5 WAYS TO ALIGN YOUR COURSE TO BEST UTILIZE TAGMARSHAL

Every golf club is constantly looking at ways to improve, both in operational practices and in player experience, and in today’s world that means making use of technological advancements.

Much like how the woods and irons that players stock their bags with have undergone fine tuning, so too have clubs re-evaluated the ways in which they’re going to tackle some of the game’s enduring, and most frustrating, problems.

Ever sat twiddling your thumbs whilst a slow-playing group up ahead creates a backlog that lasts throughout the round? Of course, you have, because it’s an issue that golf has been grappling with for as long as we can remember.

Intelligence software like Tagmarshal presents clubs with a unique opportunity to tackle pace of play issues, but in order to maximize success and benefit fully from such a powerful tool, clubs need to ensure that they are well-prepared.

Here are five practical ways for clubs to do just that:

Trained staff at each point, from arrival to departure

As soon as members and guests first set on the premises, the club’s staff needs to ensure that they’re making the experience as enjoyable as possible.

Implementing new systems successfully requires a buy-in from all the staff, and any unprofessionalism or mistakes made early in the process can have knock-on effects further down the line.

Tagmarshal’s success relies on real-time communication between staff, and when each staff member understands how their role fits into that bigger picture, they can work towards achieving the end goal as a cohesive unit.

You will also find that once Tagmarshal brings down the average round time, there is more money to be made at the pro shop, and through food and beverages. Ensuring adequate training in these areas can also maximize this revenue stream.

Practical aspects

Before golfers set out to start their rounds, they must be handed the Tagmarshal tags, which enable the real-time GPS tracking.

This is also the ideal time to introduce the system with a brief explanation. Upon the completion of a round, the tags will need to be collected, which also presents an opportunity for staff to elicit feedback on the player experience.

Starting accuracy

The importance of the starter cannot be overstated, and there’s more to the job to simply ensuring everyone tees off at the correct time.

That’s not to underestimate the value of holding players accountable from the first tee, and having groups tee off at the prescribed time does make it easier to keep the intervals true during the rest of the day.

The starter also plays a vital role in communicating what is expected from the various groups and informing them of how marshals will handle any on-course issues that may arise.

Because Tagmarshal empowers marshals with a wealth of information not previously at their disposal, starters need to both understand the system, explaining to the players how it will be used to better their golfing experience, and provide a frame of reference for how marshals will interact with groups.

Once the groups are on the course, the real-time data and GPS tracking software can be relayed back to the starter, who can then use that information to adjust any tee times where necessary.

The starter also plays a vital role in communicating what is expected from the various groups and informing them of how marshals will handle any on-course issues that may arise.

Re-educating marshals

Tagmarshal completely changes the scope of a marshal’s on-course role, and that means that additional training will be necessary.

Marshals now have a wealth of information at their fingertips, and how they convey this information, both in tone and messaging, becomes a key component of their success. With the right training, this additional information will make it easier to deal with pace of play issues in real-time.

Most groups aren’t exactly overjoyed when approached by a marshal but tackling the issue of slow play can now be done in a data-driven, non-confrontational manner.

Marshals should understand which information and data resonates best with groups and how to explain it, as well as figuring out which members of slow-playing groups are likely to be most receptive to being approached.

Finally, there are also additional experience functionalities, such as notifying the on-course drinks carts and ensuring player safety during severe weather.

The marshal’s messaging and tone is key, and should align with the messaging put out by the rest of the staff, which brings us to our final point…

Getting players to buy into the concept

Even when running as a finely-tuned machine, Tagmarshal’s success is still reliant on players understanding how the system is designed for their own benefit. Pace of play remains one of golf’s biggest gripes, and players want to see their favourite courses taking active measures to rectify this.

The starter and the marshals are pivotal to getting this point across, but when the round is done and the dust has settled, clubs shouldn’t think the job is done.

When collecting the tags from each player, a quick rundown of the day’s slowest and quickest holes, or chatting with players directly about Tagmarshal’s effectiveness, helps to keep everyone engaged in the process.

This participation helps players understand how the system works, encourages the idea that speeding up pace of play is a collective effort, and opens channels of communication that make on-course intervention a far less prickly experience.

Ultimately, when a club’s staff have been adequately trained in how to implement the new systems, and those on the course understand that their playing experience is better for it, then a club is best positioned to maximize Tagmarshal’s immense potential.