5 Ways Player Profiles Gathered Using Golf Cart GPS Help Provide An Enhanced Experience
When a golf operation knows who is on the course and exactly where they are, thanks to player profiles built out via golf cart GPS technology, it opens up a wide range of opportunities.
Golf’s unprecedented growth – the National Golf Foundation’s data shows it’s the largest-growing sport in the US – has led to more players taking to the course than ever before. However, that doesn’t mean clubs have to lose their personal service touch.
Showing full round histories with average pace, interactions and other valuable information helps operators with oversight and management, facilitating an enhanced player experience for everyone.
Below, we will touch on 5 ways player profiles, gathered using golf cart GPS tracking, enable more enjoyable golf.
1. Utilizing golf cart GPS live tracking to improve on-course interactions
Because golf cart GPS technology gives real-time line of sight of where each playing group is, player assistants can be targeted with their on-course interactions.
We say player assistants, rather than the more traditional ‘marshal’, as this role has been being repositioned in recent years, moving away from the ‘policing’ of pace and toward working with players to ensure they have the most enjoyable round possible.
Research by the USGA shows that “ensuring speed of other players on the course” and “corrective actions taken to ensure pace expectations are being met” are perfect frustrators. Get this wrong and the quality of the experience will be adversely impacted.
At a private club, people don’t want to be told to speed up. We had to find other ways to have those interactions with members and Tagmarshal’s software has provided us an avenue to get out there before things become a problem.
The value of having built-out player profiles is more than just knowing who is in each playing group. Should they be behind pace, a player assistant can draw on past round data to see whether this is an outlier and these players are usually on pace, and can tailor the interaction accordingly.
Conversely, if the data linked to their player profiles shows they are regularly out of position, player assistants will know the group requires closer attention. They will also have data on hand to inform neutral, fact-based discussions with these players.
Once players understand that a course is making an effort to proactively manage pace and flow of play at the course, it’s also a lot easier to get players on board with a pace culture.
Tagmarshal gives us the data we need to quantify how we measure success in terms of pace of play and our overall culture. The fact that a member comes into my office after a round and is excited about their improved pace means it’s front of mind.
2. White glove service using golf cart GPS technology
Perhaps the most obvious impact of golf cart GPS and extensive player profiles is the ability to offer white glove service.
At private clubs especially, or courses with a high volume of repeat players, operators can note the exact preferences of each person.
For example, if a player enjoys having a certain drink delivered after 6 holes, the course can ensure that there is a drinks cart waiting at the 7th tee. These personal touches go a long way to enhancing the player experience.
Our partnership with Tagmarshal has been integral to our player experience and service strategy, by providing us with the data-driven management we need to optimize player experiences, helping us to deliver consistent excellence that keeps our players coming back again and again.
In addition, at courses where Tagmarshal’s 2Way golf cart GPS screens are in use, courses can use the 2Way messaging capabilities to let players know if their favorite food is on special, or if there is a deal running at the pro shop that may interest them.
If a club is studious about noting what a player orders when they finish their round, they can have a certain drink or menu item ready as soon as the player walks off the 18th tee, or even at the turn.
The latter ensures that on-course flow isn’t interrupted by waits at the halfway house, which in turn improves the player experience.
The pace of play numbers and data is incredible, but the proactive service we can provide is really invaluable to us. I had a member who was blown away at how we know exactly where she is so that we can offer tailored service on the course, without them even asking.
3. Post-round conversations based on golf cart GPS data
Golf cart GPS technology and the data it provides also facilitate better post-round conversations.
With all geofence breaches tied to player profiles, courses can identify repeat offenders and take any necessary action.
That could involve a conversation as a starting point. Should any further action be required, it’s easier to highlight why these steps are being taken using the data attached to the player profile.
Ultimately, this is about improving course conditioning, which enhances the player experience for everyone. Research repeatedly shows that course conditioning ranks as the top factor impacting a player’s enjoyment of a round.
Tagmarshal’s Track Map feature is also an invaluable tool in post-round conversations.
We are always using the data to learn and improve. Using the Track Map, we can look back at problem groups and see exactly how we communicated with them and whether it worked.
Course operators often face negative feedback from players about the length of a round, which may have taken place days or even weeks ago.
The Track Map can be called up at any time, either by finding the correct tee time on that day or by visiting a player’s profile, and will show exactly how long a round took.
It will also show any interactions logged by player assistants, including messages regarding pace, and whether or not the player’s group was slow, held up by a group in front or holding others up.
After a round, or the next day, I can show our members their pace in the Track Map and it’s point blank right in front of them, making it so much easier to have those discussions. At the start of each month, we also send our members Tagmarshal’s reports and it’s super helpful in having pace discussions.
4. Assign tee times based on pace history
Tagmarshal’s golf cart GPS technology includes the Tee Sheet Auto-Assignment feature, which makes tying the data gathered to player names more efficient than ever.
ForeTees, Lightspeed, Club Prophet, Jonas and foreUP all integrate with Tagmarshal’s system, along with many other leading tee sheet providers.
By combining tee sheet data with golf cart GPS technology, tracking tags are automatically assigned to the player names in a group. This occurs as the group enters the trigger zone entry point at the first tee.
From the course’s perspective, no monitoring is required, as these assignments are automatically flagged by the system in the event that the timing falls out of line with the tee sheet times.
The Auto Tag Assignment is unique and flawless. Every morning when we open up the tee sheet, all the names are integrated and plugged in and all we are doing is assigning the tags.
The Auto-Assign feature is very smart and accurate. With player names, we always know if it’s a first-time or repeat player and we can communicate accordingly.
The above technology saves valuable labor hours that can be redirected towards offering better service and also enables courses to assign tee times based on a player’s pace history.
Having consistently quicker players teeing off in your earlier rounds goes a long way to preventing course bottlenecks during the mid to late-morning rounds.
Conversely, players who often play above a course’s desired goal time can be assigned to later tee times, where being out of position has a significantly reduced impact on the day’s pace and flow.
By identifying players who struggle to keep pace, a course can also put steps in place to offer assistance. This may include a conversation or lessons with the Head Golf Professional or closer attention on-course from player assistants.
From the data, we know who our slower and quicker members are and we set the tee sheet up accordingly, which helps us a lot with course flow
Using the player profiles, I can take all the emotion out and pinpoint exactly which members are struggling with pace in board meetings.
The above measures will lead to better pace and flow, and possibly open up the opportunity to increase tee sheet capacity. Members, guests and players would then have a greater chance of securing a tee time during in-demand times.
5. Golf cart GPS data records for players
A full record of rounds tracked by golf cart GPS and played by each player isn’t just beneficial to an operator – it may also benefit the player themselves, too.
In a recent survey by a popular golf website, more than 65% of respondents cited slow play as the most annoying golfer habit.
However, in the same survey, 63% of respondents labeled themselves fast players and fewer than 1% described themselves as guilty of slow play.
There is clearly a disconnect between perception and reality here which is bridged by data. With a complete record of their pace history, players who were unaware of any pace issues may be confronted with the truth and take remedies to self-correct.
Having data has certainly helped a lot of our members and they have grown to really appreciate and be very knowledgeable of their pace.
Clubs can also highlight and celebrate the successes of players who consistently excel in this regard.
This could happen as part of a club’s monthly mailer, with an initiative like the fastest round of the month, which may also inspire others to improve their pace.
When players see firsthand the depth of the data gathered by these systems, it also becomes very clear that the club is prioritizing pace of play across the board, which ultimately benefits the players themselves.
Our members know we are making an effort to improve pace and flow of play. Tagmarshal’s system raises awareness among the membership that you’re watching and there’s a lot of cooperation.
Conclusion
A course’s success depends on providing the best possible player experience, and technology helps facilitate that.
Data-rich player profiles are just one of many tools at a tech-assisted operator’s disposal and provide insights that help them make smarter decisions so that their facility functions optimally.
Operations that manage to maintain exceptional levels of service will differentiate themselves from the rest, holding them in good stead to capitalize on the growth of the sport.
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