Support

A day in the life of a Head Golf Pro: Optimizing efficiency and labor use

Calculate ROI

A head golf professional’s job, from the moment they arrive at the course in the early morning until they leave after closing the range and pro shop, is a demanding one, both from an operational and player perspective.

To consistently deliver exceptional on-course experiences, while often operating with stretched labor resources and revenue target pressures, courses are increasingly turning to technology for assistance.

This education series article outlines how optimization technology allows head golf pros to increase operational efficiencies by reducing the labor and resources they require to achieve their goals.

“My team (and budget) is stretched really thin”

golf cart gps systems 2way pace alert screen

Research by the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) shows that labor needs rank among the top concerns for course owners. Finding ways to maximize the value of the payroll, as well as giving their teams the tools they need to succeed, is a key component of the head golf pro’s role.

With technology enabling full oversight and visibility of operations, head golf pros are often able to cut down on the number of on-course player assistants required to monitor the field. In some cases, they may even eliminate them.

Tagmarshal’s system allows for alerts to be set up and sent to staff so they are kept abreast of what is happening without having to actively monitor the system. If a group falls a certain number of minutes out of position, for example, staff are instantly alerted to ensure a timely response.

This means the head golf pro and their teams can monitor the course’s pace of play from the clubhouse or pro shop while carrying out other tasks, or on the move via mobile phone, only stepping in to assist when a potential problem arises.

Many clubs are finding it difficult to hire qualified staff for open positions, with wages also rising sharply in recent years. Shrewd use of technology means that smaller teams can get more done, and operators can get greater value out of their existing payroll. This eases the burden on head golf pros, who must balance the hiring and firing of staff with the budget available to them.

When a staff member can fulfil multiple roles at once, it frees up time for the head golf pro to conduct golf lessons and other player-facing tasks, rather than being tucked away out of sight.

SEE OUR LABOR-SAVING TECH IN ACTION

“Our tech systems don’t talk to each other and are labor-intensive”

golf cart gps systems tee sheet

Head golf pros can’t afford to have their days be bogged down with performing menial administrative tasks when there is such a need for them to be forward-facing and visible to players.

Aside from gathering data like starter accuracy or each group’s time to schedule, which was once an arduous pen-and-paper task, Tagmarshal integrates with more than 30 leading tee sheet providers and tech solutions to combine powerful data insights from multiple sources.

The Tee Sheet Auto-Assignment feature pulls in all tee sheet data and automatically assigns the tracking device in use to the player names in that group. This is triggered as the playing group exits the first tee using GPS data, saving the starter or staff member responsible valuable time.

Once Tagmarshal has been correctly set up, the system automates many time-consuming tasks without staff having to be hands-on. The data gathered is also presented in a way that makes spotting opportunities for optimization far simpler than manually wading through large data sets.

In addition, rather than on-course staff rushing to communicate with players as poor weather approaches, alerts can be sent to all groups at the click of a button. The same is true for getting carts in at the end of the day, with an alert triggered at a certain time requesting that all carts return.

“We can’t effectively protect sensitive turf areas or hold players accountable”

According to USGA studies, course conditioning is the most critical factor in a player’s enjoyment of their round. While ensuring that a course is in good nick isn’t strictly the job of a head golf pro, embracing technology does empower them to assist maintenance and superintendent teams in a number of ways.

Monitoring where players travel on the course is labor-intensive and difficult to police, both in real-time and after the fact, as is adjusting geofence signage on the go. By setting up preset geofences that deal with specific weather conditions or tournament play, a head golf pro can toggle between these at the click of a button to react to changing needs.

The Live Map feature also allows maintenance teams to identify gaps in the field where work can be carried out without impacting the player experience, reducing the need for after-hours work.

With a complete record of each round recorded and logged via Tagmarshal’s Track Map feature, staff can see exactly where groups went during their round, as well as any geofence breaches and interactions. This helps drive accountability and inform any conversations that may need to take place at a later stage.

Conclusion

Any head golf pro who can achieve their course’s operational goals using fewer resources is sure to be popular with management and owners.

However, increasing efficiency isn’t solely about reducing costs. Freeing up labor hours means more focus can be given to ensuring that every player has a memorable experience, from the moment they arrive at the course through to when they exit the gates.

Technology empowers head golf pros and their teams by giving them the necessary tools to drive improvements day after day, which, across an entire season, will ultimately have a massive impact.

GIVE YOUR TEAM THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO SUCCEED

Watch Demo

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 10 billion data points from more than 75 million rounds of golf and has relationships with in excess of 700 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 40 of the Top 100 US courses, as well as many $40-$60 green fee courses, which are seeing excellent results using the system.

SOLUTIONS

WATCH DEMO

WATCH YOUR FREE DEMO NOW!

TAGMARSHAL

CLOSE SEARCH

SEARCH WEBSITE