Provided by: Tagmarshal
It’s an exciting time to be involved in the golf industry, which has experienced unprecedented growth over the past five years. 28.1 million Americans played on a golf course in 2024, and 47.2 million played either on-course or off-course golf, so it’s no surprise that record numbers of rounds are being recorded annually.
What those numbers don’t show, though, is that there are signs that the upward trajectory is starting to slow:
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Data presented by Pellucid Research at the 2025 Golf Inc. Strategies Summit revealed that 21% of daily fee players are being lost to the sport annually.
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Players 1st, the golf industry’s leading customer experience management tool, reports that 50% of first-time golfers stop playing within the first 2 years.
Bottom-line growth is central to the health of public and resort courses, and many operators exist under the pressures of steep revenue targets and tight budgetary restraints. The challenge (and opportunity) is twofold: how to retain golfers while increasing efficiency, ultimately increasing yield, decreasing churn, and driving revenue growth.
The role technology plays in on-course optimization has grown alongside round volumes, and Tagmarshal has firmly established itself as the market leader. Drawing on more than 95 million tracked and improved golf rounds, comprising over 100 billion data points, the system uses cutting-edge AI and machine learning to help courses:
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Optimize their on-course player experience
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Drive down costs and save time through automation
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Power facilities’ economic engines so that they can generate material additional revenue.
Mike Fosnick, PGA, Troon’s Director of Golf, has seen the impact of this system firsthand across the Washington facilities he oversees. “This technology will make you money and we’re a perfect example of that. I can emphatically state that Tagmarshal helps us generate more revenue. It’s truly been a game changer for us.”
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Managing Pace and Flow
USGA research found that 74% of golfers rate pace and flow of play as a top 3 experience factor. When a course consistently gets this right, players are far more likely to return, as well as recommend the course to other golfers.
Tagmarshal’s AI-enhanced pace management system provides operators with the tools to effectively and proactively manage pace, identifying which groups require attention so that their impact on the rest of the field is minimized.
Of the USGA’s 1,000 touchpoints in the golfer experience, pace interventions by marshals rank as one of the biggest dissatisfiers, adversely impacting player enjoyment. When on-course staff are equipped with data to inform these conversations with players, it reframes the interaction and repositions their role as player assistants, rather than marshals, working with the players to ensure everyone has an enjoyable round.
“Tagmarshal has been such a game-changer for us. We have 360-degree coverage of our golf course and we can see what the pace of play is with a glance at a screen.”
Matt Barksdale, PGA, Vice President of Golf, Pinehurst Resort
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Minimizing labor issues using automation technology
Operators face a persistent and growing challenge: finding and retaining skilled and qualified staff.
Managing increased play volumes with fewer resources is tough, but it can be overcome by embracing technology that allows smaller teams to achieve more.
Using real-time, automated alerts, Tagmarshal’s system reduces the effort needed to monitor pace and flow, making it easy for staff to perform additional tasks while keeping an eye on the field in real-time from the pro shop or clubhouse.
This also frees up hours to focus on more service-oriented tasks, helping deliver exceptional on-course experiences that drive repeat play.
The number of marshals patrolling the field can be greatly reduced, with course oversight visible with a single glance at Tagmarshal’s Live Map, and messages sent directly to players via 2Way screens reduces the need for interventions.
“We have reduced our labor expense on the golf course, increased our round capacity, and realized many operational efficiencies utilizing Tagmarshal.”
Mike O’Reilly, PGA, Director of Golf Operations, Whistling Straits
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Powering revenue growth
Effective pace management that brings down round times and improves flow is the first step in maximizing tee sheet capacity.
At the same time, reducing gap intervals to squeeze in golfers at the cost of the player experience may bring in more revenue in the short term, but it won’t take long before they decide to play elsewhere.
Gap intervals cannot be responsibly managed without data insights that underpin a deeper understanding of how course flow is impacted by time of the day, day of the week and other important variables.
With Tagmarshal’s technology proven to reduce round times, operators can pinpoint periods where capacity can be added without impacting pace and flow. Tagmarshal’s partner courses have seen great success in reducing early morning gap intervals, when rounds traditionally play faster, and players are also willing to pay a premium for these sought-after tee times.
Green fee gains are straight bottom-line gains, and more players on the course result in additional spending at the pro shop and on F&B.
“It’s pretty cut and dry. When our pace of play is good, we can charge more for a round and we can sell more rounds. Tagmarshal helps us do both.”
Dan McIntire, PGA, General Manager, Frisco Lakes GC
Providing a quality player experience is central to driving repeat play and club loyalty. By embracing Tagmarshal’s on-course optimization technology, operators who proactively and efficiently manage pace set themselves apart from other courses, gaining a competitive advantage as the industry pivots towards a focus on retention.
Tagmarshal partners with 900+ courses, including the likes of Baltusrol, Bandon Dunes, The Old Course at St Andrews, Streamsong, PGA West and Valhalla, although the majority of operations are daily fee facilities with green fees between $40 and $60.
To calculate your operation’s ROI using Tagmarshal, based on your actual course data, visit tagmarshal.com/roi.