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CRUISING up the Pacific Highway in New South Wales on a Sunday afternoon recently only made me certain that On-Pin should almost be mandatory at some golf clubs in this country.
With the sun shining and perfect spring weather forecast, you would think golf courses would be packed with youngsters, beginners, veterans – you name it.
Yet the absence of players only confirms that most golf clubs are still trying to work out how to utilise those empty tee slots.
The reason for that, of course, is many of them probably don’t even know they are there. While city courses aren’t subjected to such empty fairways, there are still a lot of time sheets with plenty of white space on them, crying out for some players.
All the clubs need is the right information to point them in the right direction. And that’s where On-Pin can be the perfect solution.
They’re all about gathering information from your golf club in an effort to utilise your course and get the maximum return possible.
And according to On-Pin’s Australian manager Ian Glasson, golf these days might not be all about 18-hole rounds, and changes may need to be implemented to ensure that golf at your club moves with the times.
“So many clubs operate on the understanding that everybody who plays golf is there for 18 holes,” says Glasson.
“That may be the case for the long-term members who tee off between 7am and 8.30 every competition day, but there is so much more to it than that.
“Golf courses in the city might well be getting plenty of players at the moment, since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but from that has sprung many opportunities for new memberships.
“While most clubs want to take new members, they don’t quite know what to expect if they do.
“Basically, they don’t want to upset the members that they already have.
“But the fact is we need to find room in the game for those 20-30-year-olds who are taking up the game and now want something more permanent and are considering joining a golf club.
“It may mean changing the model, introducing six, or nine-hole competitions before or after the regular 18-hole competitions.”
On-Pin are all about data collection to help clubs make full use of their facility. On- Pin’s Verifeye, for example, uses passive RFID technology to track individuals as they move about the course.
“Golfers might be playing three holes, nine holes or just practising. That’s the sort of data that clubs need if they are to improve their access.”
“Time sheets are something that can be a major headache for clubs and that is something that may need changing as well.
“Long-term members regularly book four players in for 18 holes, only to have two of them turn up two weeks later when the day to play arrives.”
“On-Pin Analytics data indicates 23% walkons and 14% no-shows when comparing to tee-sheet. Something that should be addressed by clubs – and it’s something that On-Pin can help with,” Glasson says.
“Golf clubs will need to tidy that up and it may even involve taking some tee slots away from people, so they are not wasted.”
Glasson told of another golf club that had a special deal for its veteran members but really wanted to move them to fill some of the tee spots when the course was quieter.
“It may mean offering them a free golf cart after 3pm, a free meal, or something completely different to lure them away from those popular tee spots,” he said.
“On-Pin can provide maps of golf course utilisation – giving information previously not available. “Social golf and social activities need to be looked at … and that’s where we can be such an asset to these golf clubs.
“We not only assist with pace of play but also, via our tags, understand who is playing and when.
“This collection of peak and soft times on the course is ‘gold’ for management when wishing to model member categories and price points.”
For more information about On-Pin, visit: https://on-pin.com/
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