By Jason Lusk

Whistling Straits is not an old golf course. Built by Pete Dye in 1997, the Straits Course ranks No. 8 in the United States on Golfweek’s Best rankings of Modern Courses and has hosted three PGA Championships. This September, the course will be the site of the Ryder Cup.

Its relatively young age doesn’t mean things haven’t changed at the Wisconsin resort. Especially when it comes to technology. Perfect example: GPS allows any of the golf staff to know where every player and caddie is on the course and to head off potential slow-play problems before they begin. The Tagmarshal GPS system helps Whistling Straits stay ahead of its business.

Mike O’Reilly started at the Destination Kohler resort in 1996 as a caddie at Blackwolf Run, and he is now the Golf Operations Manager for all four of the resort’s tracks plus the new Baths par-3 course. On all sides of the business, he has seen how technology has changed the game.

View the original article here.

Tagmarshal, the leader in on-course optimization and golfer flow management software, has launched the latest feature in its product line, the “Geofence Buzzer.”

Developed from valuable input provided by Tagmarshal’s partners, the “Geofence Buzzer” makes a loud warning sound when a cart travels off a designated cart path or enters a restricted area. Unlike other types of cart control this innovative feature does not disable the golf cart via a “kill switch” mechanism, but rather the sound continues to alert the driver until the cart returns to the path or back onto a designated area. The optional “Geofence Buzzer” light is also triggered when a geofence is breached.

“We wanted to introduce a new player-friendly alternative to managing geofences that is effective as deactivating carts in restricted areas, but less intrusive and importantly, less frustrating for players. Our unique new “Geofence Buzzer” feature gives courses and players the best of both worlds,” noted Craig Kleu, COO, Tagmarshal.

High player demand and high volumes of cart traffic place additional pressure on courses and superintendents to restrict sensitive course areas to better control  wear and tear – at the same time, golfers are frustrated with existing cart control features. In working with its more than 300 partners around the globe, who have more than 10,000 active cart tracking units currently in the field, Tagmarshal developed “Geofence Buzzer” which forms part of the company’s “Classic” installed product for its Track and Premium Optimizer software packages.

The feature can be installed into existing or new car fleets, as well as privately-owned carts, with ease (and does not require cart screens to operate). This is particularly useful for resorts or courses located in private developments.

“Our partners’ experience was that so many players found traditional cart control unsatisfactory, as their carts were disabled and they were unable to or unaware of how to maneuver the cart out of the restricted area. Others cited health and safety concerns in the event of an emergency occurring on-course that required carts to go straight from A to B and  breach geofences to obtain assistance – and being unable to do so, due to the carts not being shut off and unable to operate,” Kleu explained.

Tagmarshal has spent years refining its cart tracking and geofencing features to meet the needs of its partners. Other features include the ability to track Maintenance equipment and for superintendents to have full line of sight of the players on the course, allowing them to work around players, increasing efficiency without having an impact on the player experience. Tagmarshal’s Visualization Heatmaps for Superintendents and the Maintenance team, helps them with accurate data to identify high traffic areas, where high wear and tear or compaction is a risk. A key tool in ensuring sustainably managed and cost appropriate course conditioning.

For more information regarding the innovative new “Geofence Buzzer” feature and how this will help you to keep cart fleets on the right path and out of restricted areas, please visit tagmarshal.com/newfeatures or book a demo: tagmarshal.com/demo.

Company Contact:

Bodo Sieber, CEO —  b.sieber@tagmarshal.com

Craig Kleu, COO – craig.kleu@tagmarshal.com

Natalie Davidsson, Marketing Manager – natalie.davidsson@tagmarshal.com

Media Relation:  Les Schupak  laschupak@gmail.com  914-774-6060

Royal Mayfair is a member’s club designed to exceed the golfer’s expectations. Dubbed as the club of choice in Edmonton, Royal Mayfair is consistently ranked among the top 100 courses in Canada, ideal for the competitive golfer, but also suitable for players of different calibers. 

“One of only several Canadian golfing societies with the ‘Royal’ prefix and its splendid course is certainly worthy of such a regal club.” – Top100golfcourses.com

Led by Director of Golf Matt Johnson, Royal Mayfair is committed to providing members and guests the best experience golf has to offer. Get to know Matt, who shares his golf experiences, his team has boosted their operations using technology to provide their members with the best on-course experience.

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

Golf has always been close to my heart ever since I was a little boy. My father was involved in Golf Course design and architecture throughout my childhood, which made it easy for me to fall in love with the game. As a Canadian kid it was easy, hockey in the winter and golf in the summer.

2. What is your favorite/greatest round of golf experience?

I took a group of members to Liverpool a  month ahead of the Open at Birkdale. We were able to play 3 Open courses amongst other great venues. The weather was perfect, an unforgettable experience.

3. What is your dream golf destination? Why?

Scotland – The Home of Golf.

4. Since the implementation of the Tagmarshal system, how has the technology helped improve pace and field flow? 

It’s helped us react to potential issues before they become actual problems.

5. What is the impact of Tagmarshal’s technology on on-course efficiency at Royal Mayfair?

Especially during the pandemic, we were able to test tee time intervals to help maximize the inventory on the course without losing the experience due to pace of play.

6. How have your members responded to the system?

They appreciate the continued monitoring of the golf course. They have trust in our operation that we are taking care of their on-course experience.

7. Describe Tagmarshal in three words.

Simple

Effective

Information

8. Who’s the slowest and fastest player on Tour?

Bryson Dechambeau (slowest)

Dustin Johnson (fastest)

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

Dustin Johnson – His demeanor and athleticism would be something I would want to be around. He’s the MAN!

Tagmarshal, the global leader in on-course optimization and golfer traffic management software, continues its commitment to innovate and add value to the golf industry and the partners it serves in the market.

“Tagmarshal is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr. Joey Walters as General Manager, Tagmarshal USA, to lead our on-going drive to add value to the industry. During the first half of 2021, Tagmarshal has continued to build strong bonds with its partners, both new and long-term, providing an invaluable source of feedback to the company as it develops and introduces new and high impact features to its product lines. Key to our work culture is our credo to continually add value to our partners and part of that is, of course, continued investment in our growing Atlanta Head Office,” said Bodo Sieber, Tagmarshal CEO.

Walters is based at Tagmarshal USA headquarters in Atlanta, GA. He joined the company in early 2021 as Operations Director. With over 20 years’ experience in the Technology sector having previously worked with major Google suppliers and other tech giants as well as in the Medical industries, Walters has demonstrated success in building teams, creating a culture of excellence, and establishing deep and lasting relationships with company partners that focuses on adding on-going value. “Joey Walter’s broad expertise and his attention to these fundamental qualities align with our core values and goals,” said Sieber.

Walters is an Atlanta native, married with two adult children and is an avid golfer.

Tagmarshal, the experts in on-course optimization, helps courses to operate more efficiently, save costs and generate revenue, while delivering exceptional player experiences. Data insights that drive optimization, resulting in bottom line improvements for material gains, are at the core of the value and ROI achieved by partner clubs, with our multi-year partnerships testament to their effectiveness.

As market leaders in pace and flow management, Tagmarshal technology has collected over 1 billion data points from over 15 million rounds of golf. It has partnered with more than 300 clubs, private, daily fee and resorts ranging from 30 of the Top 100 US courses, via course management groups to $30 daily fee courses. To learn more about Tagmarshal visit: www.tagmarshal.com.

Company Contact: 

Joey Walters, General Manager, Tagmarshal USA  

Email:  joey.walters@tagmarshal.com or Tel: 1-470-823-1023

Bodo Sieber, CEO – b.sieber@tagmarshal.com

Natalie Davidsson, Marketing Manager, natalie.davidsson@tagmarshal.com

Media Relations: Les Schupak  laschupak45@gmail.com  914-774-6060

Golf has seen a resurgence as a result of the pandemic. Golf courses are crowded with new players joining golfers who have played the game for years. One thing they have in common — avoiding a five hour plus round. Each wants to play at a comfortable pace, nor do they want to be admonished for causing slow play. Course operators, too, wish to provide golfers with a good experience and want to build loyalty and know they will return to the course time and again.

To this end, the USGA conducted some groundbreaking research to unpack what really matters to golfers and shapes how much they enjoy their round of golf. Results found that 82% of players believe “Course Conditioning is a crucial enjoyment factor” while 74% of golfers believe that “Pace/Flow/Time is a crucial enjoyment factor.”

It is obvious that if the course is well maintained and a pleasure to play, and you are able to play at a good pace without needing to stop and wait for slow groups ahead, you will have that good experience. The need to ensure optimal pace and field flow is amplified during this pandemic particularly when safe distances are to be maintained.

In order to achieve a proper pace and flow, forward thinking courses have embraced optimization technology to assist them in effectively and efficiently manage on-course operations, including pace and field flow. Tagmarshal, the global leader in golf course intelligence software, uses a GPS based system to track and monitor movement on the course. It provides real-time data alerting the pro shop staff to where there are potential or existing bottlenecks. Player assistants can then, in a nonthreatening and positive way, help the group to improve their pace of play.

PGA professionals and course operators are responsible for maximizing not only player satisfaction with how the facility treats them from the moment they enter the grounds, but also revenue growth for the course, pro shop and food and beverage operations. They now have key metrics to track progress, manage, optimize and report on performance with ease. The system allows them to measure time on a specific hole, fairway or green as well as wait times on the tee box.

Tagmarshal technology has collected over 1 billion data points from over 15 million rounds of golf. It has partnered with more than 300 private clubs, daily fee and resort facilities worldwide including 30 of the Top 100 US courses. Many Florida facilities utilize Tagmarshal including Naples area courses such as Forest Glen CC, Calusa Pines GC, Naples Grande, as well as Banyan, Gulf Harbor and Sandridge, and Bradenton’s Legacy GC, and Serenoa GC in Sarasota.

As the pandemic recedes and normalcy returns, it is critical, and imperative, that golfers continue to enjoy their round as technology improves on-course pace of play and field flow conditions in a non-intrusive and efficient way. Technology has made an impact on golf and for the better. If your favorite course or club does not utilize such a system, you might suggest that they investigate the benefits.

View the original article here.

IN The Grill Room with Bob & Jay is a podcast hosted by veteran golf broadcasters, Bob Bubka and Jay Randolph Jr. who share their voices and opinions on golf news and thoughts from the PGA Tour and around the world of golf.

In this episode of IN The Grill Room with Bob & Jay, Tagmarshal CEO, Bodo Sieber, chats with Bob Bubka on how the optimization technology helps improve pace and flow of play, and provides data to improve efficiency, delivering exceptional player experiences and cost-savings. Adding material value to over 300 valued partners, ranging from many $30 Daily Fee courses, Municipal, Private and Resort courses, to 30 of the top 100 USA courses.

Listen to the podcast below:

Listen to podcast here.