Should paper scorecards be a thing of the past? How technology is changing golf forever

Steve Carroll

The coronavirus pandemic forced many of us to turn to digital options to play the game competitively. Will that change now restrictions have eased or was it just the start? Toptracer’s David Cederholm considers the future

Has your club gone back exclusively to using paper golf scorecards? Have you slotted right back into the routine, or do you pine for your phone and a digital signature?

For many of us, the coronavirus pandemic ushered a digital revolution at our clubs.

Whether it was booking tee times online, entering our scores through our phones, or watching hole-by-hole live leaderboards, the restrictions we endured to play the game opened up our eyes to technology and how it could influence the game.

In many ways, the sport was just catching up. In other areas of our lives, whether we are checking our bank balances or paying for products, tech has made things simpler and quicker.

Golf has been slow to get in on the act, but is it now down the rabbit hole? Will the opportunities presented by technology change it forever?

David Cederholm, Europe, Middle East and Africa sales director at Toptracer, thinks so. He’s my guest on the From the Clubhouse podcast as we consider the future of technology at our clubs…

The From the Clubhouse podcast with David Cederholm

Listen to the full episode in the player below, or search ‘The NCG Podcast’ in your preferred podcast platform.

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About the author

Steve Carroll

A journalist for more than 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long.

A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A’s prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.

Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men’s Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.

A part of NCG’s Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He’d like to tell you he floats around 10. The reality is more like 13.

Steve plays at Sandburn Hall, in York, and is a country member at Close House in Newcastle. He has served on various club committees during his time in the game, and is the current Rules Secretary at Sandburn.

Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NCTJ exams at Darlington College of Technology. He began his career working on weekly papers in Newcastle, before joining the York Press in 2001. After five years as a news reporter, he joined the sports desk – specialising in horse racing and snooker – and was Digital Sports Editor when he joined National Club Golfer in 2016.

What’s in Steve’s bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; Caley 01T irons 4-PW; TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedges, Odyssey 2Ball Microhinge putter.

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