There is a common belief that the stroke indices on a golf course are allocated purely on the degree of difficulty of each hole. That was once the case where stroke index 1 was the hardest hole and stroke index 18, the easiest, allocated according to playing statistics. A good few years ago now, CONGU (the Council of National Golf Unions) introduced recommendations, which amongst other things, included the allocation of stroke index, where rather than purely allocated on the degree of difficulty, they were 'balanced'. The actual guidelines can be found here but to paraphrase, stroke indices are allocated to ensure there is a fair spread of shots in stroke and match play to avoid a glut of strokes being allocated one after another, or at the beginning or end of a round. Lots of clubs acted on this recommendation and advised golfers of this change. Even now, many golfers remain unaware of this change and are quite vocal on the ridiculousness of some 'easy' holes having a low stroke index and vice versa. Now you know why. For those that don't agree, then that's fine - it's your opinion - but ultimately if the stroke indices are evenly spread does it really matter where you get your shots? If your mindset is that you MUST get a shot at a hard hole, then surely you'll be pleasantly surprised when the rage at not getting that shot, is countered by a shot at an easier hole? So when you are listening to the lambasting that volunteers often get from those that never, please advise the lambasters of the foregoing, as the CONGU recommendations were sent to every golf club far and wide and can be found in Appendix E of the Rules of Golf. World Handicap System Changes took place on the 1st April and most will lose or gain a shot. The new charts that clubs were supplied will show your new handicap accordingly. One of the key things here is the difference between the course rating and par. Broadly speaking, if the course rating is higher than par then you will get a higher playing handicap, if lower, then the opposite. It's not dissimilar to SSS and par, for those who remember, where playing a course with a higher course rating to par, (in old money, SSS to par) is always a wee bit more helpful to your handicap. The best thing clubs can do is keep par as close to the course rating as possible and most definitely avoid succumbing to baying masses who think a long par 4 should be a par 5 as they can't reach it in 2 any more - could they ever?

Most clubs have huge demand for morning tee times that hardly any club can accommodate. Many member think it is a right to play at the same time every week, because they have always played at that time, including the years before a booking system was introduced. Fact : No-one, with perhaps the exception of the club captain, is entitled to a pre booked tee time as everyone pays a subscription and have equal opportunities to book any time they want. A booking system usually causes a mass login to a booking system at some ungodly or inconvenient time, to try and get the time you want. The reason for the ungodly or inconvenient time is simply because this slows down traffic to the booking site. Booking systems are a necessary evil but deliver lots of positives - you have a definite time to play, you know when others are playing if you want to join them, it provides valuable information about play by members and visitors and gives greenstaff a good insight into course busyness. The down side of course, is usually the ungodly or inconvenient time the booking system opens BUT ONLY if you want a specific time on a specific day (usually a weekend). Simple solution : In any given month why not offer members the opportunity to pay extra for an advance booking and use all income for Junior development or some other good cause at the club. For example, 2 weeks in advance could be an extra £10 per player, 3 weeks in advance £15 per player and 4 weeks in advance £20 per player? It doesn't have to be per player and could be per tee time and the amounts are entirely your call, but why not? Additional income for many clubs will be welcome even if this additional income is ring fenced for whatever your club chooses, but that could take the pressure off the other, normal, income streams?

Change - a word that makes many run for cover. Why? Change is often for the better but there exists a 'cannae be botheredness' that sees many in the roles that matter, avoid making change. This exists in every walk of life, but on this blog lets focus on golf software. There was a time there was no golf software and everything was done by phone, pen and paper. Then there was change and we all adapted - eventually. It's probably fair to say that the first 'big' provider of golf software, was Club Systems. Almost everyone used it, before other software was introduced and created competition. No bad thing surely? Without being exhaustive golf clubs tend to use, on their own or combinations of: Club V1 (formerly Club Systems) HowdidIdo Intelligent Golf Sweetspot BRS Golf Genius VMS (Scottish Golf free software) Handicap Master Is there one provider that is better than the rest? It really is personal preference but some do provide greater flexibility than others, some provide greater detail and some are provided at very little cost, if any. Each club is different and has different needs. For instance: Intelligent Golf is a one stop shop that doesn't integrate (or didn't at the time of this blog) - it comes at a higher price than other software. Club V1 remains popular and can be integrated with other systems, such as BRS. At the other end of the cost spectrum, VMS is free to Scottish clubs and is now vastly improved since originally released. BRS is best known as a tee booking system and free to clubs if clubs give BRS parent company, Golf Now, tee times for them to sell on. Sweet Spot is the newest software available in the UK and is a first class Revenue Management system for golf clubs where the cost ranges depending on your needs. This can include a tee booking system which is free to clubs but without giving tee times away. Sweet Spot integrate with competition software providers. Golf Genius and Handicap Master offer first class software for club competitions. Only an opinion, but Handicap Master seems easier to use than Golf Genius from an administrative perspective. How long has your club had its current software or when was the last time a review of other providers was undertaken? If recently then hopefully this confirms what you already know. We all look to cut costs and improve efficiency, yet often the 'cannae be botheredness' that stops those in key roles looking away from what they currently use, might be to your club's detriment? Is it apathy or fear of change/learning a new system, or is it that your club is so happy with your current software provider that nothing can be better? It costs nothing to look around and you will be surprised at what is out there. We do it with energy, we do it with suppliers generally but why not golf software? It is a big job changing software as mostly that is the engine room of the club but it is worth it. Contact us if you want to know any more about those providers listed or other golf software.

In the golf 'industry' there are countless sources of advice on how to run your golf club. Many charge - handsomely! This can not only be confusing and expensive, but the result is often that your club is no further forward. If you add in the 'expert' opinions from those who claim to know best, then often this can lead to further disarray, and disharmony. Often, individual achievements are the core result of many of external advisers, and the club rarely benefits. The foregoing is evident in a number of clubs, but equally there are lots of clubs who embrace the ethos of teamwork, focused goals and drive to be the best they can be as they recognise the best way to build your club, is to do it from within, with your members. These clubs have harmony, tend not to focus on the headlines and don't waste money on 'industry awards'. There is a place for the latter, but it should not cost clubs a penny. Here is a basic ready reckoner on how to measure if your club is meeting requirements that will offer an efficient and compliant golf club/business. How many can you tick off? Identify if you really need a full time person to run your club - not that long ago the position was mostly part time; Appoint a person to run your club (employed, honorary or voluntary); Appoint a person or franchise to run your clubhouse, if relevant - be aware this is currently the toughest time the hospitality market has had, and as per previous blogs, golf clubs have great difficulty with this role as it is rarely financially rewarding; Appoint a person to manage the golf course and give them autonomy to do so; Do you have in place (in no specific order): Contracts of employment or engagement; Employee handbook; Member handbook; Fire safety policy including records of fixed wire and portable appliance testing; Grievance procedures for both staff and members; An up to date constitution and rules/byelaws; Are you incorporated in some form, thus indemnifying individuals who volunteer on committees to assist the club; A course management policy; Health & safety procedures including relevant certification for hazardous materials, dangerous equipment, annual reviews; Insurance cover that meets your needs; Your operating licence, personal licence holder and if relevant, premises manager; Standard operating procedures for all areas of the club/business; Safeguarding children and vulnerable adult policies; A privacy statement; Adequate and affordable software for the management of membership and competitions; Adequate security measures and safety checks; Weekly staff briefings; Links to your County/Area/National governing bodies; Committee members each with a role requirement and outline of expectation; Contracts with suppliers and a database to record renewal dates to avoid roll overs? The list could go on, and within each individual item listed above there are sub categories that will demand other policies and examination criteria. This list is not exhaustive and for many clubs there may be other bespoke policies and procedures. If, however, you can tick of all of the foregoing, then you are in a good place. If you need help to research, investigate, create or simply enquire then not only can Golf Insights help you with that but your governing body, Scottish Golf , have all this information on their website. Please remember, this blog, and all other blogs, are there to help golf clubs adapt, be the best they can be and avoid unnecessary expenditure. Please get in touch ( enquiries@golf-insights.co.uk ) if we can assist further.

How often have you heard that phrase before? The reality is that most things that are painstakingly scripted, drafted and re-drafted before being published go unread by the majority. It's not really a new thing and has always been the case, but nowadays it's just a little more obvious that the 'old methods' don't work, particularly with the variety of platforms available to circulate information. The same platforms are also used as excuses for NOT reading information - 'I only look at Twitter/Facebook/Threads/Instagram - if it's not there I don't read it' and most likely, even if it is there it wouldn't be read there either! What is the answer? Firstly, accept that there are those who'd rather be told things than read first hand the information you have prepared carefully. However, there are those that will pore over every word, enjoy being kept up to date, and may even feedback to you. That is always a good feeling even when their points are contentious. Secondly, use every platform available to get your messages across. Accept that some want to see pictures only, some want brevity, some really don't care unless it directly affects them, and many 'speed read - but do not ever stop giving out information as often as you can. The one great change in this modern era (well for the last 10-15 years) is that clubs are mostly superb at circulating information and keeping members up to date with what is going on at their club. You could actually say the same about most businesses. As a member you can ask no more, unless of course your club does not provide this information? If you disagree with anything then say so - your feedback is really valuable as no one person or group of people, who prepare and circulate this information has/have, the wider opinions available to them. Even a good rant when you disagree or feel your point has not been addressed, often has a nugget of gold hidden amongst the ravings, BUT, please, don't rant. Thirdly, keep communicating, never be put off. Try not to fall into the apathy trap as you feel your comms are never read. They are and they will be appreciated and ultimately, when the inevitable grumbles come your way, remember that you can point the grumbler to the comms you have so diligently sent out which explains why, where and how. Communication with added transparency will pacify the majority, will reduce your incoming grumbles, often quite considerably, because many will read what you send and will explain your comms to those who don't. Use every platform you can - if you don't have someone doing this for you then we know of people who will OR can guide you through the process. Contact us here

Golf clubs are famous for having multiple sections - for example Seniors, Juniors, Ladies, Gents - and as per the last blog, they all crave Captains, ownership of their section, how their section should run often without interference from 'the Club' and with their own bank accounts. As has been broadcast in our blogs and is widely known, clubs also struggle for volunteers, yet retain their multiple sections, who each struggle for volunteers. Surely as you read this you must realise the madness of this system of internal politics? Some clubs have taken the brave step of disbanding sections and becoming 'One Club'. What does One Club mean? It means that medal/competition days are for everyone, with the only exception being that Juniors will play together in Junior events for obvious reasons. It means that there is one Club committee who work with the Secretary/Manager and really should focus on Finance, Policy and Governance and leave everything else to the employed people. This frees up: Tee times, with fewer days committed to section comps/medals; The need for multiple bank accounts; Separate meetings with the different sections; Time Granted there will be occasions, such as grievance and projects, that will require more than just the foregoing but these are exceptions. Fixtures, social events, match and handicap, course management should be left to those employed. A good secretary or manager will cope with that. A Course Manager or Head Greenkeeper should excel given autonomy to manage the course without the assistance of one of the 700 club agronomists 😉. This is eutopia. Of course there will be those employed at clubs who need assistance and encouragement to meet a standard set by the Club committee when making this change BUT the pain, if any, is worth it to streamline your club. If your club operates with multiple sections, lack of volunteers, poor internal communication, unnecessary bureaucracy then maybe the thought of change, and the perceived fallout from small pockets of members is too frightening to contemplate? If you are involved in your club, or if you are a member of a club and didn't realise there were such issues, then share this blog with those that can do something about it. Your club, all clubs, will benefit by removing the invisible barriers that prevent a club being just that, instead of, multiple little clubs within a club, with multiple constitutions, power struggles and often inefficiency. With evidence clearly proving that clubs need to streamline, we can help your club do this, at little, if any cost. Just get in touch if you want any advice or a visit.

Golf Clubs have Captains. Some have multiple Captains - Club, Ladies, Seniors, Junior and Gents. Most clubs actually struggle nowadays to get a Club Captain let alone any others, but when they do, what is their role? There is a belief that a Club Captain should be the face of the club, the sounding board for the secretary or manager and/or is the person who chairs meetings. This differs from club to club but what is consistent is that the person elevated to this honoured role often becomes an 'expert' in their own mind, in something of which they have no experience. There are countless examples of clubs everywhere having a club Captain who wants trees removed, bunkers filled in, tees built, changes made to governance and so on, all because that is what that club Captain wants! Pity the poor employees as they then have a transient 'leader', no consistency to their working life, where some of those appointed are feared due to, for example, incompetency and bullishness, some are liked but most are kept close! In what other line of work would you find this - absolutely none. Golf clubs are businesses, like it or not, as they all have to, at worst, break even, therefore books need balanced. This has always been the case yet, how many times have you heard the phrase 'this used to be a club'? It still is a club, always has been a club, only now it might be professionally run, without disrespecting those who did so/do as volunteers, or as an honorary position, as was mostly the case. Imagine the time served joiner having an apprentice pitch up and tell him to change his 'working practices' as the apprentice doesn't like them. Duck the flying chisel! There are any amount of examples that could express the complete nonsense of the way club Captains often believe it is their 'turn' to run the club. If employees at clubs were allowed the free will to speak, which most either fear or just won't, then they would surely ask said club Captain 'How would you like it if I told you how to do your job'? That is probably when the club Captain calls an EGM to get rid of the outspoken upstart. Make no mistake, there are mostly superb club Captains, and almost all of them have the club at heart and want the best for the club, but why oh why do a minority feel it's their right to batter and cajole the employees into working practices that make no sense, go against common sense and usually against the will of the membership? EGO. Again, there are many excellent club Captains and some have no choice but to assist running the club, mostly through financial restrictions, and many of those without financial restrictions have Captains who are simply outstanding. They understand parameters, devolved responsibility, when to contribute and when not, and mostly, respect for the employees. Clubs need Captains but these Captains need to know what their role is. Mostly they are not there to run the club and should stay as far away as possible from that before they make an inevitable mess. Let the managers manage, let the Captains be the figurehead and enjoy their period of being the sounding board. If you see a Captain running your club then you've either got financial restrictions or someone who just loves to be in control, the latter often being more dangerous and damaging than the former. Will this blog change that pattern - we doubt it, we'd hope it would, but you could share this with your members and see what feedback you get?

New courses are almost always built for the golf tourist, rarely the resident, and the older courses we grew up playing, are suffering from fewer members and visiting parties. There are a few exceptions to a new course development, where for instance, road development has forced change or relocation (i.e. Torvean, now the Kings Course in Inverness). The impact of the new courses being built is felt in golf club membership. Those golfers who joined a club but rarely played, possibly now take the view that their money is best spent enjoying the new, lauded courses with wonderful clubhouses and first class facilities. Who can blame these golfers? Around a dozen years ago a high profile figure in golf was quoted in The Scotsman, to paraphrase, 'for club golf to survive in Scotland, some clubs have to close'. It was a hard hitting statement but the reality of it is that the vast majority of clubs in Scotland do struggle every year to break even. As outlined in previous blogs, the only income streams for most clubs these days are: Membership subscriptions Visitor income ; whilst the bar and catering LOSE money. It is not that the new courses are responsible for this demise; when you examine membership profiles and exit surveys, almost 25% of non renewals are due to age, infirmity or both. The new generation of golfer doesn't necessarily want to be a member of a golf club, and often will enjoy visits to a number of different clubs. On almost every occasion this generation of golfer will arrive, play, then leave, having had a great day out, spending very little other than the green fee. The last point is one of the main reasons clubhouses are losing money year on year. When you drive around Scotland you find pockets of fantastic courses in close proximity to one another. St Andrews is the obvious example and as the mecca of Scottish golf, doesn't really feel this impact generally. For example, in Deeside, Blairgowrie, the Moray Firth, Fife, Angus and many more areas, there are great 9 and 18 hole courses all within a 10 minute drive of one another, that struggle every year to break even. For the golfing tourist who wants to experience the oldest courses in the country, their proximity makes a 'tour' easy and is a great selling point, BUT, the golfing tourist to these areas is becoming less common and thus more of a toil for the clubs. We need to face the fact that change continues to creep along slowly and some courses will inevitably have to close, as running them will simply be unaffordable. As a byline, this does not excuse the closure of municipal courses, that DO have membership options and are popular - that is symptomatic of a broken economy and an example of poor logic by the relevant local authorities who are striking at leisure without consideration of the longer term consequences. This is NOT the fault of the new courses that have arrived in the last 20 odd years, nor is it the fault of the non renewing members - it is quite simply a generational change, a justification of household expenditure and family time. When a club closes its doors it is estimated that 50% of those who were members, join another club, whilst the other 50% give up golf. Being a member of a club makes you play - it justifies the subscription paid. Not being a member of a club means the importance of playing, or getting value for money, is no longer at the forefront of your mind as a golfer. Ask most golfers who have had an extended break if they missed the game? A larger percentage don't rather than do! The very first thing clubs can and should be doing now is examine where their losses are. This will most likely be the clubhouse. Look at what you can do differently, be it collaborating with other sports clubs, caterers or cafes locally and refining your provision. Yes, some will be mortified at this loss of service, but the cost of keeping it, on many occasions, will be the catalyst that expedites the race to the end. We cannot emphasise enough the importance of streamlining your golf club now, rather than continually trying to provide what the vocal minority expect, without getting the footfall support you really need from everyone at your club. Whilst some clubs will never feel this pain, many will. Clubs can instigate that change now, rather than react in the future, wherever down the line the reaction is forced. If you need any assistance to look at your club, then please get in touch and we can visit you and we can certainly help you - our e-mail address is enquiries@golf-insights.co.uk and we hope to hear from you soon.

Many of the blogs we've posted relate to how clubs are managed, how they can improve, the courtesy services we at Golf Insights deliver and the state of the game nationally or locally. How many who read the blogs ever sit and listen to the clubhouse opinions, or are in receipt of messages from the keyboard warriors? The following may be familiar: Overheard in the clubhouse I don't attend General Meetings as I've said all I've got to say; If I had the catering I'd have curry nights, race nights and I'd make the food cheaper - I'd come with my mates; Scottish Golf don't know what they're doing; I don't know why our subs are so high. They pay everyone too much; The course is a disgrace (February 2024); What do the committee do here anyway; It's about time they asked member opinions; I've been a member for years and can't remember the clubhouse being so quiet. ; and so on. General Meetings require all members to attend ideally so that there can be varied points of view. Be sure, the member for 20+ years will not have the same view as the new members! Being a member of a golf club for a length of time, or being a good golfer, is not a qualification to efficiently run a golf club. There is no difference to that than there is of supporting a football team for many years, or being good at football, and thinking you would be a better manager. Scottish Golf actually do know what they are doing, but they need all golfers to listen . They need all golfers to accept that change is not a swear word. They need to modernise and that is what they are trying to do. It's not perfect, it never has been or will be, but Scottish Golf are at last moving in the right direction for the benefit of golfers in this country. Subs are probably not high enough in most clubs, as almost always they are set to break even and recover losses. If this was your business would you want to plan to break even at best, or, would you plan to make an excess for future planning and to provide a balanced service? (See previous blog on Catering Conundrum ) Catering is on its knees at many clubs as golfers often don't use clubhouses. The wheel doesn't need reinvented; those employed or franchised usually have tried everything and members still don't attend. This may sound harsh, but those engaged in the hospitality business are professional in their role and more likely than not have considered AND tried everything that you demand will work. Catering needs supported every single day or you will lose it. Courses are rarely a disgrace, and if they are not perfect it is almost always weather related (including time of year in this particular case). Most clubs have member Q&A evenings in addition to General Meetings. If you don't have them then you should. They are easy to organise and informal, where hopefully, those who like to tell their mates how they know better, how they have the solutions or even to find out what committees and staff actually do, will attend and hear the eye opening answers that make many appreciate what they didn't actually know. If you are a member of a golf club then you chose to join that golf club, so please support that club where you think they need support. If you don't know how you can support your golf club, then please ask the secretary, manager or committee member as there are few clubs, if any that won't need some form of help. By doing this rather than speaking in huddles, not only will you be actively helping your club, but you will help create momentum in a way that helps your club, rather than dining out on uninformed whispers.