The Covid-19 pandemic is likely to leave a lasting impression on the way clubs manage their operations, not least in the area of competition and social scoring.
Digital scoring apps look set to become the scoring method of choice as both club management and golfers alike warm to the benefits of a digital platform over the traditional paper scorecard. Golf’s governing bodies – the R&A and the USGA – encouraged the move to digital scoring in 2019 as they set about making golf more appealing to the younger generations.
The introduction of digital scoring pre-Covid turned out to be very fortunate in its timing. Since the start of the pandemic, there has been an unprecedented increase in online timesheet bookings and a growing number of clubs worldwide have seen scorecard use drop significantly.
Furthermore, the uptake of digital scoring has been prevalent across all age groups, further dispelling the myth that new technologies aren’t being embraced by older-generation club members.
Will digital scoring continue post-Covid? It certainly appears that digital scoring will overtake traditional scorecards post-pandemic.
A high percentage of clubs have reported between 80-95 percent of scores being submitted digitally, surprising many in the industry given that it is still optional for members to use paper scorecards.
Feedback in the form of over 1,600 survey forms, emails and phone calls has been overwhelmingly positive. The often-cited concern of older membership demographics has again been shown not to be a significant issue, with 80 percent of survey respondents being over 55 years of age.
To quote two enthusiasts of digital scoring: “Very easy to use once one gets used to the system. Will try the distance features next game as has been concentrating on using it correctly. At my age of 7 I find it very helpful. My various playing partners have also found it great & prefer it to cards. Some did both for a couple of games but now digitally only.”
“I like it a lot. I never want to use a pencil and a scorecard again. It’s simple and seems to operate logically, at least for me. Don’t make it too complicated if you make changes. I don’t have any recommendations.”
By Hua Hin Today
