5 WAYS TO EXCEED MEMBER AND GUEST EXPECTATIONS ON THE COURSE

Each member that sets foot on the course, whether frequently or infrequently, should be viewed as a walking spokesperson for the club.

Now, more than ever, social media has amplified the reach people have, and they can instantly broadcast their experience to hundreds of like-minded people with a Facebook or Instagram post.

The same is true of the members that walk your course, who can either become advocates for marketing the club on your behalf, or a disgruntled customer that drives potential new members away.

When a club does a better job of retaining customers, especially newcomers, they put themselves in a powerful position, with improved player experience resulting in higher participation levels.

Here are five ways that private courses can ensure members and guests are having their on-course expectations met, and exceeded:

Understand what really matters to the members

If you don’t know what it is that your members value, you cannot set clear goals. For example, 76% of players say the flow on the course, the pace of play, and respecting their time is crucial to their enjoyment of a round.

With Tagmarshal’s golf course optimization platform, marshals can constantly monitor the pace of play and the consistency of field flow, and intervene before bottlenecks occur and the problem spirals.

When members see a proactive approach by the club, they immediately feel like they are prioritized, and they also see more value in the membership fees and course fees that they fork out.

Innovate with technology and utilize modern opportunities

Advancements in golf management systems have not only created an enhanced member experience, but it’s also created additional revenue stream opportunities.

In a 2016 USGA survey, results showed that golfers under the age of 40 would pay 14.2% more for a better pace of play and shorter round times. With golfers between the ages of 40 and 59 willing to pay over 11.5%.

Using that information, and combining it with the available golf management software, clubs have figured out how to maximize their revenue potential.

To cater to those who place greater importance on pace of play, many private courses are now charging players premium rates for a guarantee that they won’t be held back by slower groups up ahead on the course.

Offering members and guests the chance to play through at earlier tee times, provided they finish their round within a stipulated time, reduces the on-course strain during peak capacity hours, and provides a superior experience to those who place emphasis on pace of play.

Empower your staff to walk in the shoes of the members

Members want to know that the staff, from top to bottom, can place themselves in their shoes, and that they understand what it takes to provide a consistently exceptional level of service.

Each member of staff is important but, on the course, it is the marshals who are of vital importance.

Using Tagmarshal’s systems, marshals can offer a golf experience tailored to each member. The golf course optimization software enables marshals to personalize conversations, remember players’ names, and better understand the expectations members have of the club.

Create positive on-course dialogue

Engaging with members regarding their pace of play is never easy. When on-course issues do arise, the wealth of data Tagmarshal provides allows marshals to handle them immediately, offering members positive, data-driven assistance.

This helps solve issues like poor pace of play in a positive and adaptive manner.

Marshals can also alert other staff members to follow up upon the completion of the round, which creates an environment of excellence that continues right through to the clubhouse.

Set clear goals and continually identify areas of improvement

A club should never rest on its laurels, and staff should know exactly what is expected from them in each aspect of their duties.

Once a member steps onto the course, Tagmarshal’s golf management systems allows management to send staff real-time notifications. These are assigned to a specific staff member, giving management a degree of staff performance tracking that many country clubs and private clubs currently lack.

Management can use this data to hold staff accountable for achieving maximum operational efficiencies, and to reward members and caddies who regularly achieve the pace of play targets set.

By following these five steps and incorporating Tagmarshal’s golf management software into the day to day running of your club, you can assure that members enjoy an exceptional experience, turning them into your most powerful marketing asset at the same time.

Continuous improvement via the Tagmarshal system improves staff effectiveness, scheduling, and reduces operational costs. In addition, those staff hours freed up can be in ways that open additional avenues of revenue.

Using Tagmarshal’s smart data and intuitive technology, clubs can now confidently promote and provide a consistent pace of play. Given that we know exactly how important members consider the pace of play and on-course flow to their overall experience, it’s no wonder that leading courses are prioritizing investing in golf club management software ahead of the new season.

About the author:

Bodo Sieber, CEO and Co-Founder of Tagmarshal

Bodo is a dynamic leader and brings a wealth of business intelligence and corporate software applications experience to the golf industry. A German national with an extensive understanding of management and process optimization, Bodo has honed his applied data science expertise during more than a decade in the field.