Tagmarshal, the golf course optimization and pace of play management platform, honoured clubs, courses and resorts who provided golfers with exceptional player experience and levels of on-course service with the 2019 Tagmarshal Awards.
Statistics and insights from over 10 million rounds of golf tracked was used to benchmark and compare partners’ progress on data backed results achieved, empowering top standards and service delivery, as the industry recognizes the opportunity and necessity for improved player satisfaction, to not only ensure the growth and future of the game, but also achieve measurable business success.
“The awards are a powerful seal of approval for clubs who prioritize on-course experience and player satisfaction,” said Bodo Sieber, CEO, Tagmarshal. “The awards system ranks courses based on achieving outstanding results with regard to player experience, pace and flow of play, player communication, and on-course service delivery and it is exciting to see that these levels of excellence can be achieved by a wide variety of facilities, from major hosts to $50 green fee operations.”
The Awards were presented at the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show at the conclusion of Tagmarshal’s Education Session entitled, “Pace and Flow of Play, the Key Player Experience for the Modern Golfer, featuring expert guests Jim Lombardo from Erin Hills and Ryan Fountaine from Baltusrol Golf Club. Six Diamond Awards, the top Award accolade, were presented to Erin Hills, Quaker Ridge, Castle Pines, Brookside Golf & Country Club, Club de Golf Alcanada and Carnoustie Golf Links.
Pace and flow of play data, improvement and results statistics form the backbone of the grading, with top accolades achieved through continuous improvement and performance over multiple years recognizing well-executed implementation, as well as on-going up-skilling and best practice guidance of management and staff.
In addition, 24 Platinum Awards and 35 Gold Awards were awarded to forward thinking courses, including Whistling Straits, Valhalla, Skokie, Fossil Creek, Baltusrol, National Golf Links of America, Cypress Point and several other courses who had shown excellent performance benchmarks and continuous improvement in their data trends, demonstrating that they’re likely to move up the award rankings in 2020.
“Tagmarshal’s vision is rooted in the positive impact it has on player satisfaction—while driving operational efficiency and generating additional revenue. We are proud to have so many of our partners excel in this effort,” said Bodo Sieber.
“Each of the Diamond Award winning clubs demonstrated on-going commitment to provide the finest on-course service delivery and player experiences every day throughout 2019,” he added.
Erin Hills Golf Club demonstrated a consistent improvement over a period of five years of utilizing Tagmarshal, continuously optimizing player experiences and generating over $140,000 per year in additional tee time revenue due to optimization with the system.
At New York’s iconic Quaker Ridge Golf Club, average playing time over the course of two seasons improved to well below four hours. Additionally, the percentage of rounds played within a goal time increased substantially from 70% in 2018 to over 90% in 2019.
Brookside Golf & Country Club over the course of four seasons achieved an average round time well below four hours with exceptional consistency and balance. Furthermore, the monthly percentage of rounds played on pace, within 10 minutes of goal time, increased by over 15% year on year 2018 to 2019.
Colorado’s well-known Country Club at Castle Pines achieved a 93% record in terms of rounds played on time. In accepting his club’s award, Andrew Hedrick, PGA head professional, said, “Our experience with the Tagmarshal system and the integration into our operation has been exceptional. The data provided is an asset in our day-to-day operations.”
Also honoured were Pebble Beach Golf Links as “Top Innovator” and Carnoustie Golf Links as “Top International Achiever.”
Famed Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland recorded an impressive 16-minute improvement in average round time year on year (2018-2019) during The Open host’s busiest month.
Tagmarshal has tracked over 10 million rounds of golf. Real-time data collected by the system using small “tags” clipped onto golf bags, installed in buggies or offered on handheld or cart-installed proprietary 2Way screen devices, transmits information to on-course staff or personnel in the pro shop identifying groups that are out of position before issues arise. Player assistants can then support in a proactive, objective, non-confrontational manner resulting in improved player experience, consistent round times and player time freed up to enjoy on-site food and beverage items as well as opportunities for additional tee sheet capacity.
More than 25 of the top 100 US courses partner with Tagmarshal including over 250 leading courses globally.
Tagmarshal www.tagmarshal.com