Oak Hills staff roll out enforcement, signage and extra rangers to speed up slow rounds

Tom Sacco, a course ranger, told the Oak Hills Park Authority that two years of data collection show a measurable increase in long rounds, particularly on weekend afternoons. He outlined new steps staff have taken to enforce pace-of-play rules and to pinpoint slow groups. "The statistics that are in this presentation have been thoroughly researched and are in no way subjective," Sacco said.

The measures are aimed at addressing what staff described as a drift toward longer rounds as the course has attracted more out-of-area and less-experienced players. Course staff installed new pace-of-play signage at the starter podium and on holes 7 and 10, empowered rangers to ask groups to move ahead when more than one hole is open in front of them, and added additional rangers during peak weekend periods with a ranger stationed on Hole 7.

Sacco gave specific performance numbers tracked with the course's point-of-sale and cart-tracking systems: in June average round times were about 4 hours, 28 minutes and in the first half of July the average rose to about 4 hours, 35 minutes, with an increase in 5-hour rounds after 2 p.m. That pattern, he said, produced roughly 2.4 five-hour rounds per day in June and about 6 five-hour rounds per week in early July.

Paul, the golf professional, described course setup and player mix as contributing factors. He said membership and nonmember play have broadened since the pandemic, bringing more women, couples, juniors and out-of-area players who may not know the course. "We have a lot more non-Norwalk players playing than before," Paul said, adding that unfamiliarity with tee selection, blind holes and green speed can slow play.

Staff also plan to pilot software with AI-enabled cart-tracking that isolates the single cart causing a bottleneck rather than highlighting many carts at once on the screen. Sacco said he is researching options and will arrange demos before any purchase decision.

Discussion versus direction: staff presented data and asked for member review of policy suggestions. The authority did not take a formal vote; instead, staff said they had already enacted operational directions (signage, ranger authority, added personnel) and will return with further recommendations and possible software demos.

The authority asked staff to prepare written suggestions to consider for formal policy changes, and Sacco agreed to circulate his full report to members.

Community impacts: staff said measures focus on reducing slow play for public-course users and club events without changing fundamental course setup. No changes to fees, tee-time allocations or formal tournament rules were voted on at the meeting.