STRIKING A BALANCE BETWEEN MAXIMIZING REVENUE AND CREATING A MEMORABLE PLAYING EXPERIENCE

Golf resorts that rely on green fees and resort revenue find themselves in something of a conundrum. On one hand, more players on the course means maximizing revenue opportunities, both in green fees, but also in accommodation, restaurant and other revenue generating outlets.

On the other hand, the golf resorts goal to maximize revenue means this needs to be matched by the quality of the playing experience, through optimized operational management. Players who invest anywhere between $150 and $500 in green fees expect plenty of bang for their buck, and clubs face the constant challenge of meeting and exceeding what are often extremely high customer expectations.

As golf course intelligence software begins to play a more prominent role in the running of the modern-day operation, striking a balance between maximizing revenue and maintaining a quality playing experience becomes something management have greater control over.

At its most simplistic, Tagmarshal is about controlling the field flow on the course through the utilization of a golf cart or walking GPS system and other data-driven tools, but the opportunities the golf course intelligence and field flow technology provides far exceed that.

“We pride ourselves on delivering the best rounds of golf possible, and Tagmarshal’s analytical pace tracker helps achieve that,” says Stephen Youngner, Head Professional at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. “Leveraging data to make informed management decisions provides golfers with an even better outing at Kiawah.”

Kiawah is the site of the 2021 and 2012 PGA Championships, 2007 Senior PGA Championship, and 1991 Ryder Cup.

Resorts such as these need to ensure that the golf department knows how many of their guests play golf when the peak periods of play are, how to handle those numbers, and how to attract more players to the course. With Tagmarshal, clubs can optimize tee sheets and increase course capacity, as well as building player and caddie profiles.

Consistently tardy players and caddies can be better managed, so they don’t impact the rest of the field, and management can monitor the accuracy of their starter to ensure gaps between groups are regular, alleviating bottleneck problems further along.

Marshals or player assistants who assist know exactly who is in each group before meeting them, and they have the tools at their disposal to provide accurate, non-confrontational, data driven support, while ensuring consistent and quality channels of communication.

Any player who steps onto the course should be viewed as a potential repeat customer, and thus every effort should be made to win their loyalty.

Using golf management systems, clubs can better align their offering with the expectation of the players. Achieving consistency on this front will always result in a more satisfied customer, and ultimately a better bottom line for the course.

Mike O’Reilly Head Pro at Whistling Straits, site of the 2020 Ryder Cup added “Our goal is to improve the experience for our guests while maximizing our revenue potential and Tagmarshal has helped us to do both. We have reduced our labor expense on the golf course, increased our round capacity, and realized many operational efficiencies utilizing the program.”