“The evidence from global business studies is clear: companies with more diverse management teams achieve greater profitability.” Syngenta Growing Golf takes a detailed look at women in all aspects of the golf industry making a positive impact transforming the game, including ASGCA President Jan Bel Jan.
Syngenta reports:
One female leader who is both at the top of her profession and proof that diverse thinking drives profitability is golf course architect Jan Bel Jan, named by Sports Illustrated as among the top 10 most influential women in golf.
The 2019-2020 President of the American Society of Golf Course Architects is the innovator behind Scoring Tees™.
“Scoring Tees™ are an opportunity for everybody to learn how to score better, including the novice and the highly skilled player,” explains Bel Jan, who has trademarked the formula.
“It took me time to develop the name because I wanted it to be gender neutral, age neutral and skill neutral. Scoring Tees™ are formal tees, that look like all the other tees on the golf course, and are thoughtfully placed for line of play and line of flight.”
Bel Jan says the shorter course format – typically 4,000 to 4,200 yards – appeals to youngsters, seniors and both men and women learning the game. It also makes the game more accessible to those with disabilities, something Bel Jan is passionate about.
“A shorter course is far more enjoyable for people with slower clubhead speeds because they will be able to get on the greens in regulation relative to par,” she says, explaining how customers are now celebrating making more birdies and breaking 90 for the first time.
Importantly, the innovation is delivering a return on investment for clubs.
Pelicans Nest Golf Club in Bonita Springs, Florida, was one of the first courses to introduce Scoring Tees™ as one design element of a course renovation project Bel Jan was overseeing.
“As soon as the course opened it was a hit with many of the ladies,” continues Bel Jan. “Some of them only ever played nine holes because they took so many strokes, but after we put in the Scoring Tees™ they extended their games to 12 or 15 holes and some to 18 holes.
“There was one woman who played 22 more rounds of golf in the first year because she had so much more fun. And because she played more golf, her friends played more golf with her. So there were more rounds, which means more golf balls, more golf outfits, more lunches and more beverages.”
There is a similar story at Green Valley Country Club in Greenville, South Carolina, where the club was bought out of bankruptcy and the new owner was impressed by Bel Jan’s vision for both Scoring Tees and a three-hole short game area.
The complete article from Syngenta Growing Golf, including profiles of other women in golf and a video interview with Bel Jan, can be found here.