WHO’S SLOW? CONWAY FARMS KNOWS

LIKE THOSE AT MOST clubs and courses around the country, golfers at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest talk a lot about pace of play. Their interest might be higher than most places since the club doesn’t offer reserved starting times.

In an attempt to have more concrete data on the subject, the club began to use Tagmarshal in mid-summer. Tagmarshal is a new information-gathering system using portable GPS-like units. The club secured a block of 40 units to disseminate to caddies at the all-walking facility. “It’s more than just a way for us to monitor play and see how things are going,” said head professional Jeff Mory.

“It’s allowed us to see how our pace of play is, or allowed us to make rangering more effective, or if we have a rain delay, to see where people are on the golf course. Just as important, it allows us to give members real-time information, not speculation.”

While Tagmarshal hasn’t necessarily led to a dramatic improvement in pace of play, it has provided irrefutable evidence of every round played at the club. That’s been beneficial to golf shop personnel, who are the ones who customarily perform marshalling duties and the first to hear any post-round grumbling from players.

“When the caddie crosses the threshold at the first tee, we know exactly what time the round began,” explained Mory. “Because we don’t have starting times, sometimes a player gets to the course, maybe hits some balls, has a bite to eat and really doesn’t know exactly when they started and how long a round takes. We also can more effectively tell where the problems occur and show people, whether it’s on a phone or tablet, where every player is in the space of time. It’s a more effective means of communication.”

Tagmarshal has shown to be beneficial in other areas that affect the time it takes players to get around 18 holes.

“We found that when you increase your green speed by a foot, that adds 10-15 minutes, on average,” said Mory. “Grow the rough an inch higher and that adds another 10-15 minutes. All this information helps us communicate with our members, and it removes all the subjectivity beyond, ‘This guy is slow,’ or ‘That guy is slow.’ ” — Rich Skyzinski

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Tagmarshal showcasing at GCMA 2017 Conference

The Tagmarshal UK and Europe team will be attending the GCMA 2017 Conference held at Mercedes-Benz World, Brooklands from the 12-14 November.

The biennial conference will showcase a programme with keynote speakers and industry specific breakout sessions that offers networking opportunities among golf club managers and industry professionals across the UK and Europe.

Tagmarshal will be joining some of its UK and Europe partners, including Carnoustie, Ballybunion and Alcanada, along with some of the golf industry’s leading providers.

Following widespread adoption and success at US courses, the Tagmarshal Golf Intelligence System provides results to a growing number of UK and European based facilities “I cannot imagine operating without TagMarshal next season. The system has proved to be invaluable. It has enabled us to make savings, improve service delivery, improve pace of play and enhance the whole golfing experience at Carnoustie. It is very much at the front and centre of how we will manage our Golf Operations in the future.” says Colin Sinclair, Head Professional at Carnoustie Golf Links, 2018 The Open Championship hosts.

John Willmore, Tagmarshal International Business Development Director, is excited to meet UK and European operators for PaceSetter conversations, “We at Tagmarshal have realized Pace Of Play is crucial to member satisfaction, and with the Tagmarshal system courses can increase the member experience and pace efficiencies all while creating a revenue opportunity. We are certainly excited to engage in conversation with course operators at the GCMA to help realize the opportunity to set the pace with Tagmarshal Golf Course Intelligence.”

Tagmarshal will be exhibiting throughout the conference at stand number seven. Head down the stand to learn how your course can optimize field efficiencies and turn pace of play into an asset for a better golf experience as well as additional revenue.

About GCMA

The GCMA is a UK based professional association for secretaries, managers, or owners of golf courses. The association helps the development of golf clubs and helps golf club managers and secretaries to fulfil their potential. The head office is in Bristol, supporting more than 1 800 members through a network of incorporating a national head office and 16 regions spread throughout the UK.

GCMA

About Tagmarshal

Tagmarshal is a pace-of-play management solution that turns pace into an asset. The system uses a series of small “tags” clipped onto one golf bag per group, or installed into carts, which transmit geolocation data. Industry-leading algorithms identify risk groups with accurate, objective support to alleviate pace challenges before they arise. Public, private and resort courses using Tagmarshal realize substantial returns on investments through improved on-course experiences achieved with less staff, as well as increases in daily rounds. Easy-to-use pace analytics, weather data integration and geo-fencing complete the offering.

This data showcases how Carnoustie was empowered to improve the on course pace experience from 60% on pace and within 10 minutes of goal time to 88% from month 2 to month 3 on the system.

Club de Golf Alcanada enjoys rise in bookings

Club de Golf Alcanada, the multi-award winning Mallorcan course, has revealed another rise in bookings for 2018 with visitor numbers up by more than 10 per cent.

The prestigious 7,108-yard, Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed layout is the only one on the island next to the sea and its popularity continues to grow with people flocking from all over Europe.

Club de Golf Alcanada has won an array of awards since opening 14 years ago and the course again proved a hit with highly-respected German magazine Golf Journal readers after being voted favourite European course for a staggering SEVENTH time earlier this year.

Kristoff Both, director of golf at Alcanada, said: “We are in a very fortunate position geographically as the course enjoys spectacular views being beside the sea.

“But as a test of golf, Alcanada has always been hugely popular with visitors as it is a real test for good golfers, while also being enjoyed by those with higher handicaps. And that is again proving to be the case judging by the new growth in bookings.

“They are up more than 10 per for March, April and May 2018 compared to this time last year. Groups are finding it much better to book early on as golf in Mallorca is growing in popularity on the European market.

“And as well as the golf, the island offers so much more as away from the fairways we are lucky to have golden beaches, lively towns, small picturesque villages, a fantastic array of hotels and not to mention a fantastic climate all year round. It is the perfect place for a golf break as well as a holiday.”

Club de Golf Alcanada beat off competition from 1,250 participants, including the likes of Spain’s 1997 Ryder Cup host Valderrama, Ireland’s 2006 Ryder Cup venue The K Club and Turkey’s Montgomerie Maxx Royal to win the coveted Golf Journal Travel Awards.

Sitting in a breathtaking location overlooking the Bay of Alcudia, Alcanada takes its name from an island with a lighthouse, situated just offshore, which can be seen from most of the holes.

In addition, the club boasts a centuries-old Mallorca clubhouse which offers guests the opportunity to sample regional specialties in its first-class dining facilities on a sun-baked terrace, while its comprehensive, newly rebranded Lighthouse Golf Academy, including a spacious short-game area and covered driving range, is also available.

The course also welcomed a contemporary traditional Spanish-style stone halfway house called the Lighthouse Bar, that offers spectacular views of the Mediterranean, while they have also introduced the revolutionary TagMarshal, which is designed to speed up play.

Club de Golf Alcanada signed a three-year contract with TagMarshal, a course management system, which on average should speed up play by 14 minutes thanks to its tracking tag that clips to golf bags and provides real-time data, allowing up-to-the-second information on every group of players.

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Tagmarshal Pace-Of-Play System To Enhance Player Experiences At Advance Golf-Managed Courses

Tagmarshal – the pace-of-play system used by golf courses, country clubs and resorts globally – is operational at several properties managed by Advance Golf, including 7 Lakes Golf Club (Pinehurst, N.C.), Bear Creek Golf Course (Hilton Head, S.C.), Bridlewood Golf Club (Dallas, Texas) and Sky Creek Ranch Golf Club (Fort Worth, Texas).

Courses planning to implement Tagmarshal technology include Back Creek Golf Club (Middletown, Del.), Legacy Golf Club (Bradenton, Fla.), Rolling Green Golf Club (Sarasota, Fla.) and Serenoa Golf Club (Sarasota, Fla.), among others.

Golf’s leading pace-of-play solution, Tagmarshal has prompted faster rounds at daily-fee, resort and private courses by up to 60% in only weeks after install. Average round times routinely decrease by 15 minutes or more, allowing for additional tee-time inventory.

“Advance Golf’s impressive courses will realize even greater pace efficiencies and player satisfaction, loyalty and revenue,” says Bodo Sieber, CEO of Tagmarshal. “Tagmarshal data will help to pre-emptively prevent bottlenecks and appropriate hole-by-hole speed.”

A recent USGA survey shows 74% of golfers believe pace of play is critical to the enjoyment of their rounds. This played into The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort (2021 PGA Championship), Whistling Straits (2020 Ryder Cup), Erin Hills (2017 U.S. Open), East Lake (Tour Championship), Carnoustie Golf Links (Open Championship), Ballybunion Golf Club (Irish Open) and many other premier golf destinations deploying Tagmarshal’s discreet data-transmitting tags affixed to golf carts and bags.

“Tagmarshal’s revolutionary system gives our properties a competitive edge to achieve financial and operational success,” says Larry Galloway, Founding Partner of Advance Golf. “Pace-of-play management is vital and directly tied to rounds and revenue trends.”

Partnering with Tagmarshal had caused courses to add prime tee times capable of generating $100,000-plus in incremental revenue annually. Superintendents also use Tagmarshal data to better manage pin placements, wear patterns, hole set-ups and operational efficiencies.

About Advance Golf
Advance Golf is a collection of individual owners and operators at various independent golf courses that provide customized solutions which transform the player experience. It matches course operators with investors to foster new capital opportunities and enact long-term improvements.

More information: advancegolfpartners.com.

5 questions with Kristoff Both – Alcanada

Get to know Kristoff Both, Director of Golf at Club de Golf Alcanada, one of Spain’s finest, and Robert Trent Jones Jr. who designed the course located in the northern part of the Mediterranean island of Mallorca.

If you could be a caddie on Tour, whose caddie would you like to be and why?

No doubt, from the legendary golf professionals still alive it must be Tiger Woods. Having seen him live, he plays the atmosphere and the energy he transmits is incredible.

Has golf always been your first love and who was your hero growing up? What other sports / teams are you a fan of?

I started playing tennis as a little boy but have been playing golf since I was 10 years old, so yes, you could say golf is my first love in sports. I do like soccer but my team, Werder Bremen, has not been doing too well the last couple of years and therefore I’ve lost a little bit of interest.

I don’t recall who was my golf hero growing up but it must have been Bernhard Langer. Now for many years it has been Phil Mickelson – I am a left handed player as well and I do love short game. I even play with the Odyssey 82 ProType putter he uses or used for some time.

Where does Pace of Play rank as an industry priority and why has your course decided to invest in Pace of Play? 

It is one of the key factors that we haven´t been able to control a hundred percent until now even though we have a starter, a marshal and 12 minute tee time intervals. The course can be at its best but if you have a couple of slow groups on the course the experience for a lot of other players is ruined. We are, however, in a place with beautiful weather and so a lot of players seem to not mind too much if the round is a couple of minutes slower than expected as they are on holiday, enjoying the good weather and the good company at our place.

As laid out before, happy customers are more likely to return and pace of play is one of the key factors to the overall experience when playing golf.

What are the top benefits about having Tagmarshal technology to manage the field, efficiencies and the Pace of Play?

I think first of all the rangers/ marshals have it a lot easier as they can identify slow groups from the very beginning and can approach them basically before the problems start on the course and even the team at the pro-shop and myself know always what is going on, on the course. We know that a lot of players are under the impression that they are not playing slow because the group playing behind might not “push” them (especially in a case where you have groups on the course that know each other). So with the new Tagmarshal system it has become a lot easier to address slow play. We can also see as a result a financial benefit due to better control of slow play we are able to add one or two tee times a day instead of having to offer twilight fees for not being able to guarantee full 18 hole rounds.

How would your Marshals / Player Assistants answer this question?

The job of the course marshals can often be difficult as they have to tell people who spend a good amount of money what they have to do. We think that the overall experience of the players has become better due to the more precise control and the marshals/ rangers have a great tool now at their hands, not having to drive around the course all the time taking notes of times to identify potential slow groups – the marshals have arrived in the 21^st century! The tablet on board the marshal buggy with the figures can be shown in worst case to a customer not understanding their position on the course and thus help to have less confrontations between staff and players.

5 questions with Mike O’Reilly – Whistling Straits

Mike O’Reilly assumed his position as Head Golf Professional at Whistling Straits in 2007, leading the golf operations team and managing all aspects of  the golf operation. Since then, he has been part of a team that has successfully hosted the 2010 and 2015 PGA Championship. Mike is now an Executive Committee Member as Whistling Straits will play host to the 2020 Ryder Cup. Here are some questions to get to know more about him:

If you could be a caddie on Tour, whose caddie would you like to be and why?

Steve Stricker.

Steve has always been a true gentleman of the game. I love his story of almost losing his tour card then battling back to become one of the best players in the world.

Has golf always been your first love and who was your golf hero growing up? What other sports / team are you a fan of? 

Golf has always been a big part of my life. I started caddying at a local country club at the age of 12 and have been involved with golf ever since. At that time I played golf but I also played soccer, wrestled and was a gymnast. By the time I was in college I began to focus more on the game and business of golf then I turned professional after graduation.

Kevin Marion was my golf hero growing up. Kevin is now the General Manager at an exclusive private country club in the Chicagoland area. When I started caddying, Kevin was the Head Professional at a different private club in the suburbs of Chicago called Ruth Lake Country Club. I looked up to Kevin for many reasons and he is a big reason I chose to work in golf.

Today I still play a lot of competitive golf but also enjoy running and water sports. Nothing beats wakeboarding and wakesurfing!

What was your favourite Major to watch this year and why? Who’s the Slowest / Fastest player on tour?

The British Open. It’s always my favorite to watch because it’s brings the viewer back to the origins of the game. Also… I love waking up to watch live golf! 

Not 100% sure but I know Ben Crane and Kevin Na are slow. Jordan Spieth is no speed demon either. Fastest… I know Brandt Snedekar doesn’t mess around out there. He has to be one of the faster players out there.

Where does Pace of Play rank as an industry priority? 

It’s absolutely in the top 3. Coming up with ways to shorten the amount of time it takes to have a golf experience is critical to the future of the game.

Why has your course decided to invest in Pace of Play?

We decided to invest in a pace of play program because we understand how big of an impact pace of play has on the overall golf experience. We can have the best facilities, courses, staff, service, etc… the best of everything but if pace of play is a disaster on the course then all of our hard work can be for nothing. The golf experience might be ruined because we weren’t able to appropriately manage pace of play.

Bonus: What are the top benefits about having Tagmarshal technology to manage the field, efficiencies and the pace of play? How would your Marshals / Player Assistants answer this question?

The greatest benefit of the program is awareness. When we have issues the entire team is aware of what’s happening on the course and we can react more quickly to issues. This has helped tremendously.

The Player Assistants like having up to date information about the entire course at all times. They no longer need to manually keep track a group and they can see an issue as soon as it arises. Instead of waiting to see the problem they can see it online then go to see the problem group.