represent.”

Rich in history, the leadership, innovativeness, and quality that has become synonymous with the Metropolitan PGA elevate this association to a position of prominence both in the local golf community and among its national counterparts.

About MET PGA

The Metropolitan PGA Section Foundation is our vehicle to carry out the mission to promote the goodwill and growth of the game of golf by positively impacting the lives of junior golfers, veterans, and those who are underserved by the game. We accomplish this by focusing our efforts under three founding pillars: Youth Golf, Military, and Diversity and Inclusion.

More information:  http://met.pga.com/

DATA AND ITS IMPACT ON PACE OF PLAY AT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COURSES

By Elvis Anderson

Our conversation with Tagmarshal CEO Bodo Sieber, prompted memory of a great Yogi Berra quote.

“Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.”

Tagmarshal’s aim is to be, “the leading golf course efficiencies and field management solution. The system uses a series of GPS “tags” that work with both cart and walking courses – clipped onto one golf bag per group or installed into carts. Algorithms identify risk groups and empower courses to provide accurate, objective support to alleviate pace challenges before they arise, reducing average round times and materially improving the pace experience.”.

Ultimately, Tagmarshal helps manage pace of play. Golfers want it so they can play more golf in less time and golf courses want it to better organize their tee sheet. A better flow is the aim and gathered data prevents bottlenecks or delays.

“Eight of the top 10 public golf courses in the States are using Tagmarshal. We help resorts such as Kohler and Erin Hills provide a better guest experience. And we help private clubs by providing valuable data which enables them to send fast players off early and slower players after,” Sieber tells World’s Best Golf Destinations.

The data gathered by Tagmarshal is more specific than a marshal sitting under a tree on the fourth hole with a stop watch. The data will point out pace of play surges or stoppages and enables a marshal to have a more productive conversation with guests or members.

Sieber uses a commercial flight to explain the benefits of Tagmarshal, “Imagine flying plane at 80-percent occupancy versus 95-percent. The difference over a year is substantial.”

The data will put an end to pro shop debates because numbers don’t lie. Imagine a head professional sitting down with a member and reviewing the information:

“Mr. Jones, we have data here from your previous five rounds. You’re a fast player on the first 12 holes, but after your eighth beer – things get a bit loose which is fine, but please be aware. If you get pressed from behind – please let them go ahead.”

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USE OF TAGMARSHAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM INCREASE BY 275%

COURSES ADD $7.5 MILLION IN GREEN FEES, REDUCE PACE OF PLAY BY UP TO 30 MINUTES

(ATLANTA, Ga.) – Tagmarshal – golf intelligence and pace-of-play system coveted by golf courses, country clubs and resorts globally – has increased the number of installs by 275% over the past 12 months.

After the first three months implementing Tagmarshal, courses reduced average round times by 14 minutes and realized a combined $7.5 million in incremental greens-fee revenue. Of the 5 million rounds tracked in 2018, 73% were played within five minutes of target goal times and pace improved by as much as 30 minutes.

“A recent USGA survey shows 74% of players believe appropriate speed is critical to enjoying their rounds,” says Bodo Sieber, CEO of Tagmarshal. “Our real-time intelligence provides operators with invaluable data that increases golfer satisfaction and business profits.”

Tagmarshal is utilized by more than 150 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).

In addition to marquee golf courses, dozens with greens and cart fees less than $50 also benefit from Tagmarshal. By pre-empting golfer logjams and creating more efficient monitoring programs, more tees times are created. The net annual gain is as much as $40,000 per course, validating Tagmarshal’s affordability.

“We are continuously looking for ways to improve our on-course capabilities and create more memorable experiences for guests,” says Matt Barksdale, PGA, Resort Head Golf Professional at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club. “The adoption of Tagmarshal has been seamless and the system has already produced positive insights for us to implement.”

Superintendents embracing Tagmarshal’s technological innovations have been positioning their courses as pace setters in the industry. Comparing player and hole performance data over time enables partners to proactively adjust operations, including better management of pin placements, wear patterns, hole set-ups and labor expenses.

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KEEPING PACE AT CONWAY FARMS: ADOPTING TECHNOLOGY FOR A TRADITIONAL GAME

Conway Farms Golf Club (CFGC) in Lake Forest, Ill., features a 7,288-yard, 18 hole Tom Fazio course that opened in 1991. The mission to which the club has remained steadfast—to continuously advance the traditions of golf, including fast play, no tee times, walking the course with a caddie, respecting fellow participants, and supporting championship golf—is a prominent facet of the club’s culture and success.

According to a 2016 USGA Survey, 74 percent of golfers believe that pace is crucial to the enjoyment of their round, and Conway Farms fully agrees. To support their mission, while ensuring an enjoyable, seamless golf experience for members and guests during the 18,000 rounds played each year, Conway Farms recently began using Tagmarshal’s golf intelligence technology to monitor pace of play, enhance player experience, and maximize staff efficiency.

Initially, Head Golf Professional Andrew Adamsick, PGA, wasn’t convinced that the course really “needed” pace-of-play technology, but, seeking to stay ahead of the curve in providing members with the best golf experience, he set his skepticism aside and researched some of the products in the market. Ultimately, they decided to go with Tagmarshal, and the unobtrusive GPS tracking tags and easy-to-use data analytics have made adopting the technology into their operations a simple, gratifying process.

HOW IT WORKS

The Tagmarshal technology applies algorithms that are based on findings and trends from 900 million data points tracked across the more than 200 courses partnered with the company. The entire CFGC course was mapped during a weeklong “calibration period,” whereby data was collected for approximately 70 zones, and the course flow and player movement on the course was identified. This calibration also checked per-hole times and zone times against set-up information provided by CFGC staff, and corrected any assumptions based on the data reality. Within 30 days of signing with Tagmarshal, the set-up, training and calibration were complete, and the full system went live.

CFGC has 40 Tagmarshal tags, which are GPS trackers that are clipped onto the caddies’ bibs before the round begins. Members know that rounds are expected to be completed in about four hours, with an official course goal time set as four hours and six minutes. Conway Farms staff can access the live map from computers, tablets and phones and track caddies as they walk the course. Based on course algorithms, on-screen icons will change colors to inform the group and the marshal of their pace. A green indicator means on-pace, orange indicates delayed play due to a group ahead, and a red tag indicates a slow pace.

“Our staff is now armed with real, objective data about the pace for each round, which eliminates subjectivity from the equation when caddies or marshals need to encourage golfers to speed up. It’s easy to show the player real-time data on the course map,” said Adamsick.

“Our members actually are pleased to be accountable and the tags encourage self-regulation and self-awareness,” Adamsick explains. “It’s not a policing mechanism, but an investment we’re making to ensure our members are having a successful golf experience.”

DATA-DRIVEN EFFICIENCY

The Tagmarshal mapping allows staff to see where bottlenecks occur, what holes are the slowest, what times of day see the quickest or slowest rounds, and how long people spend in the halfway house. All of this data can be used to improve operations, staffing and overall course management..

The data is broken out into a report containing data points and corresponding action points for any given time period. For example, Conway Farms ran a report tracking rounds from April 22 through July 31. The 1,274 rounds showed information on 3,949 players and yielded an average round time of three hours and 56 minutes and 51 seconds, which is below the target goal time.

Among other things, the analysis looks at daily distribution by breaking down a week’s play by performance clusters compared to goal performance as well as tee time distribution by breaking down each day’s performance. Sunday is the slowest pace day (30% materially slow) and Monday was the fastest pace day (11% materially slow). Additionally, on any given day, tee times between 11 a.m.-12 p.m. are the slowest (43% more than 10 minutes behind) and tee times before 8 a.m. are the fastest. The recommended action for Conway Farms is to consider optimizing staff efficiency by reallocating marshaling hours from faster, less busy days/tee times to where slow play is evident to ensure an improved experience at equal or reduced cost.

“The data and statistics collected from Tagmarshall on pace of play prepares you for your board meeting,” said Todd Marsh, CCE, COO at Conway Farms Golf Club, noting the value of having a complete understanding of play on the course.

PEACE OF MIND

Optimizing staff at peak hours, confirming operational efficiencies, and giving staff the data to manage the pace of play in a professional and objective manner are immediate benefits of using pace-of-play technology. Adamsick points out that there is also an element of security that comes with being able to track every group on the course. Within the first month of adopting Tagmarshal, he was away from the course at a family party when his weather alarm went off indicating lightning strikes were quickly closing in on the course. From the party, he was able to remotely locate golfers on the course map and monitor the carts as they swiftly brought all golfers to safety. “That peace of mind and the ability to quickly get members to safety in an emergency situation like that has been an immeasurable benefit of the Tagmarshal technology,” he noted.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA TO A SUCCESSFUL GOLF COURSE OPERATION, WHY THE PLAYER EXPERIENCE FACTOR IS ALL IMPORTANT IN GOLF AND PLAYABILITY TIPS.

Join the team from Golf Course Managers Association and Bodo Sieber, CEO, and Co-founder of Tagmarshal, a pioneer in golf course intelligence, who shares thought-provoking ideas from the world’s top operators on how to think differently about service and the player, member and guest experience to empower a major competitive advantage.

Learn from some of the industry’s top and innovative golf course operators and, of course, from tracking over 900 million data points.

ALL SYSTEMS GO AT SOUTH FLORIDA PGA PRO-SUPERINTENDENTS CHAMPIONSHIP

Tagmarshal’s Tournament Track was today showcased at the South Florida Pro-Superintendent Championship, hosted by the illustrious The Club at Ibis, West Palm Beach Country Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

As official partners of the South Florida PGA Chapter, Tagmarshal took the opportunity to tag, track and analyze the group’s participating in this key event to illustrate just how efficiently Tagmarshal’s Tournament Track solution can manage all types of competitions, from qualifiers and local competitions at the club level to tournaments, leagues, and tours at the association and professional level.

“The South Florida PGA Chapter is the third largest Section of PGA Professionals amongst all 41 PGA Sections in the United States,” says Bodo Sieber, CEO of Tagmarshal. “The partnership between the South Florida PGA Chapter and Tagmarshal exemplifies the shared mission to promote interest, participation, and enjoyment in the game of golf.”

Tagmarshal’s Shotgun Auto-Starting feature allowed the players to experience first hand how rounds can be tracked and automatically aligned to the event’s set goal times. It also allowed players to gain practical insight to the template-based start setup and assignments functions, together with the facility of real-time group location notifications, which became extremely helpful to course staff who could be proactive in collecting players and ensuring their safety on outlying holes during the severe weather conditions, which interrupted play.

With Tagmarshal’s Tournament Track in action, the Golf Professionals and Superintendents got to experience practical, in-depth examples of the platform’s on-course experience and operational management functionalities, access to their individual and the overall championship performances, together with up-to-the-second tracking of results.

“Tagmarshal offers a substantive opportunity to strengthen the game’s future by creating a more captivating experience for golfers with the help of smart, easy to use technology and actionable data that optimize facility operations,” added Bill Byrne, who heads up Tagmarshal in Florida.

Consistent experiences, healthy pace of play and providing great playing conditions are important to golfers, and with the advancements of golf course intelligence enhanced best practices facility managers provide a better product to their members and guests.

Player experience, operational efficiencies, and revenue are key for Tagmarshal partners and the solution is well established in the day to day operations, with over 7 million rounds tracked and adding value to 200 facilities, including eight of the top 10 US Public Courses and a number of top 100 Private Clubs.

About South Florida PGA

The South Florida Section of the PGA of America is an association of golf professionals whose mission is to promote interest, participation, and enjoyment in the game of golf; establish and maintain professional standards or practice, and enhance the well-being of golf professionals. Approximately 1,850 members and apprentices are employed at over 460 facilities in the South Florida region, currently ranking South Florida Section the second largest Section of PGA Professionals amongst all 41 PGA Sections in the United States.

More information:  http://www.sfpgagolf.com/