Local Knowledge

LATEST USGA TM PRODUCT UPDATE

A great, time-saving USGA TM product update was recently released by the developers at Golf Genius. The popular new Navigator feature is designed to quickly guide users to specific product functions in a flash.

There are well over 100 pages on the Manager Site where you can access features and functions. While having such robust functionality is great, it can sometimes be difficult to find the page you are looking for. Because of this, the Navigator is always available to help you find your way. The Navigator is a widget that allows you to search and find pages needed to accomplish specific tasks. You can also bookmark popular pages to be easily accessed, and order them to establish a typical event workflow.

It’s important to understand that the primary purpose of the Navigator is to show you WHERE to accomplish a task and not HOW to accomplish a task (where the Knowledge Base is used). VIEW NAVIGATOR TUTORIAL

CHANGES IN THE 2019 RULES OF GOLF FOR MATCH PLAY

While the majority of casual and tournament golf is played at stroke play, match play takes the spotlight in the month of July with the staging of the 98th Women’s Texas Amateur at Bent Tree Country Club in Dallas and the Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play hosted by Shadow Hawk Golf Club in Richmond.

Many TGA Member Clubs embrace the fun of match play events and conduct a number of exciting head-to-head competitions over the course of the year. Generally speaking, the Rules of Golf apply in the same way in both stroke play and match play. There is some variation, however, to account for the core differences between the two forms of play, most of which stem from the fact that only two players are involved in a standard match and that scoring is done on a hole-by-hole basis. If your club is fond of hosting match play competitions and has some upcoming events on the calendar, now is a good time to review what changes the 2019 Rules of Golf have on match play, specifically to terminology and to some match play outcomes. READ MORE

2019 GOLF PARTICIPATION REPORT SHOWS POSITIVE TRENDS [NGF]

he ways in which people are playing golf and engaging with the game continue to evolve. To reflect this, the NGF several years ago expanded its definition of participation, part of an ongoing effort to more accurately measure golf’s overall consumer base — both on and off the golf course.

Participation in traditional green-grass golf has held steady in recent years, finding a new support level of approximately 24 million. In 2018, the number people ages 6-and-up who played at least one round of golf on a golf course increased incrementally to 24.2 million. While this rise from 23.8 million in 2017 falls within the margin of error for the NGF’s national surveys, it is the first measured increase in 14 years.

Off-course participation, meanwhile, increased by almost 10% in 2018, with an estimated 23 million people hitting golf balls with clubs at golf-entertainment venues like Topgolf and Drive Shack, at stand-alone ranges, and using indoor simulators. Despite the increasing popularity of golf entertainment facilities, the majority of off-course participation (12 million) still occurs at golf ranges, whether its on-course golfers honing their skills or beginners learning the game.

For the traditional game, perhaps the most critical metric is the stable pool of roughly 20 million dedicated golfers. This group, estimated at 19.5 million Americans in 2018, accounts for 95% of all rounds-played and spending, and therefore is vital to golf businesses and those who make a living in the industry. Dedicated golfers represent 81% of those who play. READ MORE

CREATING THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT FOR SUCCESS [CMAA]

Most clubs focus on design only as it relates to physical renovations and rebuilds. But did you know you can design your culture as well?Culture happens. And it will happen without you knowing it unless you deliberately design your culture to be the environment you want.

If you’re like most managers, you know there’s room for improvement in one or more areas. So how do you tackle the issues and close the gap? You have to walk before you can run. It would be rare to find a club these days without a mission, a vision and values that are well defined. If you haven’t established these cornerstones to your organization, this is a must-do step. The most effective cultural change comes when those on the front lines have an active voice in creating it.

In her article for the Club Management Association of America (CMAA), author Pamela B. Radcliff, SHRM-SCP, CAM, explains the three steps that can help create a positive culture at your club. READ MORE