Play More, Pay More?

There is a well-known prayer that asks for “the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” I think this could also be called the Golf Course Operators prayer, because of the challenges that operators face day after day, season after season to make their facilities as enjoyable as possible while also making a buck or two. And as someone who has been on the operations side, I am convinced that of the three things in that prayer, the wisdom to know the difference may be the most difficult. It’s hard to conceive innovative ideas that can truly make a difference, and becoming even harder. But we try…we try.

Recently I got out for my twilight round at Northwest Golf Course in Silver Spring, Maryland. It is one of the busiest golf courses in the Washington, D.C. area, serving golfers of all ages and skill levels. I usually walk, but this time I rode with Dennis, one of the staff at the course who was also getting in a twilight nine. Dennis didn’t know that I was in golf operations, but he talked about the challenges that he faced operating a very busy and popular course. Tee times had been adjusted which gave golfers a reasonable amount of time to play a hole, especially when walking. There had also been adjustments to the course including reducing the size of hazards, tree management and bunker maintenance that would help to keep the pace of play as brisk as possible. They are doing a great job of changing the things they can.

But one of the things that operators cannot change is human nature. “I can’t tell you how many guys I see playing from the back tees when they clearly can’t handle it.” This is especially a problem at Northwest, which at 7,400 yards from the tips is one of the longest golf courses in the state. Dennis went on, “I have 80-year-olds who can’t hit it past the front tees from the back tees. I have hackers who will whiff on two swings before hitting a 150-yard worm burner. I have guys who think that back tees are men’s tees. And the one thing that they all say is “I paid my fee; I can play from where I want.” It just crushes the pace of play and makes everyone miserable.”

I thought about this as we drove to the next tee box. And then inspiration hit me. Tee times are sold on the same model as clothing; in other words, a small shirt costs the same as a medium, which costs the same as a large. But maybe a better model is soft drinks. If you buy a 16-ounce drink, it costs more than a 12-ounce and a 36-ounce costs even more. If people really want to play a “bigger” course, what if operators charged for it?  Prices for the two forward tees are X dollars, the next two back are 20% more expensive and the back tees are 25% more. It would give a market incentive for golfers to play forward tees, which would give the common benefit of having people play faster and more successfully. Another thought was that with the rise of simulators, why not use them to validate a golfer’s tee selection? A golfer would hit five drives on a simulator and the average distance would determine which tee they would play from for that round. 

Neither Dennis nor I had heard of anyone trying these things and while recognizing that Northwest wasn’t the right place to test it, the “Play more, Pay more” model and the “Test Drive” would be interesting concepts to try. As I lined up an approach shot, Dennis asked, “Is there a place where you can get the idea to people that would be able to put it to use?” I smiled and said, “Yes, I think I know a place.”