dlwicks@sbcglobal.net

2017 Pace of Play Results – Full Season

by

The 2017 season is finished.  The Pace of Play data is analyzed.

2017 RESULTS
Overall Pace of Play (POP) for 2017 was GREAT! And a huge IMPROVEMENT. Our gross averages for all tee groups across all Divisions and courses was under 4:30, a 15 to 20 minute improvement as compared to 2016.

Although there were several complaints when we started, during the year we have received many positive comments about members appreciating the faster play. In discussions with courses for 2018 schedules, many acknowledged that they saw improvements.

The detailed data now shows that an overwhelming majority of our members can and do play at pace between 4 and 4:30. All ages and physical and golf abilities have been playing quickly. This reinforces that being ready to play and staying aware are far more important than skill, age or physical capabilities in pace of play.

 

2018 and Beyond

Focus on pace will continue.  We can still improve.  Every year new members will need to understand and practice.

Reverse Shotgun starts were clearly identified as a problem for pace.  No Reverse Shotgun starts are on the 2018 schedule (and probably not into the future).

Split Tee starts are the fastest.  We have more Split Tee starts for 2018.

Improved pace can also be a source of new membership as our reputation for fair, competitive, and speedy play grows.

We are not seniors who play golf.

We are good golfers who happen to be seniors. 

For 2017 details – see below.

Download (PDF, 145KB)

2017 Year End General Membership Meeting – Tuesday Nov 14

by

Members are encouraged to attend the General Membership Meeting on Tuesday, November 14, 2017.  The meeting will start at 1:00 PM at the Kirkwood Community Center on Geyer Road.

Come to meet, thank and confirm your leadership (officers and committee members).  In addition:

  • Visit with Golf Buddies
  • Renew your membership (in person or use online registration)
  • Bring a new member for sign up
  • Find out about the 2018 Schedule
    • Weekly Tournaments
    • Special Events.
  • Rule Changes – All Flights can Chose Forward or Back Tees
  • Sign up for Starter / Scorers for 2018
  • Volunteer for Committee or possible Board / Officer Positions

 

2018 Membership Renewal Now Open

by

Metro Senior Members,

It is time for you to began the your membership renewal process. You have until December 31, 2017 to renewal your membership and maintain your position in your current division, or transfer to a different division.

If you wait until after January 1, 2018, you will be grouped with new members on a first come first serve basis and when the 160 member limit is reached you will be frozen out of your desired division.

Division 5 was at 160 members last year, while Divisions 3 and 4 were almost at 160. To guarantee your position in Divisions 3, 4, or 5, then you should get your renewals in.

Please use the following link: On-Line Renewal Form

If you elect to mail in your renewal application (see attached file) the check should be made payable to – Metro Seniors.

The completed renewal form and check should be mailed to:

Dan Glenzy

14 London Ct.

O’Fallon, MO 63366

Thank you,

The Membership Committee

Metro Seniors Renewal Form

2017 Smartphone Survey Results

by

Thank you for your responses.

The evolution of smartphones has generated the opportunity and need to make communications “mobile friendly”.  As an example, our Metro Sr website automatically resizes for the smaller smartphone screen.  We also need to look for improved ways to communicate Metro Seniors news and perhaps weekly VP tournament announcements (emails?).

Over the last several years, ideas for improving our weekly tournament scoring process have bubbled up. Ideas have outrun the technology.  Our current “paper based” Universal Scorecard process is:

  • Time consuming – members and data entry
  • Time delayed – mailing, bulk data entry
  • Relatively expensive – mailing, printing, data entry
  • Error prone – input and data entry
  • Affects every member

Technology now exists. Smartphones are now in wide use. Essentially hand held wireless computers connected to the internet and central servers/systems.

Applications (APPs) that use smartphones for “Mobile Data Entry” are widespread and some are virtually free.  These allow easy point – click data entry, automatic completion, error checking and math.  They also allow immediate data transfer for use in central databases (like OurGolfStats).

We are exploring the opportunity to utilize Mobile Data Entry as a replacement for our current paper scorecard system.  Within a few years, we expect that this will be the standard everywhere.

The decision for us is should we start now or wait.  The Smartphone Survey will help in deciding when we start.

Do we have a “critical mass” of smartphones?

Do members have enough experience to use website or Mobile Data Entry APPs?

Do members understand the issues, problems, delays, costs, and time for paper scorecards?

Can we develop Mobile Data Entry that is faster, cheaper, higher quality and that members will use?

Do we see more opportunities?

  • Fast, accurate, real time course surveys or course conditions reports
  • Improved pace of play measures, real time
  • Reduced efforts and time for volunteers (Starters / Scorers and administration)
  • ???? More Ideas?????

Download (PDF, 260KB)

 

 

 

 

2017 Course Survey Results

by

Thank you for all the responses to the 2017 Course Survey.  The results were discussed with the Tournament Committee.  This was used as part of the decision process to set our target courses for the 2018 season.

The responses came from 224 members (30% of total) who played almost 4000 rounds (40% of the total – averaging 18 rounds each. These folks have seen all the courses.

I would like to see more responses from members who didn’t play as much. They might help us understand how to get them out for more fun.

The short summary of the Survey follows.  For those who want to see a more detailed analysis, see the link to the full report.

Executive Summary – Member Guidance for 2018 Weekly Tournaments

  • Eliminate or Minimize “reverse” shotgun starts
  • Start Times
    • Shotgun Starts at 7:30 AM with some at 7:00 AM (mid-summer, June, July, August)
    • Tee Starts at 7:00 AM preference (6:30 AM start still OK especially for mid-summer)
  • Target Tee positions Regular (5800 to 6200 yds) and Forward(5200 to 5800 yds)
  • Schedule with 2017 courses as preference for 2018
  • Convenient distance and quality of course are valued higher than cost
  • Consider adding “quality” courses

 

CLICK HERE to see the Full Survey Results

 

 

Member Smartphone Survey

by

We are looking a possible methods to improve our scorecard data collections and entry.

Mobile Data Entry (MDE) is a very promising technology.

APPs for MDE are already available is downloaded from the Google Play Store or ITunes onto members’ smartphones.

Simple as point and click on a smart phone, that would make completion of scorecards faster (than pencil), more accurate (click-on selections for Names, ID numbers, courses), hole score totals automatic, easy edit for corrections and immediate electronic transfer (no mailing and waiting for postal service).

Purpose of Survey – what type phones Apple -IOS or Android (everything but IPhone), experience with internet and APPs, knowledge and use of golf apps, and problems/issues with green cards.

Should only take a couple of minutes.

Members w/o smartphones go to scorecard, bypass rest of survey.

https://goo.gl/forms/B5DgXRbcCY2fkrNa2

Pace of Play Update – 23 Week of 2017

by

Thank You!

You have made some significant improvements to Pace of Play during 2017.

So far with 113 rounds in the books, (only 2 weeks and 10 more rounds remaining).

  • 4 hour 30 minutes average tee group play time, about 19 minutes faster than 2016
  • Only 19 of 113 rounds averaged more than 4 hour 45 minutes
  • NO ROUNDS AVERAGED MORE THAN 5 hours.

We have a lot of quick players.

  • Fastest groups average just over 4 hours almost thirty minutes faster than the field.
  • These are usually the first starters in Tee Starts or with holes open in ahead on Shotgun starts.

We still have a very few players and tee groups that frequently slower than average or are the slowest group on the course.  Several of these have improved after seeing the data or with some encouragement.  When these groups start early in tee starts, they slow 4 to 6 groups behind by 20 to 30 minutes.

Start types are significant for pace.

  • Tee Starts – 4 hours 26 minutes (84 players – 64 rounds)
  • Regular Shotgun Starts – 4 hours 35 minutes (87 players – 33 rounds)
    • Average 3 to 4 tee groups – slow average by 10 to 15 minutes vs Tee Start
  • Reverse Shotgun Starts – 4 hours 47 minutes (84 players – 15 rounds)
    • 4 to 6 more B Tee Groups – slow field by 15 to 30 minutes vs Tee Start

Courses are significant (difficulty and start type).

  • 19 Rounds on 9 courses with average times over 4:45
  • 3 Courses represent are 11 of the 19 high average rounds
    • Bear Creek – Reverse Shotgun
    • Far Oaks – 2 Tee / 2 Reverse Shotgun
    • Stonewolf – 1 Tee / 2 Reverse Shotgun

We know that weather and course conditions are significant.  However, with rain, few members play and times are fast.  Also with Path Only conditions, we had relatively few rounds played so data is not definitive

We can still improve.  Encouraging our slower players to simply keep up.  Our slowest groups finished with at least one hole open ahead.  They start 10 minutes later and lose an added 10 to 20 minutes.  Staying aware of groups ahead and behind is the most important part.

The Pace of Play Logs have given us a wealth of data.  As Tournament Committee schedules courses for 2018, we will use this along with your Survey input to help in course selection for 2018.

Averages
DIV Rounds Avg Min Max Avg
Played Players Time Time Time
1 Friday 22 73 04:10 05:01 04:37
2 Friday 22 79 04:02 04:52 04:30
3 Thursday 23 96 04:04 04:49 04:28
4 Thursday 23 89 03:54 04:55 04:25
5 Thursday 23 87 04:03 04:54 04:31
       
All Divisions 113 85 04:02 04:54 04:30

 

Course Survey Update – Submit Problems – Fixed

by

Steve Bugg reported a problem with the Survey that I think is now fixed. (Could not Submit at the “I am not a Robot”).

If you completed the form and could not SUBMIT or did not get the Form Submitted confirmation, please go back and retry the form now.

CLICK HERE to retry the form

THE PROBLEM (for those who want to know)

I am sorry for the problem.  It was not visible or obvious in form design or testing.

At the end of the Survey there was an “I am not a Robot” check button.  This was not in the original form and did not show up in testing or with the initial responses.

Apparently Google adds this at some time AFTER the form is released.  It is not visible or an option to delete in the form design.  There is a large complaint area in the Google Forms Forum.  Many people with the same problem.

Fortunately there was also a work-around that seems to work.

 

Special Events Committee Organizing for 2018 Season

by

Frank Mantia, Chairman for Special Events, is organizing the Special Events Committee for 2018.

We will be discussing the Special events and courses for the 2018 season.  Discussion can include the structure and some of the details for each tournament.  If you have an interest in making these better and more fun, this is a great way to participate.

The first meeting will be on 31 October, 10:00 AM, Frank’s home.

Please contact Frank Mantia by email

 mantiafb@hotmail.com

To let him know you are interested.  He confirm the address and time.

Course Survey 2017 – Closing Soon

by

The Survey has received almost 200 responses so far.  There is a pretty good balance of responses by Division and Flights (handicap range) except for Division 4 and our D Flight players.

The Survey will remain open for a few more days.  If you are in Division 4 or are a D Flight players, there is still an opportunity to express your opinions.

For more information on the Survey and links to the Survey – CLICK HERE.