By Bodo Sieber, CEO Tagmarshal

Kennesaw, Ga. (Nov. 20, 2024) – As one of the most visible, influential, and profitable entities in golf, the PGA Tour has an obligation to help grow the game. Unfortunately, the recently approved changes to its slow play policy have the potential to do exactly the opposite, choking off the flow of new players, reinforcing old stereotypes, and ignoring technology that can solve the pace problem for everyone, amateurs and pros alike.  

Rather than encouraging its players to speed up, the Tour is making it easier for them to slow down. Fines, if they’re ever imposed, will be reduced from $50,000 to $10,000 for “bad times” and from $10,000 to $5,000 for “excessive shot times.” Not exactly a major financial hardship for athletes whose average earnings in 2024 were $1.978 million.

But even more wrong-headed is the proposal to reduce the number of players who keep their Tour card from 125 to 100 and shrink the size of tournament fields: Not only will the rich get richer, but the slow will also get slower.

Yes, the PGA Tour is owned by the players and has a responsibility to serve their interests. But it also has a responsibility to all golfers to help grow the game, which has been happening of late by making it more inclusive. These policies seem to contradict all notions of inclusivity.

It will be that much harder for up-and-coming players to graduate from a secondary tour to the PGA Tour, Monday qualify or gain a sponsor’s exemption as a way of challenging the status quo and bringing a different level of excitement as well as opportunity. What message does that send? And with smaller fields will come larger paychecks, making the smaller fines even more insignificant to their bank accounts.

By letting the “best in the world” play slower, the Tour is also encouraging new and younger golfers to play slower. I recently spoke with a course operator who runs a junior tournament, and he was appalled to see kids emulating the slow-play habits they see on TV, dragging out rounds and acting like prima donnas. 

The worst message, however, is that not only is slow play allowable, but that it is unfixable. That’s simply wrong. Our company, Tagmarshal, is just one of many offering software and other technology means of tracking every player on a golf course, thereby providing hard data that has proven to be the most effective way of speeding up play by showing players how slow they are and their effect on others. This is not an opinion – it is backed by 10 billion data points collected from 75 million rounds of golf, tracked at over 600 facilities, including Pinehurst, Baltusrol, Erin Hills, Hazeltine, Bandon Dunes and Country Club at Castle Pines.

The PGA Tour has never been shy about adopting technology. It already compiles reams of data on players, shots, and scoring. It just chooses to use much of it to promulgate gambling. 

Also, for the first time ever, the largest cohort of golfers is between 18 and 36 years old. They rely on the immediate gratification of Uber Eats, Amazon Prime, and video games; many of them came to golf through Topgolf or simulators. Used to shorter formats, faster results, and gamification, they’re not going to be happy waiting in the middle of the fairway for a group on the green taking 5 minutes to line up their 2-footers for triple bogey. 

Having finally become sporty and cool—look at all the musicians, celebrities, and social-media influencers playing the game—golf cannot afford to backslide into stodgy and unhip.

Finally, slow play is bad for business, making it harder to get groups around a course in a reasonable amount of time. Courses that use Tagmarshal technology have seen significant gains in revenue (both tee-time and ancillary, like food, driving range, and pro-shop sales), number of golfers, and player satisfaction. Pace of play is one of the most important factors in enhancing a golfer’s experience, which leads to return business and word-of-mouth recommendations.

If anyone thinks established sports can’t be made to play faster, check out major league baseball. Adding a pitch clock has been very successful in shortening the length of games and raising fan interest and involvement. Games are more dynamic and more compelling for the audience, both in person and on television. (Isn’t Tour golf on TV slow enough already?) And MLB was able to do all this without removing two players from each team.

The PGA Tour should do what baseball did. It’ll be a home run.

To learn more about Tagmarshal, go to tagmarshal.com.

Tagmarshal, the leader in golf course optimization technology, is pleased to announce its partnership with the Wisconsin PGA. This collaboration presents an exciting opportunity to connect with PGA professionals across the region and enhance their experiences.

Tagmarshal’s advanced technology offers golf courses full, real-time operational oversight and reporting. Powered by GPS technology and sophisticated algorithms, utilizing over 10 billion data points from 75 million tracked rounds, our platform helps course managers optimize on-course operations. This includes improving pace of play, enhancing the player experience, automating processes, and unlocking new revenue opportunities.

The partnership with the Wisconsin PGA includes sponsorship of key events, such as the WPGA Pro-Pro event, along with educational opportunities such as webinars and expert sessions.

The partnership with the Wisconsin PGA further strengthens Tagmarshal’s growing network of key partners, including PGA sections like Michigan, Illinois, Northern California, Kentucky, Metropolitan, Southwest, South Florida, and South Texas. We are also proud to collaborate with the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), PGA Magazine, Colorado Golf Association, and the New England Golf Course Owners Association. 

Tagmarshal partners with private, daily fee, public and resort courses, including 40 of the Top 100 US courses and more than 600 courses globally, as well as several golf management groups. Partners include Wisconsin courses like Erin Hills, Sand Valley, Whistling Straits, Trapper’s Turn, Kettle Hills, Wild Rock, and Inshalla Country Club, and many $40 to $60 green fee courses, which are seeing excellent results. Tagmarshal offers a range of golf cart GPS devices, as well as solutions for walking groups.

To learn more about the impact optimization will have at your course, please reach out to John Willmore, Co-founder & CRO, by mailing john.willmore@tagmarshal.com or calling 470 823 1023. Alternatively, watch our short demo at tagmarshal.com/demo.

Tagmarshal, the industry leader in golf course optimization technology, is proud to partner with the Michigan PGA. This partnership provides a valuable opportunity to engage with PGA professionals across the region and enhance their experience.

Tagmarshal’s cutting-edge technology provides golf courses with full, real-time operational oversight and reporting. By harnessing advanced GPS tracking and data-driven algorithms from over 10 billion data points across 75+ million tracked golf rounds, course managers can optimize operations, manage pace and flow of play, enhance the player experience, streamline processes through automation, and unlock new revenue opportunities.

The partnership with the Michigan PGA encompasses sponsorship of on-site activations at the 2025 section tournaments, as well as opportunities for deeper engagement through online webinars and expert-led sessions.

The collaboration with the Michigan PGA further expands Tagmarshal’s robust partner network, which includes esteemed organizations such as the Wisconsin, Illinois, Northern California, Kentucky, Metropolitan, Southwest, South Florida, and South Texas PGA Sections. Additionally, we partner with the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), PGA Magazine, Colorado Golf Association, and the New England Golf Course Owners Association. 

Tagmarshal partners with private, daily fee, public and resort courses, including 40 of the Top 100 US courses and more than 600 courses globally, as well as several golf management groups. Partners include Michigan courses like Lost Dunes, The Majestic at Lake Walden, Fieldstone, Arrowhead, Marquette, The Links at Hunters Ridge, Egypt Valley, Glenkerry,  and Cascade Hills Country Club, and many $40 to $60 green fee courses, which are seeing excellent results. Tagmarshal offers a range of golf cart GPS devices, as well as solutions for walking groups.

To learn more about the impact optimization will have at your course, please reach out to Ashleigh Bryant, Partnership Development Manager, by mailing ashleigh.bryant@tagmarshal.com or calling 470 823 1023. Alternatively, watch our short demo at tagmarshal.com/demo.

Tagmarshal, the leading provider of golf course optimization technology, is excited to announce its partnership with the New England Golf Course Owners Association. This partnership presents an exciting opportunity to engage with golf course owners and operators across the region and elevate their experiences.

Tagmarshal’s state-of-the-art technology provides golf courses with full, real-time operational oversight and reporting. By leveraging advanced GPS technology and sophisticated algorithms powered by data from over 10 billion data points across more than 75 million rounds, managers can optimize on-course operations. This includes effectively managing pace and flow of play, enhancing the player experience, streamlining processes through automation, and unlocking additional revenue opportunities.

The partnership with the NEGCOA includes sponsorship of key events, such as the NEGCOA Chapter Annual Meeting, Chapter Golf Outing, and Spring Meeting. Additionally, we will collaborate on educational opportunities, including online webinars and expert sessions.

This collaboration strengthens Tagmarshal’s current partner network, which includes several PGA partners, such as Southern California, Metropolitan, Southwest, Illinois, Michigan, South Florida, and Kentucky, as well as the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), PGA Magazine, Colorado Golf Association and the CMAA Carolinas Chapter.

Tagmarshal partners with private, daily fee, public and resort courses, including 40 of the Top 100 US courses and more than 600 courses globally, as well as several golf management groups. Partners include New England courses like Belmont, Renaissance, Candia Woods, Wee Burn, The Meadows and New England Country Club, and many $40 to $60 green fee courses, which are seeing excellent results. Tagmarshal offers a range of golf cart GPS devices, as well as solutions for walking groups.

To learn more about the impact optimization can have at your course, please reach out to Michael Glanville-Smith or Jake Morales, Partnership Executives – Northeast, at michael.glanville@tagmarshal.com or jacob.morales@tagmarshal.com, or by calling 470-823-1023. Alternatively, you can watch our short demo at tagmarshal.com/demo.

Now you can watch our expert webinar, “3 ways Cascade Hills uses optimization tech and data to improve pace and efficiency, creating memorable player experiences,” on demand and in your own time!

Expert guest Adrian Jolliffe, PGA, Director of Golf, Cascade Hills CC, shares valuable insight into how one of Western Michigan’s premier private clubs uses proactive pace management techniques to reduce average round times for the season to 3hrs47min, 18 minutes below the goal time. 

Having extensive, data-rich member profiles has also made a huge impact. The course has leveraged technology to increase operational efficiency and enhance the member experience.