Equipment
Tagmarshal: A GPS system that can curb slow play
Pace of play has become one of the biggest issues in the golf industry today. Many golfers just don’t have an extra four to six hours in their schedule to spend on the course, which not only hurts participation but course revenues as well.
One emerging solution is Tagmarshal, a computer-based GPS system that tracks the pace of any group on the course. Developed in South Africa, the field management system will be made available to courses in the United States by the end of September.
It is currently being used at many of South Africa’s top courses including Westlake, Mowbray and The Wanderers, and works one of two ways:
- A matchbox-sized tracking device is clipped on to one of the carts/bags in each foursome. The device signals back to the managing computer or tablet in the golf shop, starters desk or on-course ranger the position and pace of each foursome.
- One or more members of the foursome downloads the free Tagmarshal app for iPhone or Android. The app then taps into the location services of the device and signals to the managing computer or tablet the position of the group.
In addition to the pace-of-play alert system, the Tagmarshal app also includes a rangefinder, live scoring and leaderboard, as well as the ability to communicate with the halfway house and pro shop. Future versions of the app will include innovative ways to make tracking and improving pace of play more social for participating clubs and golfers.
Similar versions of GPS tracking of groups have existed for many years on golf carts, but they have always been limited to just groups with carts. Tagmarshal is the first system that can help management track all groups on the course, including those that are walking.
The system also learns the unique pace of each course where it is implemented. It will send alerts to the golf shop, starter or ranger if a group is behind pace, allowing management to quickly and effectively diffuse any situations that arise. It gives management concrete data to show the offending group, preventing any disputes about pace from the group.
If your course is looking for a way to attract more members and corporate events, a faster pace of play can be a great attraction for many golfers. The rumor of a fast pace of play will spread around the area very quickly, and give your course a great reputation and a greater number of rounds.
Want to create more successful events? Imagine a scramble where each group uses the live scoring feature, and can see their current standing hole-by-hole!
This week, we have our Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, on the ground at the OccuNet Classic at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, for the 14th event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. With that, we see some great things in the Lead Tape Report as we roll into Amarillo.
Joel Thelen
Monday Qualifier, Joel Thelen is in the field this week. He has played on the Korn Ferry Tour for a full season in 2023, and he is back in action this week. A couple of clubs caught my eye this week in his bag.
First off: His trusted Titleist 816 H2 hybrid. This club came out in October of 2015, and it still remains strong in the bag. Also, take a look at this Odyssey White Hot OG 7, putting a capital S in the 7S model. This custom neck has some impressive lean for an arm-lock-style putter. The bottom of the putter is covered in tape for optimal weighting.
Mitchell Meissner
Taking a look at Mitchell Meissner’s bag this week, we have some great lead tape coverage. Top to bottom working from fairway metals, irons, and wedges. We can see on the short irons and wedges that there is tape at the base of the grip, adding a little counterbalance. Along with that, some tape on the short irons and wedges as well. Moving to his putter, he rolls the Odyssey 7 Bird putter. Meissner putts left-handed and strikes the ball right-handed.
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.
Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: Titleist GTS3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 70 TX
7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 80 TX
Irons: Titleist U505 (3), Titleist 620 MB (4-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 8 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putters: Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype, Scotty Cameron GOLO 6.3 Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
In our forums, one user has offered up a prompt for the true sickos, inviting fellow forum members to share every set of irons they’ve ever owned. As to be expected, this is a lengthy forum topic.
@Lamosteve began:
Can you name every set of irons you’ve owned? Here’s mine
Spalding Dots
Spalding Eclipse
Ram Lazer FX
Lynx Parallax
Mizuno EZ Comp
Ben Hogans
Cleveland CG Red
Taylor Made R9s
PING i20
PING iE1
Taylor Made M6
Our members in the forum have been offering up their own collections. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- macedan: “Started with a hand-me-down Golden Bear set from my brother when I was in high school, never really played more than once a year or got into the game until about summer of 2017. First purchased a set of Cleveland CG4’s (I actually really miss this set sometimes, soft & not terribly large for a GI iron), moved into Nike Vapor Fly’s by the end of the year. Those lasted until spring of 18 when I decided I wanted new, so I traded them in for TM Rbladez. Honestly, although I liked the Rbladez, poor decision on my part, I think this was really about the only time so far that after a week or two I was kicking myself for not staying with what I had. Rbladez stayed with me until late last summer when I switched to P790’s and (knock on wood) I am hoping this will be my longest lasting set.”
- JimmyC59: “MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Triple Crown. Palmer The Standard. Still play these.”
- jgrzask: “Tommy Armour 845u
Mizuno MP-32
Mizuno MP-33 (2 sets)
Bridgestone J33cb – still own
Srixon i-302 (2 sets) – still own
Tourstage X-Blades – still own
Mizuno Hot Metal – still own
Nike Forged Blades – still own
Titleist 714 AP1 – still own
Cobra Forged SS – still own”
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Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
Asterisk Talley WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 S 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (16.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue...
Brianna Do WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 3-wood: Callaway Elyte Titanium (15 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 5-wood:...
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Trevor
Nov 7, 2013 at 5:50 pm
I see the word “social” in the article and that scares the crap out of me. Please dear god leave golf OUT OF ANYTHING ‘social’ media related. Just what we don’t need is people having the ability to do anything that distracts them from the immediate game at hand.
J W
Sep 17, 2013 at 4:16 pm
Devices like this have much potential in reducing the slow play that affects every course. Marshalls seldom have the backing they need to enforce the pace of play rule, at my home course when a marshall speaks to a group because theyre playing from the back tees and holding everyone up, they complain at the pro shop and whammo, the marshall gets fired…… Whats up with that BS?
mike
Sep 11, 2013 at 6:38 pm
love the idea but not holding my breath. wish I knew the solution. 5 hour rounds are bad and 6 hour rounds just can’t be tolerated yet they happen. we all love the game so we complain but just keep playing @ places where this is allowed. wake up!
toby
Sep 1, 2013 at 7:44 am
if this system gives me a quick round without the usual frustration I am 100% in favor! Bring it on!
bigdaddy
Sep 1, 2013 at 2:11 am
Not carrying it on my bag and not on my phone, this is already being done at some courses i play and its already on the cart with a big screen tellin you your distances pace of play a d scorecard. Little late to the party…
Miro
Sep 1, 2013 at 7:57 am
I play at three courses that are not cart based. Very keen to see it there!
STFU
Aug 31, 2013 at 1:06 pm
Who says pace of play is an issue? It ain’t for me. I look forward to my time on the course, out in the nature, with the friends and family. Now big brother wants to invade my space? How about I smash this little plastic piece of $hit and call it an errant golf ball? Are u kidding me? Look , here’s the facts kids. The golf industry ain’t never gonna produce the returns that it used to. Period. Accept it and move on. As someone said, you want to pack the courses with players…..its gonna slow things down. You wanna speed things up, space out times, have the Marshall make his presence known but not so much that he’ll be annoying.
Deaus7
Aug 31, 2013 at 12:17 pm
Why not just implant RFID chips? Waste of time and money. I wouldnt wear that crap so a marshal can track my progress on the course.
Jim
Aug 31, 2013 at 4:12 am
pace of play is a serious issue, but… If a course gives me one of these and they just let out a fivesome 8 minutes before my twosome, with a scheduled tee time, I’m going to put that thing on a tee instead of a ball.
Is it that hard for courses to put some sort of a censor working as a sort of checkpoint for golfers and if someone is lagging behind a marshal will specifically know who and by how much and go resolve the problem, professionally of course.
kevin
Sep 1, 2013 at 12:34 am
Don’t think a twosome have any rights unless it’s a slow day for the course. Twosome should always be paired up with one other or two before starting unless the course is not packed. Its very unfair when a foursome is playing and having their rounds interrupted by letting twosomes pass through all day.
Melville
Sep 1, 2013 at 3:45 pm
at least you will be able to find the tracker once you hit it off the tee!
sounds to me like this is what the system does though. notify marshals who is off the pace. No place to hide for slow players! Sounds good to me
Po
Aug 31, 2013 at 3:17 am
What a useless and pointless piece of equipment this is.
Jeff
Aug 31, 2013 at 2:32 am
So what if my playing partners and I do not bring our cellphones to the course? I know for one that I’m not letting my phone battery die to use this app (tracking device) and in all honesty I leave my phone in my car because the whole point of golf is to get away from that nuisance for a little while. I figure the answer would be, “I’m sorry sir, you are not allowed to play at our esteemed course without it.” Which would be absolute garbage and possibly drive people away. Just my 2 cents.
Craig (Tagmarshal)
Sep 1, 2013 at 1:35 am
Jeff, good observation. If you don’t have a cellphone or hate the distraction of carrying it, you (or one of the members in your playing group) would be issued a small tag to clip to your bag. A win win for both parties. You are free to enjoy the great outdoors whilst course management maintain a healthy pace as painlessly as possible.
Mark
Aug 30, 2013 at 1:10 pm
Too bad it’s not always the golfer. The greedy golf courses that pack too many tee time and allow 5-somes. You’re not gonna play in 3 hours if you step in the tee and there is a group on every tee box, fairway, and green from 1 to 18 already.
Steve (Tagmarshal)
Aug 30, 2013 at 1:46 pm
Good point Mark. Improving golfers’ experience is also a big goal of ours and so we could notify clubs if the system detected that they were overloading their field.
We could also look into sharing info with interested golfers on their course’s stats: making it a two way process might be an interesting way to encourage both golfers and courses to curb slow play.
yo!
Aug 30, 2013 at 1:58 pm
I don’t go back to those golf courses.
AJ Jensen
Aug 30, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Just combine this thing with a shock collar and you’ll have an invention that would benefit mankind for generations
Julian
Aug 30, 2013 at 1:24 pm
And a way to count strokes… so it would shock you when you are lining up a 3 footer for a 12.
Steve (Tagmarshal)
Aug 30, 2013 at 1:59 pm
I’ll propose it to the team for v2.0. We could make the 3rd shock deadly – 3 strikes and you’re out – a great way to thin out the field.
These comments are my own, and do not necessarily represent the official position of Tagmarshal.