Relay is Powering Faster and Clearer Communication

With 27 holes, 180 acres, and 300+ golfers a day, Ocotillo Golf Club is considered one of the best and busiest golf courses in the East Valley. Located in Chandler, Arizona, Ocotillo Golf Club is just minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and a short drive from popular Scottsdale attractions. The course is well-known for its stunning design by renowned course architect Ted Robinson, featuring lush fairways, scenic waterfalls, and numerous lakes.

Walkie-Talkies: Lacking Range and Functionality

Before adopting Relay earlier this year, Ocotillo Golf Club was using old school walkie-talkies. These walkie-talkies lacked the functionalities and geographical range the course needed due to its large size. Ocotillo’s Club Manager, Jeff Ruedy, shared, “There were certain soft spots on the course where the old walkie talkies wouldn’t work.” He continued, “ They were a little muffled and the quality wasn’t the best.” The walkie-talkies they were using also didn’t have the ability to talk to people individually or create specific channels for events, such as tournaments and weddings, which the club hosts regularly. Looking to upgrade communications, Ocotillo Golf Club began looking at alternative solutions.

Keeping Communications Simple

Some of the other golf courses within Ocotillo’s management company’s portfolio were already using Relay, steering them to look at Relay for communications first. A few of Relay’s key features resonated well with the club, including its clarity, 1:1 calling capability, lightweight, clippable design, and customizable channels that can be created for different departments and events. While hesitant at first, Ocotillo’s staff, from outside services to the front desk, became big fans once they started using them and realized they could communicate across the entire course. Now, grabbing and signing out a Relay is part of their everyday opening procedure. Ruedy shared that their Relay’s have been a lot easier for his staff to learn and use, “especially with the generation we’re managing, you want to try and keep it as simple as possible so there’s no excuse not to communicate.” Since implementation, the staff has even enjoyed brushing up on their French and Mandarin in the off-season with Relay’s translation feature.

“I like the customer service side of [Relay] so far too, which to me is a big deal. I try to steer the business towards companies that are passionate about taking care of us and actually care. So far Relay has been really good about that.”
– Jeff Ruedy, Club Manager at Ocotillo Golf Club

Taking Operations and Guest Experience to the Next Level

Ocotillo upgrading their communications solution has streamlined operations and enhanced response times across the course. Ruedy stated, “It seems like the level of communication has gone up since we got Relay versus the old school walkie-talkies. It’s how fast we’re receiving information that is just a lot better with Relay.” Instead of people traveling to relay information, communication is happening instantly, directly with the person who needs to hear it.

For the food and beverage team, communication went from a person running back and forth to refill buffet lines, to a quick call to the chef. On the course, the player’s assistant and beverage carts can quickly pass along player concerns without taking their eyes off the situation. “If we have any situations where people are acting a little immature or bringing their own adult beverages on the course, it’s just a quicker way to provide the information,” said Ruedy. Ocotillo also deals with a number of people trespassing and riding electric bikes on the course. With the team now better connected, they can identify the trespassers’ locations in real-time and get them cited faster.

Ruedy shared that his team is looking forward to pushing the boundaries when it comes to utilizing Relay’s functionalities for operations during this year’s busy season.

“As far as the product’s durability, reliability, and functionality, I would recommend Relay to anyone.”
– Jeff Ruedy, Club Manager at Ocotillo Golf Club