Local Knowledge

GOLF GENIUS TM PRODUCT UPDATES: PART 1

The May 2022 Release Announcement from Golf Genius might be one of the most important ones yet, according to Shona DeMint, the TGA’s Director of Learning & Development and who assists club staffs with Golf Genius issues.

In the first of a two-part summary on what makes this product update so beneficial to golf course managers and operators, Shona initially covers Automated GHIN Handicap Index® Updates and Enable Open Tee Times Rounds in Bulk. In next month’s issue of Local Knowledge, Shona will highlight the other significant enhancements from the release announcement.

Automated GHIN Handicap Index Updates

For customers using GHIN, the only option for keeping Handicap Indexes updated was to manually update them. With the May 2022 release, however, Golf Genius Tournament Management now offers better control over when Handicaps should be refreshed, and which Handicap Index should be fetched from GHIN.

Shona says: “Having to manually update Handicap Indexes from GHIN every time you need them to be accurate has always been unfortunate. But now you can schedule automated updates however is best for your league or event by selecting to update on a specific day of the week, before each round or a few days before the first round of an event.”

Enable Open Tee Times Rounds in Bulk

This new feature expedites the task of setting up multiple rounds to use Open Tee Times. Now managers can enable or disable the Open Tee Times function for any number of rounds within an event or league. Simply check off the rounds to use, then choose the option from the dropdown, and click “Go!”

Shona says: “This has always been very time consuming when you have a league and every week you want the same open tee times set-up, but you have to manually go into every round to do it. Now with the new update, you can do this set-up once, in bulk, and populate it to all rounds simply by going into the Tabular View of the calendar. Then you can select the rounds to apply this to by selecting this option from the drop-down menu.”

To view the Golf Genius May 2022 Release Announcement, click here. If you have any questions regarding these new features, be sure to reach out to Shona by email at [email protected] or call her at 214-468-8942 ext. 157.

CONDUCTING NET COMPETITIONS UNDER THE WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM™

The World Handicap System (WHS) is comprised of the Rules of Handicapping and the Course Rating System. The Rules of Handicapping replaced the USGA Handicap System, which had been in place since 1911, and the USGA Course Rating System became the Course Rating System.

To assist golf course operators and club committees with conducting net competitions under the WHS, the USGA has produced an easy-to-follow, one-page guide that gives a brief overview of key areas.

Among the topics covered include: which Terms of the Competition should be communicated in advance; where does rounding take place in the Playing Handicap calculation; and how should the Committee handle multi-round competitions.

To download the WHS net competitions quick reference guide, click here.

RECORD BEGINNERS: OPPORTUNITIES AND OBSTACLES [NGF]

During a prolific two-year span between 1999-2000, Tiger Woods won 17 PGA Tour titles, including four majors. His visibility and popularity provided a boost to recreational golf, with more than 4.8 million Americans taking up the game for the first time in 1999 and 2000; many of them because of Woods.

Over the past two years, the number of beginning golfers in the U.S. is higher than it was back when Woods was at his most dominant. Almost 30% higher. In 2021, a record 3.2 million Americans played golf on a course for the first time. This after 3 million newcomers picked up golf in 2020 as the pandemic unfolded and people sought out safe, outdoor activities that could provide a sense of normalcy with friends and family.

The challenge the industry continues to face, however, is converting newcomers into committed golfers. This was the case during the “Tiger Boom” years, when the total golfer population increased but the average number of rounds played per golfer decreased, indicating that many newcomers weren’t that serious about the game, didn’t play much, and didn’t end up sticking with it.

National Golf Foundation research has shown that follow-up from someone from the facility where a new player was introduced to golf is one of the most impactful factors related to the conversion pathway from beginner to committed golfer.

To learn more about the findings from the NGF study and what some owners and operators are doing to attract, welcome and retain new golfers, click here.

BRINGING DIVERSITY INTO THE CLUB [CMAA]

With a new generation entering the workforce alongside sea changes in personal and professional lives, it’s no wonder that diversity is a topic that is top of mind for many clubs. Change isn’t on the horizon, it’s here, and a club that embraces the multiple facets of diversity — diversity of thought, ethnic background, gender, or generation, to name a few — allows them to broaden their scope and create a sustainable and successful environment and organization.

What used to be a golden rule — treat everyone the same — is now the platinum rule, says Mary Ellen Slayter, CEO of content marketing agency Rep Cap: “Young people today aren’t showing up and saying, ‘let me be like you, treat me like you.’ They’re saying, ‘let me be myself, treat me like me.’”

Much of it is being driven by Generation Z entering the workforce, she notes, and it’s replacing the way we used to think about diversity.

Creating a diverse workforce isn’t just good; it’s good business. Why? It opens the pool of candidates in what is currently a tight labor market, says Jodie J. Cunningham, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, HR Talent Strategist, Consulting and Search Executive for Kopplin, Kuebler & Wallace. A recent survey from ZipRecruiter, she notes, shows that 86 percent of job seekers say workplace diversity is an important factor when looking for a job. “Having a diverse workforce will appeal to a wider audience, which gives you a larger candidate pool to make sure you can find the perfect fit for the job,” Cunningham says.

To read more about the importance of creating a diverse workforce, click here.