Article by James A. Frank, Club Director, Summer issue, 2024

What does the member expect from a private club? Staff who knows their name and a bartender that knows their favorite cocktail. Golf clubs that magically appear on the range, the golf or tennis pro having time to schmooze with them about improving backswings and backstrokes, a perfectly manicured golf course where play flows smoothly. In short, a seamless operation free of the hassles, harangues and hiccups of everyday life. How does it happen? Software. Private clubs heavily rely on computer programs to manage the member experience, handle reservations, allocate staff, enable communication and oversee countless other hospitality functions. Some software also helps employees, from the maintenance crew to waiters, work more efficiently while ensuring a favorable pace of play and showing committees how to fund capital projects.

Put those together and that’s why people join a private club!” In simple terms, club software can be divided into two types: the one the member sees and interacts with and the other almost entirely behind the scenes, improving their experience without them being the wiser.

For many golfers, the only club software they know lets them book tee times. The super-charged programs that enhance the member experience work with tee-time platforms but, more importantly, know where the member is from the moment they drive on property until they leave hours later. “Clubs can track where the players are on the range and on the course,” says Colin Read, CEO of Whoosh club management software. “They can better anticipate when they want to play, know if this person needs a cold towel on the cart and load the cart with drinks. These touch points make the club feel like home.”

More than knowing where the member is, software knows who the member is. “In a high-turnover hospitality environment, it’s difficult for a seasonal employee to know the preferences of 800 members,” explains George Stavros, CEO of Pacesetter Technology. “ personalize the member experience, starting with name recognition, so the staff can see the name, image, and preferences of the member 30 seconds before they walk through the door. For the members, there’s a photo directory. Want to speak to the golf shop? Got that. Call or text your friend and see if he and his wife want to go to dinner tomorrow night? Get a quick answer from the front desk of what’s going on at the club today? Yes.”

The member needs just one app, usually bearing only the club’s name, to perform these “concierge” services. In many cases, turning on “location enabled” on the app alerts the club when someone has arrived on property. Through the app they can let the pro shop know when they want to play and where to take their clubs; tell the restaurant when they want to eat; sign in a guest (eliminating the awkwardness of the guest now knowing who is paying for what) and much more.

Some software can be customized. At Baltusrol in Springfield, N.J. (above), an app unlocks the door to the fitness center. At Dallas Country Club, members can order meat to take home with “Butcher Pack.” At some clubs, the app alerts the valet to bring up the member’s car. All without the constant chatter of walkie-talkies. (“There’s nothing worse than members hearing that!” says Read.) Adoption has been easy. “Clubs thought older members wouldn’t want to use these tools,” says Stephanie Castro, COO of Cobalt Software. “But we’ve found older folks are more tech savvy than we thought while younger members expect everything to be on the app.”

Beyond comforting members, software aids the staff, saving both time and money. “The best member experiences are powered by great staff interactions, and everything we do is about saving staff time,” says Read. “We typically are saving about 20 hours per week per department.”

Among golfers’ hot buttons are course conditioning and pace of play. No surprise, there are software programs that monitor both. On the agronomic side, the major irrigation and turf companies— Toro, SubAir, Rain Bird, others—have apps that let superintendents monitor, program and control the systems from their phones.

But since waiting for maintenance to mow the fairway or water the green can affect the member’s experience—and slow play— knowing where crews are at any moment is important. Some systems do exactly that, while also tracking every group of players on the course, walking or riding. If the superintendent sees a gap in play, a crew can be sent to do some quick clean up. The software also features a heat map that shows where golfers go and don’t go, which can result in major savings in water, fertilizer, and labor to areas not being used. Meanwhile, with the push of a button geofencing can be set up to protect turf and keep players out of specific areas, both faster and more efficient than a crew putting up ropes and signs.

To keep golfers moving, pace of play programs integrate with tee-sheet software. They provide hard data on how long groups are taking, which has proven more effective—and less confrontational— than saddling a ranger with the job of asking people to speed up.

“Arguing about what’s being spent on Goldfish crackers at the bar is counterproductive,” says Teri Finan, director of communication for Club Benchmarking. “The benchmarking platform helps boards stay focused on the balance sheet, which directly impacts the member experience, and know precisely where they stand on a range of monthly and annual key performance indicators relative to other clubs their size.”

Who has access to the software and its analyses is up to the club. But once known, sharing it with the members, especially when discussing future projects, can be very effective. Even though many private club members are successful businesspeople themselves, once in a committee meeting, emotions and personal agendas can override good business sense. Again, having data— hard facts and numbers—can make all the difference in keeping members happy.

Read the full article in Golf Director Magazine

Ontario’s North Bay Golf and Country Club was designed using much of the land’s natural terrain, with renowned architect Stanley Thompson at the helm.

Originally a 9-hole course that opened in 1923, the Par 72 course now measures more than 6,300 yards, with water in play on at least 13 of the 18 holes.

We spoke with Jeff Mancini, the Director of Golf and GM, about his role, his favorite golf memories and how technology helps him run the operation.

How would you describe your morning routine to kickstart your day?

I love being the first body on the property each day. I enjoy opening up every department and starting the coffee for my dew cutters. It is amazing how close your friendships become.

Has golf always been your first love?

My first love has always been hockey. I still enjoy coaching hockey today. But from my first job as a back shop employee and caddie, I knew I wanted a career in the golf business.

Tell us about your role at North Bay Golf and CC. Why is it important?

I am the Director of Golf and GM. As a private facility, we take great pride in providing quality events and services for all member sections. Promoting Participation and Consistent Pace have been our 2 pillars.

Why has your course decided to invest in Tagmarshal?

Tagmarshal is an innovative and refreshing way to get your membership all on the same page regarding pace of play.

Since implementing Tagmarshal, how have your golfers responded to the on-course experience?

Time is precious and we feel that our members recognize that we are working hard to respect their time.

Describe Tagmarshal in three words.

Objective Data Monitoring.

What is your dream golf destination? Why?

I really enjoy getting the opportunity to play the world’s best courses. I think a trip to Ireland may be in my future…

Your best golf moment?

I was able to play Whistling Straits just after Jason Day’s PGA victory. The views, the layout, and the conditions were something special.

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

I think caddying for any world-class player who sits in the final group of a major. The focus, the planning, and the details would be so exciting.

Tagmarshal, the market leader in golf course optimization technology, is delighted to announce its partnership with 59club UK. This collaboration presents an exciting opportunity for Tagmarshal to engage with and elevate the experiences of Golf professionals across the region.

Tagmarshal’s state-of-the-art technology provides golf courses with full, real-time operational oversight and reporting. Through an innovative combination of advanced GPS technology and powerful algorithms driven by data from over 50 million rounds, managers can optimize on-course operations, with tools to effectively manage pace and flow of play, enhancing the player experience, increasing efficiency through automation, and generating additional revenue.

The partnership with 59club UK includes  educational roadshows, participation in awards  and club studies, as well as the sharing of educational opportunities such as online webinars and expert sessions.

The partnership with 59club UK builds on Tagmarshal’s existing partner network, which includes several partners, such as the GCAE (Europe), PGA of Alberta, PGA of British Columbia, NGCOA Canada, Metropolitan PGA, Southern California PGA, Pacific Northwest PGA, South Florida PGA, as well as the National Golf Course Owners Association, PGA Magazine and the CMAA Carolinas Chapter.

Tagmarshal—the world leader in optimizing on-course operations and pace-of-play management through data-driven software—announces the release of its most advanced solution to date. This is the company’s first version of software to be powered by AI (artificial intelligence), building on the previous machine-learning-based release.

Incorporating AI allows Tagmarshal to provide an all-new level of insight to course managers and staff, including unprecedented prediction and forecast abilities. These insights are industry firsts, and combined with the system’s other features strengthen Tagmarshal’s leadership position in the industry.

Among the host of new benefits:

• Customizable Screen Set-Up. See the data you’re interested in, in a way that makes the most sense to you. Easy drag-and-drop control lets you place the most important information where you can view it first.
• Widgets And Features. New applications let you format data in different ways, decide which information you want to see, set daily targets for key metrics, correlate different fields (pace of play, food and beverage ordering, etc.) by player, and more.
• Intuitive Interface. The user interface has been made both easier and more enjoyable to use, with user-friendly and streamlined navigation that helps you master the system quickly. The mobile-optimized software is also quicker to load and fully responsive, creating a seamless on-the-go experience.
• Navigate By Role. Block data you don’t need to see, saving time and increasing efficiency by eliminating screen clutter. 
• Robust Security. Tighter privacy controls protect sensitive data and information.

“Tagmarshal has really been beneficial, and our bottom line has increased tremendously,” added Weaver. 

Forward-thinking golf managers who want to drive continuous improvement can schedule a live demo of this easy-to-implement technology at Tagmarshal.com/demo or via email: contact@tagmarshal.com.

For more information about Tagmarshal, access the website at www.tagmarshal.com.

Read the article on Golf Wire

Tagmarshal, the market leader in golf course optimization technology, is pleased to unveil its partnership with the Colorado Golf Association. This collaboration marks an exciting opportunity for Tagmarshal to connect with and enhance the experiences of PGA professionals throughout the region.

Tagmarshal’s cutting-edge technology offers golf courses full, real-time operational oversight and reporting. Leveraging a combination of advanced GPS technology and robust algorithms fueled by data from over 50 million rounds, managers can optimize on-course operations, with tools to effectively manage pace and flow of play, enhancing the player experience, increasing efficiency through automation, and generating additional revenue.

The partnership with the CGA encompasses sponsorship for the CGA Public Golf Summit taking place in October 2024, along with the sharing of educational opportunities, including online webinars and expert sessions.

”The CGA is excited to partner with Tagmarshal and launch its unique technology at CommonGround Golf Course, the home of the CGA. Pace of play is critical to managing the experience and improving our members’ satisfaction when they play CommonGround.  We look forward to sharing our results with our member facilities throughout the year in webinars and at our annual public golf operators summit,” says Ed Mate, Executive Director/CEO, Colorado Golf Association.

The partnership with the Colorado Golf Association builds on Tagmarshal’s existing partner network, which includes several PGA section partners, such as Illinois, Metropolitan, Southwest, Southern California, Pacific Northwest, South Florida, and Kentucky, as well as the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), PGA Magazine and the CMAA Carolinas Chapter.