Golf course management software must-haves to build better lotteries.
By Srishti Singh
When the pandemic hit, people experienced unprecedented restrictions on what they could get out and do. They began looking for activities that gave them the opportunity to socially distance while taking part in something they enjoyed. Golf fit the bill.
People rediscovered the game. New players entered the sport. This unique situation created over the past couple of years has sparked a resurgence for golf. That’s been exciting for clubs as they’ve seen an increase in demand for their golf offering. Better yet, it doesn’t look to be waning even as social distancing requirements and mask mandates are fading.
Of course, this increased demand has also come with some challenges. More players means more competition for those coveted tee times. This has created some tricky terrain that clubs must navigate. After all, nobody on your golf staff wants to deliver the bad news to the member that he didn’t get the tee time he requested.
Of course, members will understand that tee times come at a premium these days. They just want to feel like they are treated fairly with the way those tee times are awarded. Managing that can be tough. And that’s before you throw in the need to ensure that you are also accounting for the club’s membership and guest rules.
All of this can create a crazy dance for golf pros as they work to maximize rounds while minimizing member frustration. And we haven’t even talked about the challenges that tournaments add.
The crucial role of top-flight golf course management software
Top-flight golf course management software helps you tame the two-headed beast that is Golf tee time administration and member satisfaction. Here’s what to look for as you evaluate the technology.
For your members
First off, your system should allow members to book tee times anytime and from virtually anywhere using the club app or website. The best systems also give members the ability to access buddy lists to easily fill out their foursomes.
The member should be able to request a tee time as an individual foursome or as a linked group. A smart lottery system will automatically assign linked groups to consecutive tee times.
Once the tee time is assigned, your system should have the ability to send out automatic confirmation emails and text messages to your group as well as reminders. This ease, convenience, and connection help you ensure member satisfaction remains high.
For your golf staff
Like your members, your golf staff should have 24/7 access to the online tee sheet. You should be able to set up random or weighted lotteries – for example, giving preference to certain membership levels.
The system should also allow you to easily incorporate club, membership, guest, and seasonal rules. Once set up, the lottery system assigns tee times based on the specific rules you set. During increasingly busy times, if members do not get a requested tee time, the system will look to assign the members to their second choice.
Of course, the best systems are flexible as well. As things change, you should be able to easily adjust the tee sheet to handle everything from cancellations to weather delays. Leading systems give you this kind of powerful functionality that allows you to manage the myriad of moving parts that naturally come with running your course operations.
Crushing it when it comes to your tournaments
Beyond your daily course operations, your system should also incorporate intuitive tournament management capabilities that seamlessly integrate with your tee sheet. This functionality should include the ability for you to define golf event types for your club. And it should allow you to set up recurring events and publish them to the club calendar.
When it comes to the tournament, the system should make it easy to define rules and rates, allow your staff or your members to set up teams, and give you the capability to manage shotgun and crossover starts. The smart systems will also give you the ability to send automated confirmations to all tournament players as well as updates and other notifications.
Finding the sweet spot
A top-flight golf course management system has one more distinguishing feature. It seamlessly integrates with your club management software.
This integration means you’re not having to incorporate yet another piece of 3rd-party software. And having to deal with the staff training burden that comes with that. Moreover, you’re not creating another data silo that makes it challenging to extract the meaningful insights that help you make smarter decisions for your club.
All signs indicate that the popularity of the game is not diminishing. In fact, some reports suggest that it continues to grow.
It’s worth taking the time now to evaluate your golf course management software to ensure you’re optimizing the operation for the club and the experience for your members.
If you’d like more information about what industry-leading golf course management software can do for your operation, request a demo of the Northstar system. A system that delivers the intuitive features your operation deserves, all built on one database to give you one source of truth to power the decision-making for your club. request a demo, today.