Mario Almonte

At the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA) President's Council, MGA Press release: "Colin Burns and Eric Hutchison, Ph.D. of GGA Partners™ then discussed how many clubs are facing challenges with recruiting and retaining employees. They shared data from employee polls, plus shared details on training programs, incentives, or compensation packages that they've seen in clubs around the country." There are few if any, greater challenges than staffing for all departments in the private club industry; service staff and golf course maintenance personnel are becoming increasingly difficult to attract and retain. Employee Surveys are critical to determining if your employees are happy, if they have issues that need to be addressed, and why when they do leave, are the reasons. #peopleservices #MGA #NCA #MCMA #staffing #employeesurveys

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#Golf: Good morning. This new Saturday post will focus on golf, while looking to combine aspects of work in several posts. Welcome. “The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight.” Ben Hogan, Golfing Great. The game of golf, the amateur game played every day by the men, women, and juniors is on fire. Last year more than 530 million rounds were played in the U. S. Understand the “old normal” from 10-15 years ago was consistently in the 441-443 million rounds per year. With Boomers aging out of full time employment and juniors coming to play in ever larger numbers, the game has several green lights ahead. At the same time, like many industries employment is an issue. While Covid made golf a “must try”, the people that did “go” to work quickly became exhausted, with crowded parking lots filled with golfers and less workers to support the explosion. In addition, every golf course had new local and national standards to adjust to, in order to comply to the pandemic standards. Now, in the post Covid light, the game must figure out how to better build consistent value while developing people who want to make golf a career. There is no free lunch. Recruiting and training takes money, effort, and lots of time. With millions of new and returning golfers showing up to the first tee, what will operators do to build staff, develop pay programs that invite retention, and invest in a strategy to keep that first tee humming for years to come. The game is on fire! The fix will not happen on its own. Thank you for reading. (these are my words and my opinions only.) #joy #angst #talent #game.

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“Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles, it takes away today’s peace.” – Randy Armstrong In the busy world of golf management, it’s easy to let worries build up. But as leaders, staying focused on what we can control and supporting each other with a positive mindset can make all the difference. At Troon being “Relentlessly Dedicated”, means more than just meeting goals. It’s about committing to a culture that encourages clarity and calm, no matter what challenges come our way. By doing this, we create an environment where our teams, members and guests can thrive. #Golf #GolfBusiness #GolfManagement #Mindfullness #Troon #LEADership

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Reason #9 for your club to use Unknown Golf: AI-powered Event Validation. Unknown Golf’s built-in AI checks everything about your event in real-time. No surprises and error-free, your events will run smoother than ever before. Let’s Chat. @unknown.golf

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Episode 4 now live. Top 5 Trackman courses you can play now and much more.

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Professional golf’s third of four majors starts this week:  The U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina 🏌️ As a golf fan, it has become clear to me the way a professional golfer prepares for tournaments is similar to how business professionals should prepare for presentations. First, every professional golfer has a process they use prior to every single tournament: ▪️ Not just the big tournaments ▪️ Not just for ones where they have extra time to get ready ▪️ But for EVERY. SINGLE. TOURNAMENT. Second, each golfer’s preparation process touches on every aspect of their game: ▪️ Their tee shots ▪️ Their irons ▪️ Their chipping ▪️ Their putting Third, each golfer uses the SAME process every time they prepare for a tournament: ▪️ They allocate roughly the SAME amount of time to get ready. ▪️ They run through the various aspects of their preparation in the SAME order. 🟣 Bottom line: Their preparation process is REPEATABLE, EFFICIENT, and EFFECTIVE. ----- All of this can be translated to a business professional who prepares presentations. First, a business professional should prepare for every single presentation: ▪️ Not just the big and important ones ▪️ Not just for the ones they have extra time to prepare for ▪️ But for EVERY. SINGLE. PRESENTATION. Second, a business professional should ensure their preparation/rehearsal process touches on every aspect involved with delivering a great talk: ▪️ Their ability to speak without notes ▪️ Their movement ▪️ Their voice ▪️ Their energy Third, a business professional should use the SAME process every time they rehearse a presentation, so that: ▪️ No time is wasted ▪️ No preparation aspect is ignored 🟣 Bottom line: The Bergerac Group teaches a REPEATABLE, EFFICIENT, and EFFECTIVE process we call “Guided Rehearsals.” Feel free to comment on how you prepare for presentations OR a round of golf! Both are welcome :) #TheBergeracGroup #PowerTalk #TransformingCommunication

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New PGA of America financials are out. Why did the PGA of America sell Valhalla? The word is they had to sell to stay solvent? Maybe some of my friends know the truth. No other club employees or club industry professional associations spend money to grow the game. Why does the PGA of America use PGA Members money to conduct programs while no other professional club association does? Is it to feed PGA of America Officials, Administrators, and Staff? Let the USGA, PGA Tour, Golf Course Owners Association and local amateur bodies use their funds to grow the game. Give the PGA of America money to PGA Members directly to either use to grow the game in their local community (build their standing in their community) or figure out a way to just give PGA Members the money. Stop wasting it on PGA of America Officials, Administrators and Staff. I'm told the top 10 PGA of America Administrators cost the PGA Members 9.8 million dollars a year. Half of that would be a nice chunk of change to give to PGA Members.

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Over the last couple months I've been evangelizing the use of CourseScout in the golf fundraising space. A big departure from where we started. But a move that just feels right! And while everyone shakes their head and says "makes sense", I had no proof, just "yeah yeahs"...I needed a case study before imposter syndrome noticed me pivoting. So here's a recap of what we've been up to: On September 11th, I learned of a small golf tournament in GA, put together to help with ongoing cancer treatment expenses. If you're in the golf biz, you've likely hosted/participated in similar fundraisers. -On September 14th, with less than a month, I pitched the organizer our Mobile Tournament Guide with 3 simple goals. 1. To provide event information and video to players & interested parties. 2. Give event hosts an additional marketing/fundraising layer. 3. Give sponsors a mobile presence with players & supporters. -On September 17th, I completed all necessary drone & photography. -By the 20th, a Mobile Tournament Guide was complete and ready to accept advertising. -On September 24th sales efforts began. -On October 4th sales efforts closed. -On October 7th, QA of the Mobile Tournament Guide was complete and delivered to all players. TODAY: The event has $5700 in NEW UNPROJECTED REVENUE. TOMORROW: WE PLAY GOLF! The last month has been a roller coaster. Putting it all out there, pushing the "I believe" button, and ultimately helping someone who really needs it. Like I said, it just feels right... Hosting a golf fundraiser? Let's connect and have a fresh conversation around fundraising. #fundraising #golftournament #sponsorships #engagement

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Last year, only 37% of New England Country Club’s golfers were finishing on pace. Tagmarshal’s pace of play management system helped them get that number to 84% within 3 months. New England CC partnered with Tagmarshal to: - Improve course flow for their members and players - Reduce their average round time - Gather data to aid better decision-making. That 47% improvement in pace meant that 827 rounds were positively impacted in one month alone, leading to an enhanced player experience for hundreds of golfers. Happy golfers = repeat play, positive referrals and increased spend at on-course facilities. Chip Hierlihy, PGA, the Fieldstone Golf Club GM, recently said, “If you’re not part of what’s current in technology today to optimize your business, then you’re really missing the boat.” There’s a reason more than 500 courses around the world, including 2024 Major hosts Pinehurst and Valhalla, trust Tagmarshal to help them with their pace of play and on-course operations.

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Last year, only 37% of New England Country Club’s golfers were finishing on pace. Tagmarshal’s pace of play management system helped them get that number to 84% within 3 months. New England CC partnered with Tagmarshal to: - Improve course flow for their members and players - Reduce their average round time - Gather data to aid better decision-making. That 47% improvement in pace meant that 827 rounds were positively impacted in one month alone, leading to an enhanced player experience for hundreds of golfers. Happy golfers = repeat play, positive referrals and increased spend at on-course facilities. Chip Hierlihy, PGA, the Fieldstone Golf Club GM, recently said, “If you’re not part of what’s current in technology today to optimize your business, then you’re really missing the boat.” There’s a reason more than 500 courses around the world, including 2024 Major hosts Pinehurst and Valhalla, trust Tagmarshal to help them with their pace of play and on-course operations.

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Need to extend your Backstop Netting to protect patrons next season? Netting Professionals has you covered! 🏟️ Learn more at NettingPros.com or by sending an email to info@nettingpros.com!

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