5 questions with Louis Destroo – Stellenbosch GC

Get to know Louis Destroo who is the Director of Golf at Stellenbosch Golf Club which has hosted some of South Africa’s most prestigious golf tournaments, including the South African Open and South African Masters tournaments.

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

Jordan Spieth – the way he plays, presents himself, talks and lives…..

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

Golf has been a part of me for a long time, but I played rugby and swam a bit also. My hero growing up was Norman and Nicklaus.

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

Masters – the winner is so unpredictable! Ben Crane would be the slowest and Bill Haas is definitely the fastest.

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

Top 3 yes! People can play fast with this system we can just help them….. golfers like information so there is nothing stronger than “proving” to them they are not where they should be in their round! Support them with information and stats….

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?

Cost saving on staff and higher income because of rounds being managed better! They love it – job made easy!

Tagmarshal, foreUP form partnership!

Tagmarshal – the pace-of-play and efficiencies intelligence system used by golf courses, country clubs and resorts globally – has partnered with foreUP and its course management platform to enable operations staff to easily apply pace analytics and player data to offer more personalized services.
 
Leading the industry as a pace-of-play solution, Tagmarshal has spurred on-pace play improvements at prestigious resort and private courses from 40 percent to more than 70 percent in only weeks. Average round times have also decreased substantially, routinely 15 minutes or more, allowing public and daily fee courses to add valuable tee time capacity.

foreUP, which integrates a variety of golf-specific management tools into its point of sale suite, is the latest addition to the rapidly expanding Tagmarshal program, whose partner courses identify fast, consistent round times as a key factor in providing outstanding golf outings, which in turn translates to material revenue gains. Along with this new integration, foreUP features include tools to manage inventory, player data, tee times, food and beverage operations, member billing, course marketing and more.
 
“foreUP’s management suite seamlessly integrates with our system, further enabling courses to improve pace efficiencies for higher player satisfaction,” says Bodo Sieber, CEO of Tagmarshal. “Our top priority is empowering courses with actionable data to improve the accuracy of their field management. As a result, they can pre-emptively resolve bottlenecks and set the pace for an exceptional playing experience.”
 
The programmatic integration automatically delivers pace profiles upon tee-time reservation and at check-in to help courses incentivize fast players while assisting slow golfers with constructive and non-confrontational support. Tagmarshal’s big data analytics and intuitive modules also unlock insights that guide practical strategies for continuous improvement, allowing courses to offer a significantly enhanced product.
 
“Tagmarshal’s innovative offering complements our suite of course management tools, which focus on helping courses achieve financial and operational success,” says Joel Ragar, Co-Founder and CEO of foreUP. “One of the things top of mind for courses is pace-of-play management, and we’re excited to offer this integration as a way of improving player experience and loyalty.”
 
A recent USGA survey shows 74 percent of golfers believe pace-of-play is critical to the enjoyment of their rounds, part of the impetus for 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 to deploy Tagmarshal’s discreet data-transmitting tags.
 
Partnering with Tagmarshal, private clubs inspire happier members and daily fee facilities offer additional prime tee times capable of generating $100,000-plus in annual incremental revenue. Superintendents also use Tagmarshal data to better manage pin placements, wear patterns, hole set-ups and operational efficiencies.

About foreUP
A leader in golf course management software, foreUP produces highly innovative solutions and increases revenue through an all-in-one suite of golf management tools. Features include managing players, tee times, inventory, food and beverage, billing, marketing and reporting, all seamlessly integrated via a powerful and intuitive interface.

More information: foreUPgolf.com.
 
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.

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5 Questions with Matt Anzalone – Gainey Ranch

Matt Anzalone is the Director of Golf at Gainey Ranch, a prominent member of the ClubCorp family based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Matt is also a Regional Director of Golf for ClubCorp and serves in the SWSPGA Board of Directors.

Get to know more about Matt in 5 quick questions!

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

Tiger Woods of course because he is the GOAT! Tiger was also my hero growing up. What little kid didn’t want to play golf and win tournaments like him?

Has golf always been your first love? What other sports / team are you a fan of?

I have always loved golf but if I’m not watching golf I’m watching my Green Bay Packers! (See who else backs the Packers)

What was your favourite Major to watch this year and why?

My favorite major to watch this year was the U.S Open. I grew up in Wisconsin and have played Erin Hills several times so it was neat to see how the touring pro’s played certain holes.

Where does Pace of Play rank as an industry priority?

In my books it ranks #1. It contributes to the overall enjoyment and people just don’t seem to have enough time these day. Anything we can do to speed up the game only helps. We at Gainey Ranch have decided to invest in a pace efficiencies system for the mere fact of further improving satisfaction and enjoyment for our members and guests.

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

The top benefits are live accurate feedback and data to support both our staff and players. Our player assistants and staff have an easier job. To me, the Marshal job can be quite a thankless role. If they don’t address slow play, players can get mad – when they do address slow play, the slow players get mad. This technology supports what and how they conduct business.

Bonus question: Who’s the Slowest / Fastest player on tour?

It has to be Kevin Na or Sergio Garcia right? Fastest? Probably Brandt Snedeker? I only say that because how fast his putting stroke is.

New Jersey Courses Optimize Pace of Play

 A recent USGA survey reported that 74% of golfers believe pace is “critical” to their enjoyment of a round. That statistic shouldn’t come as a surprise, as nearly every golfer has a story about slow play sullying an otherwise great experience.

For too long, pace of play has been loosely measured by instinct, feel and other subjective methods. But in today’s age of big data and advanced analytics in sports, golf is finally turning a corner. Stalled play is in the crosshairs.

At the forefront of innovation are two New Jersey courses: Crystal Springs Resort in Sussex County, and Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in Bedminster Township. Both golf destinations recently brought on Tagmarshal – a pace management platform that is rapidly gaining traction. They are among the first Northeast courses to utilize the technology.

The system, which uses small tracking tags clipped to golfers’ bags or installed on carts, measures all player movement and preemptively offers solutions to alleviate bottlenecks and other pace obstacles. After 2017 U.S. Open host Erin Hills became an early adopter of Tagmarshal two years ago, others jumped on the bandwagon. Whistling Straits, Kiawah and Valhalla are now customers as well.

“We believe in providing the best experience possible for our members and guests,” says Fiddler’s Elbow Director of Golf Mat Kent, PGA. “We pride ourselves on staying ahead of the curve on any issue or trend and like to integrate state of the art technology to do so. Our goal is to deliver consistent round times and minimize interruptions.”

Faster play and happier golfers are just the tip of the iceberg for managers taking a more analytical look at pace of play. There’s a serious revenue benefit as well. On the busiest peak-season days, a facility can actually add capacity to the course by limiting bottlenecks and their resulting domino effect. One extra foursome per day really adds up when you close the books on a season.

Crystal Springs and Fiddler’s Elbow will look to mimic the success that Erin Hills has had with pace measurement. Years before hosting their U.S. Open host date, Erin Hills Head Pro Jim Lombardo sought to streamline pace of play by enlisting Tagmarshal. Management was able to quickly remedy identified pressure points, without resorting to expensive renovations to course layout design.

“Pace of play is strongly tied to customer service,” says Crystal Springs Director of Golf Adam Donlin, PGA. “We want to make sure we have systems in place for our guests to worry about nothing more than the golf in front of them.”

The New Jersey State Golf Association is one of the most proactive governing bodies when it comes to pace of play, recognizing members who commit to a standard of best practices. Now we may see the makings of a new trend; one where courses use objective decisionmaking to create the best experience possible and use pace as an asset. Whatever the next major effort in faster play may be, New Jersey seems poised to lead the innovation.

PaceSetter: 5 facts about Wesley Bryan’s fast round at Conway Farms

On Sunday, Wesley Bryan was out to make a statement to dismiss the conviction that tour players play slow by finishing his final round on Tagmarshal partner course Conway Farms in impressive time.

1. 18 holes in 89 minutes

Bryan shot 2-under 69 in 1 hour 29 minutes playing as a single in the first group off on Sunday at Conway Farms Golf Club, making it his best round of the week

Blink and you might miss it.@wesleybryangolf's final round at the @BMWchamps was crazy fast. 🏃💨 pic.twitter.com/SqUBqChL8B

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 17, 2017

2. A stroke a minute

69 strokes in 89 minutes meant that Bryan averaged about a stroke per minute playing approximately 5 minutes per hole.

3. 13.5 minute mile

He basically ran a 13.5-minute mile while shooting a 69. Impressive right?

4. Bryan 18th – next group 9th

By the time Bryan played his last stroke at the back 9 the group behind was only on Hole 9.

.@wesleybryangolf's final round at @BMWchamps

• 1 hour, 29 minutes
• 14 pars
• 3 birdies
• 1 bogey
• 69 pic.twitter.com/pKyl16Ayes

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 17, 2017

Bryan Later posted this.

1 hour 29 min

— Wesley Bryan (@wesleybryangolf) September 17, 2017

5. Kevin Na: Nobody’s going to break that record…

Kevin Na, notoriously known as one of the slower players on tour, shot 70 in under 2 hours at last year’s Tour Championship had shared a comment on Bryan’s feat.

“I’ll tell you what – nobody’s going to break that record shooting even par or better,”

“If you go ahead and quick-hit it, yeah, you’ll break it.”

“To birdie the last four holes, that’s pretty cool.”
Na ended the tournament at 13 over.

About Conway Farms 

Conway Farms Golf Club is a private club that prides itself on the quality of the total golf experience and the fellowship shared by members and guests. It is an 18 hole, par-71 walking course committed to fast play and continuously advancing the traditions of golf. Tagmarshal adds value at Conway Farms with its unobtrusive player and pace tracking system. http://www.conwayfarmsgolfclub.org/

5 Questions with Jim Lombardo – Erin Hills

Get to know Jim Lombardo, Head Golf Professional of the 2017 US Open hosts Erin Hills in five quick questions.

1. Has golf always been your first love? What other sports or teams are you a fan of? Who was your golf hero growing up?

Jim Lombardo: Hockey has always been my first love for sports.  I’m a big Edmonton Oilers fan.  I also really love to support Wisconsin teams so that means I’m a big Packers, Brewers, Badgers, and Bucks fan.

Growing up I watched a lot of golf and I never really had a favorite player until David Duval came along.  He was my favorite player to watch back in the day.

2. What was your favourite Major to watch this year and why?

Jim Lombardo: For obvious reasons I loved the US Open because we hosted the Championship

3. Where does Pace of Play rank as an industry priority? 

Jim Lombardo: It is easily in the top 3.  It affects player experience and the bottom line at your facility.  Its importance cannot be understated

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

Jim Lombardo: In order to keep up with the golfing industry and be a leader at the same time we felt it was very important to accurately track pace of play.  Player experience is better, bottom line is better, and the knowledge you gain about your own golf course helps you make a lot of other important decisions.  It helps you know your own business and who doesn’t want that?

5. What are the top benefits about having Tagmarshal technology to manage the field, efficiencies and the pace of play?

Jim Lombardo: Technology is so prevalent these days in every aspect of all businesses that you are losing ground to others unless you employ what you can.  Players and caddies are now accountable for their pace of play and they understand better how it affects others.

You have hard facts that you can use to educate people and help them improve and the guess work is taken out of the equation.

With data you can answer so many questions that you probably would not have been able to answer in the past.  If you educate and have a game plan for how you can manage people on the course you can improve results which leads to a better bottom line.

About Erin Hills
Erin Hills is a public golf course in the north central United States, located in Erin, Wisconsin, 35 miles (55 km) northwest of Milwaukee. Construction began in 2004 and the course officially opened in 2006. It hosted the 117th U.S. Open in 2017.
Find out more about Erin Hills here: https://erinhills.com/