How important are signs around the golf course?
Here at Hole Zero Golf, we are incredibly lucky to be able golf on all diverse types of courses thought-out the world. This year we have been able to play golf in Spain, Portugal, England, Scotland, and Wales. All these have been on both a professional and a personal level so can look at the courses from different view points.
Let’s look at this in 2 case studies.
Personal visit,
We recently played in a charity golf day at a lovely golf course earlier this year. It was a course we had not played at before so a new course, layout, and experience. It was a lovely course, and we would run back to play again in heartbeat. But…… there were four or five tees’ boxes and walkways which were in a very small area. Navigating through which was extremely difficult and confusing. As a fourball, 2 of which had played the course before all went the wrong way on several occasions. We had to ask another group of golfers which way the next tee box was. Should this happen at a golf course mid round?
Business visit,
We were asked by a golf course to do a site visit; we were asked to come to the venue. Play the golf course and do a full site sign report to highlight areas of improvement. To look at navigating around the course. To pick out where directional signs are needed or not in the same location and that the information on the signs were detailing a clear message.
One instance was on one of the paths on the course, it was over 750m away from the green to the next tee box. Past 2 other tee boxes and over a fairway. Signage in that area needed to be on point for health and safely, speed of play and enjoyment of golfer. On the walk from the green to the next tee there were in total 7 assorted style signs, some being wood, metal, and laminated paper, assorted colours, and different fonts. How can your visitors determine what is an important message on the course to one which is a seasonal message?
There has been a huge emphasis on speed of play in golf over the last few years and one of the most frustration things about golf is slow play but does a simple sign saying “next tee this way” help visitors navigate your course. Think about the visitors who play your course as a one off. That visitor could be your next new member. Yes, your members know where to go on the course and yes, they pay a lot of money to be a member but just take a step back. Think of your visitors.
Tips
- A uniformed fonts are extremely important to be able to identify important message on your course
- Use one colour so your golfers know what to look out for
- Think about the visitor who has not been to your venue before
- Plenty of signs help speed up play, comply with health and safety and give your golfer a better experience