11 things to know about improving pace of play in golf

Pace of play is one of the top three factors that influence how much customers enjoy their golf experience.

Pace of play on the world’s professional tours is a hot topic, giving PGA Professionals a chance to start a conversation about pace with recreational golfers at their facilities.

New technologies for tracking pace and location of golfers on the course are being leveraged for research and to create new strategies for improving pace.

The USGA is conducting ongoing research into pace of play, and has invented specific statistics that help facilities measure pace.

According to research, the USGA believes that overall round time is not as important as maintaining a steady flow during the course of a round — golfers don’t like to wait to hit shots.

Technology solutions from the USGA, and companies like Tagmarshal and FairwayIQ, can help facilities learn more about patterns, challenges and possible pace solutions.

The ROI for pace of play technology solutions can include spending less money on payroll for rangers, which can be shifted to additional PGA Professionals, while improving the consumer experience.

Using a pace of play solution that enables PGA Professionals to monitor pace from a smartphone or computer can allow a golf professional to handle difficult situations directly, instead of involving a ranger or other employee.

Daily fee and resort courses can benefit from a pace of play solution that helps them pinpoint slow groups quickly before they cause a course-wide backup.

Private clubs benefit from improved pace of play by increasing member satisfaction, which can lead to retention and even acquiring new members once a culture of improved pace is created.

Facilities can also improve the experience for tournaments, leagues and events by recognizing bottlenecks on the course, and by aligning tee time intervals with data on realistic pace expectations.