Towards the end of the previous season, we had the opportunity to sit down with Connor Jones, the Golf Operations Manager at Portmarnock Golf Club, to discuss their experience with using Handicaddie throughout the season. Portmarnock were one of the first clubs to adopt Handicaddie to help manage their caddie programme. Portmarnock has a sizable caddie programme with over 200 caddies and approximately 7,000 rounds played annually. The demand for a more efficient system was evident, as it previously required three caddie masters to oversee the program effectively.
Connor had just recently joined the Portmarnock team this season and was amazed by how efficiently Handicaddie was managing the whole caddie programme. Having a system like Handicaddie made it one less tedious job to worry about when he was starting out. He goes on to explain;
“I came in at the deep end. It's the busiest time of year, so to know that I don't need to worry about that system straight away. It was just a massive help”
Even during the busiest times of the golfing season, Handicaddie effortlessly managed the caddie programme, providing the new manager with peace of mind knowing that he didn't have to immediately dive into learning a complex system. When the time did come for him to familiarise himself with Handicaddie, he was pleasantly surprised by how intuitive and user-friendly the platform was. In fact, he went as far as to say that it was unlike any system he had encountered before, offering high praise for its simplicity and effectiveness. This glowing endorsement truly speaks volumes about the exceptional quality of Handicaddie and its unmatched ease of use.
During the course of this time asked Connor a few questions regarding our service:
Before the implementation of Handicaddie, the team at the time were using a WhatsApp group to communicate with their entire caddie programme, receiving a barrage of messages to say what jobs they can take, then using that information to generate a schedule that could be displayed on the whiteboard for the caddies to see. They felt that this was all very off the cuff and unreliable leading to a lot of unnecessary admin. Very chaotic and impractical
Connor explains that our system has greatly benefited the club in the way that everything can be done now all in one platform making it clear to see the caddies available making it much easier to put out jobs and assign caddies. Connor also says that they still have great control over the caddies programme even though caddies have more flexibility over the jobs they have been allocated. This control is greatly beneficial for the caddiemasters themselves. Connor says;
“We've got three very good, very experienced caddiemasters. They know which caddies are good for pairing up with certain groups or individuals. So that aspect of it we really, like just how easy it is for the guys to put out jobs and then assign caddies that they think would be good for.”
Using this system means jobs can be spread out fairly between the caddies aswell as any requests from guests coming in asking for a specific caddie
Connor reported that Handicaddie has been successful in reducing the amount of time spent organising and arranging. During busy periods of the summer they get in the region of 60 to 100 caddies out a day. Previously this was taking a couple of hours to organise and assign caddies to jobs. Now it's only a matter of minutes.
This achievement is a big win for both Portmarnock and our caddie app. Our main objective is to streamline the process, making it easy and efficient so that golf clubs can focus less on administrative tasks and dedicate more time to providing a top-notch experience for their guests.
One of the biggest praises that Connor describes about using the system is how user friendly the platform is. He says that the team that organizes the caddie programme at Portmarnock Golf Club are experts at running the operation smoothly, but they have faced challenges when it comes to using computer-based systems in the past. Surprisingly, they found Handicaddie to be incredibly simple and user-friendly. Handicaddie's design allows even those with limited digital experience to quickly adjust and benefit from its efficiency.
Connor expressed his satisfaction with how well the app was functioning at the moment, mentioning that he couldn't think of any significant improvements that would enhance their experience further. The seamless operation of Handicaddie had exceeded their expectations, providing a user-friendly platform that effectively streamlined their caddie program. With no major issues to address, Connor's positive feedback highlighted the app's reliability and efficiency, solidifying its status as a valuable tool for managing their caddie program at Portmarnock Golf Club.
Portmarnock have plans to make booking made further in advance and thanks to Handicaddie’s latest update “Draft mode” they will be able to achieve this with ease. Additionally, they are focusing on enhancing the training aspect of their caddie programme by introducing workshops and training modules to elevate the skills and quality of their caddies. Every caddie will be required to complete these courses before taking on a bag. It's clear that Portmarnock is making significant strides in the right direction towards improving their caddie program.
In summary, the impact of Handicaddie on Portmarnock Golf Club has been nothing short of remarkable. Not only has the platform streamlined their caddie program, reducing scheduling time by an impressive 75%, but it has also garnered high praise from the caddies themselves. Based on feedback gathered from 98 caddies at Portmarnock through a survey, 90% of caddies rating the app 8/10 or higher. It's clear that Handicaddie is not only efficient but also well-received by those who use it daily. This level of satisfaction speaks volumes about the quality and effectiveness of the platform, making it a valuable asset for any golf club looking to enhance their caddie programme. The positive feedback from both the management and caddies at Portmarnock is a testament to the success of Handicaddie in bringing caddie programmes into the modern world.
It's been our pleasure to work Connor and his team at Portmarnock this year, and congratulations on their achievements this year.
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