Golf course security isn’t simple. There are multiple different zones that have unique security needs—the golf course, golf carts, pro shop, and clubhouse to start and, increasingly, hotels, pools, spas, event halls, and other amenities as well. That requires the combined security measures of a retail shop, bar/restaurant, property management company, parking lot, event space, etc. Each zone has its own security needs and risks.
This article goes through every area of a typical golf club to show you how to improve your golf security measures.
To see how Solink can protect your entire golf club with one integrated security solution, sign up for a demo today.
Golf courses are often situated in picturesque countryside locations or along the coast of a lake or ocean. When you are on the fairway, safety and security is probably the last thing you are thinking about. However, for the owners of the golf club, the pressing matter of security is present.
That same beautiful countryside location that golfers adore makes it harder to react to threats. Law enforcement is usually farther away, and it is harder to protect a sprawling 18 holes than a city building.
The security needs of your golf club will depend on the amenities you offer. Here, we break down golf security threats into those facing the clubhouse, the pro shop, the golf course, and golf carts. However, Solink does cater to full golf resorts including Brookstreet, so if you do have a hotel, spa, pool, etc., feel confident that Solink can meet your unique security needs as well.
What are the security threats to golf courses?
As with most businesses, golf courses face internal and external security threats.
Internal golf security threats:
- Employees committing some form of point of sale (POS) employee theft in the clubhouse or pro shop.
- The liquor cabinet in the clubhouse being raided when customers go home.
- Pro shop employees stealing inventory.
- Attendants giving tee times to friends without collecting green fees.
- Night crews committing time theft.
External golf security threats:
- People stealing or “borrowing” golf carts without paying the required fees.
- Trespassing and vandalism.
- Theft from gas tanks.
- Dine and dash thefts.
- Shoplifting.
In addition to these intentional threats, there are many passive ones as well. Minor accidents in the parking lot, injuries on the golf course, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance issues, and violence erupting after alcohol consumption can all affect the bottom line of golf clubs.
How can video surveillance benefit a golf course?
Golf course security camera systems bring a lot of benefits to clubs. At Solink, we like to break down the benefits under three topics:
- Loss prevention
- Security
- Operations
Solink provides an integrated video analytics platform that provides more than just better loss prevention and enhanced security. By connecting video to hundreds of different POS systems, including Lightspeed, Solink gives you the information you need to make informed decisions.
Reduced risk profile, lower inventory shrinkage, smoother operations, and improved customer service are some of the ways Solink clients gain positive ROI.
Solink can source security cameras for your golf club or work with a trusted installer. Solink works with most CCTV cameras on the market, which reduces startup costs for golf clubs that already have cameras installed.
To find out how Solink can set up your golf security camera system, sign up for a demo today.
Loss prevention
Loss prevention is all about reducing internal and external theft. This is done in two main ways:
- Deter theft as much as possible.
- Find theft when it occurs and share evidence with law enforcement.
Solink helps with both by being the center of your loss prevention system. Certain transactions at the POS are at particularly high risk of theft—voids, zero-dollar transactions, cash returns, long duration transactions in the clubhouse, etc. Solink can automatically filter out these transactions and show them to you along with video of the transaction so you can see what happened.
Solink’s Motion Search feature allows you to scan through hours of video surveillance footage in minutes to find suspicious activity. That way you can spot shoplifters without spending all day reviewing security footage.
Security
Most businesses understand they need a security camera system. However, without a video analytics platform to interpret and present the data, it is difficult to get much value beyond deterrence from cameras.
For example, Solink allows users to perform remote video monitoring. This means you can keep track of what’s happening on your property from anywhere. If you manage multiple golf courses, then giving head office the ability to audit what is happening across multiple properties from one place is essential.
You can keep your golf carts, buildings, first tee, and parking lot safe and secure during business hours and at night with Solink.
Operations
Most companies are looking to reduce POS theft when they connect their POS transaction data with security camera footage using Solink. However, there are also operational benefits to this.
The Solink Dashboard can be customized to show you what you need to see, from sales data to your current speed of service. This allows you to solve issues before they get out of hand. A few slow golfers will no longer lead to a tee-off scheduling nightmare.
Video surveillance on your golf course can lead to better customer experience and higher revenue.
What are the different security needs across your golf club?
Overall, the security needs of golf courses can be summarized as follows: lower risk of injuries, better protection against trespassers and vandals, and stopping internal and external theft. How this is accomplished changes from one area of a golf club to another.
Clubhouse security
Clubhouses are often full service restaurants and bars. They face all of the same risks as bars and restaurants and need to be given the same level of security.
This includes placing security cameras across the front and back of the house to keep track of employees and customers. It’s especially important to have cameras facing all entrances to the clubhouse and covering the POS. If you need help placing cameras in your clubhouse, take a look at our complete restaurant camera layout.
Be especially on the lookout for “sweethearting,” where employees give unauthorized discounts to their friends and family. If you notice more inventory turnover than the sales numbers justify, there’s a good chance one or more of your employees are providing “extras” to their friends.
Finally, clubhouse security, along with golf course security, is not just about loss prevention. It is important to keep patrons safe. A safe bar and restaurant protects you for liability while also improving your customer experience.
Remember, Solink can install security cameras on your golf course or work with a local CCTV camera installer. Our platform is also compatible with most security cameras on the market, which reduces the startup costs.
Pro shop security
The pro shop is similar to any retail location, and considering the security of the pro shop separately from the rest of the golf club can help create an appropriate security perimeter.
In the pro shop, your loss prevention strategy needs to focus on internal and external theft. While both are important and worth the effort to reduce shrinkage as much as possible, the reality is that employee theft can be as much as 90% of total theft.
We have an entire article on how to prevent employee theft, which is highly recommended if you have some known problems. Many of the tips can be implemented today, without any needed equipment.
Just like in the restaurant, POS theft is particularly common. Linking your POS transaction data to video surveillance footage in the Solink platform can help stop POS theft in your pro shop.
If you have a traditional alarm system in place, then it might, counterintuitively, cost you money. That’s because false alarms can have associated fines. In fact, many places no longer respond to non-emergency alarms unless they are verified.
Solink gives you the opportunity to verify alarms when an alarm is triggered by viewing live video of what is happening. That way you can both reduce your risk of hefty false alarm fees and get more appropriate emergency responses.
You can even share the live video stream with emergency dispatchers.
Golf course security
While golf course security has some similarities to property management protection, it differs in two main ways. First, fees are being charged to enter the open area. Second, fairways and greens require a lot more maintenance than most properties. Let’s take a look at these differences.
Have you heard the term time theft? Time theft is when a person isn’t working when they are supposed to, but they are still being compensated as though they were working. Landscapers might use “buddy punching” to come in late or leave work early by having a coworker punch in or out for them.
There are also cases of the overnight irrigation squad not showing up at all and still billing for a night of labor. Once a culture of time theft begins, it can be hard to stamp out. Talking to staff regularly about theft, including time theft, lets them know that you take stealing from work seriously.
Many of our clients use saved video clips in the Solink platform as part of their loss prevention training. That way staff know you are watching and have the tools to find theft. If you need more help on this topic, take a look at our guide to building an employee theft policy.
Finally, if you have a drink cart, consider a review of your cash handling procedures. Drink carts can take in a lot more cash than other businesses, so they can be a big target for internal theft. Alternatively, consider a cashless drink cart.
Golf cart security
There are a lot of great suggestions for improving golf cart security online:
- Change ignition switches to unique key switches.
- Install an alarm that allows remote disabling.
- Disconnect or remove the batteries when not in use.
- Use wheel blocks and tire boots.
- Remove the steering wheel when not in use if possible.
- Put golf carts in a secure garage.
These are great if you own a single golf cart to get around a gated community or farm. However, they are impractical for a golf club that owns dozens of golf carts and needs them to be available to paying customers without added labor expenses. They also don’t help secure the gas tanks and other related equipment.
For this, you need video alarms. Video alarms turn your existing security cameras into an alarm system. One of the major benefits of video alarms is that they can monitor motion within an area instead of just reporting when a door or window is opened.
Here’s the second major benefit:
Solink’s Video Alarms offers two levels of service, both of which allow video verification. In the self-serve model, alarm events trigger a text and email notification to be sent to the owner of property. The owner can then dismiss false alarms or forward the video to emergency services when necessary.
In the monitored service, in addition to the owner, the alarm events are sent to trained professionals for verification. In both cases, alarm verification minimizes the chance of false alarm fees while keeping your golf carts secure.
Solink is the best golf security system
Only Solink provides the unique security tools required by every part of a golf club. Restaurant security, retail security, and video alarms are all possible in one place.
Solink offers more effective loss prevention, enhanced security, and improved operations by integrating security cameras with your other systems, including your POS.
To see how Solink can optimize the security of your golf course, sign up for a demo.
