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A field note in response to Old Tom Capital’s white paper: Rebuilding Tee Time AccessOld Tom’s white paper is one of the sharpest takes on tee time access I have read. The opportunity is real, the logic is sound, and the diagnosis is accurate. But writing a compelling thesis is one thing. Living inside this ecosystem is another. After years of conversations with platform providers, tee sheet vendors, course operators, associations in the U.S. and federations in Europe, I can tell you the path to a solution is not the one most people imagine.<h3>The numbers are too big to ignore</h3>As Old Tom’s white paper makes clear, the U.S. public access tee time market moves more than 9 billion dollars a year in transactions, with global potential around 15 billion. Yet cancellations, no shows, and unbooked inventory leak over 12 billion dollars annually in the United States. No shows alone cost more than 1.2 billion. Fixing access and utilization would change the economics of golf, not just the convenience.<h3>What golfers actually want</h3>Old Tom listed it well. Golfers want four simple things:<ol><li>All available tee times in their area, not a partial list</li><li>Transparent pricing without surprise fees or barter distortions</li><li>Real time alerts when a spot opens</li><li>Easy group booking, including split payments and foursome coordination What they usually get is a platform that shows only a fraction of the real inventory, adds service fees on top of green fees that have already risen sixteen percent in four years, forces single-player flows that don’t work for group golf, and delivers a user experience that still feels stuck in the late nineties. Endless refreshing, clunky mobile pages, and phone calls just to finish a booking. </li></ol><h3>The orchestration fantasy</h3>The white paper argues for an invisible control layer that normalizes all inventory, protects operator economics, and gives golfers full visibility. Think Stripe for payments or Google Flights for airlines. On paper, perfect.In practice, nearly impossible.There are hundreds of tee sheet systems worldwide. GolfNow still holds outsized influence in the U.S., even if its grip is loosening. In Europe, Zest.Golf has worked for years to be the Amadeus of golf. The result is about 230 golf courses on the platform. That is not scale.Even if you convinced every tee sheet to integrate, you would still face the trust problem. Many operators are done with middlemen. They want 100% control of their inventory and 100% ownership of their customer data. And even a neutral layer becomes a risk once it grows. Mission statements change when acquisition checks arrive. We have all seen what happens when a dominant player is bought by a media conglomerate. Clubs will not sign up to recreate that story.<h3>What actually works</h3>The only credible way forward is simpler and already underway. Golf clubs are getting smarter. Their tee sheets and booking flows need to look and feel like modern consumer software, not something from the early 2000s.Make mobile the default. Remove forced account creation before payment. Let a golfer book with an email and a card in seconds. Gather profile details after the transaction, not before. Treat the booking like a sale, not a registration process.On no shows, copy what works. In Spain and Portugal golfers prepay and must cancel 48h in advance or they forfeit the fee. That policy is now standard and no shows are not a systemic issue. Those markets also benefit from modern platforms like <a data-mce-href="https://www.golfmanager.com/" href="https://www.golfmanager.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Golfmanager</a>, which delivers a clean, intuitive experience for both operators and players. You do not need a grand unifying theory to fix no shows. You need clear rules and a booking flow that supports them.<h3>The Right Role for Aggregation</h3>We do not need another middleman that captures the transaction and the customer. What we need is a discovery layer that respects the chain of control.Aggregate public tee times that are already visible on club websites. Make it easy to search, filter, compare, and set alerts. Allow AI powered natural language search so a golfer can ask for eighteen holes under $90 within ten miles at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Then send the golfer directly to the club’s site to complete the booking. The club keeps the revenue and the data. The golfer gets speed and clarity. No commissions. No inventory barter.This model aligns incentives the right way. It’s not funded with barter or downstream fees that extract value from the course. It’s funded with subscriptions.Golfers get a free tier, plus a low-cost premium tier for unlimited alerts, advanced comparisons, saved favorites, group coordination, and conversational search. Most golfers will happily pay a few dollars a month for a service that saves them time, gives them better access, and actually saves money thanks to the ability to check all the courses at the same time. Clubs pay nothing, and they stay in control. And yes, there are platforms already doing this. <a data-mce-href="https://rapidteegolf.com/" href="https://rapidteegolf.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RapidTeeGolf</a> are probably the most interesting player in this space. What also makes it different is that there’s a real team behind it. They do exactly what I just described, and from what I’ve understood, the AI chat is coming out in a week or two. But you’ll want to take a look already, because much of what I just described is already there.<h3>Lessons from the field</h3>The pain Old Tom outlined is real. The inefficiencies are real. But the durable answers are simpler than a universal switchboard. They come from clubs running their tee sheets cleanly, giving golfers a modern and intuitive booking experience, setting clear payment and cancellation rules, and adding a discovery layer that helps golfers find options, without hijacking the customer relationship.<h3>The bottom line</h3>The winner here will not be the flashiest marketplace. It will be the operator who understands two truths at once. Clubs must keep control of pricing, inventory, and data. Golfers must get the fastest, cleanest path from search to booked foursome on a phone.Build around those truths and you change the economics of golf for the better. Try to replace them with another centralized gatekeeper and we repeat the past.When clubs win, golfers win. And when both win, the whole game moves forward. Teemu Ruuska <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/teemuruuska/" data-mce-href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/teemuruuska/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.linkedin.com/in/teemuruuska/</a>&nbsp;

The Infrastructure of Golf Booking Is Broken — But the Fix Is Not What You Think

<h3>Most public golf courses in the U.S. are in a dangerous position, and many don’t even realize it.</h3>They’re losing hundreds of thousands in potential revenue every year, not because they don’t have enough golfers, but because they’re stuck in outdated systems, relying on third parties, and completely out of sync with how today’s golfer books, buys, and interacts online.The real threat isn’t demand. It’s digital invisibility.<h3>The Harsh Truth:</h3>You don’t own your traffic. You don’t own your bookings. You don’t own your customer relationships.And most clubs aren’t equipped to fix that.We respect the folks running ops and marketing at many clubs, they care deeply about the game and their players. But let’s be honest: most are 9-handicappers being asked to win a PGA Tour event when it comes to digital growth. It’s just not a fair ask.<h3>Golfers Have Changed</h3>Clubs Haven’t.Today’s golfers are digital-first. They expect speed, simplicity, trust, and value — all from their phones. If your site is slow, your tee sheet clunky, your booking flow broken, and your reviews mediocre… they’ll bounce. They’ll go somewhere else.You don’t need more marketing. You need a deep knowledge, strategy, and a team that knows how to execute it.<h3>That’s Where Growth G&amp;CC Comes In</h3>We’re not a software company. We’re not a digital agency. We’re your growth team, built for golf.We help public courses take back control of their tee times, traffic, pricing, data, and reputation.When the club wins, golfers win. That’s the mission.

What Happens When Golf Clubs Fall Behind

Picture this.You open Netflix. But instead of a big “Start Watching” button, you’re asked to fill out a form, wait for someone to get back to you, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll receive a brochure.Sounds ridiculous, right?That’s exactly how most public golf courses still handle memberships today. Forms. Delays. Phone calls. And the reality is, the next generation of golfers has no interest in that process. They expect convenience, instant access, and flexible pricing. Because that’s what they’re used to in every other part of life, whether it’s Netflix, ClassPass, or their gym.It’s not a trend. It’s the standard. And it’s time public golf caught up.<h3>What’s Broken </h3>Right now, most daily-fee and municipal courses treat memberships like private clubs from 30 years ago:<ul><li>You can’t join online.</li><li>You have to pay for the whole year.</li><li>There’s no flexibility or trial period.</li><li>Pricing is one-size-fits-all. The result? You lose potential long-term players before they ever become regulars.</li></ul><h3>What Subscription Golf Looks Like </h3>This isn’t a discount program. It’s not a loyalty card.A true golf subscription means:<ul><li>Monthly billing (cancel anytime or after a short minimum)</li><li>Immediate access to play, not just perks</li><li>Clear usage rules (like one round or one range bucket per day)</li><li>Signup happens online or via an app, not through forms or phone calls It’s simple, flexible, and already working in the real world.</li></ul><h3>Real-World Examples That Prove It Works </h3>Desert Aire Golf Course (California) They offer unlimited 7-day golf for $185/month, or $160/month for seniors. The subscription renews automatically and starts the day you pay. No paperwork. No waiting.Arcis Golf (Multiple States) Arcis runs dozens of public courses and offers subscriptions from $65 to $99/month. Players can choose different tiers depending on their needs, from full access at multiple courses to unlimited range and twilight golf. You can join online instantly.Glendoveer Golf Course (Oregon) For $49/month, golfers get unlimited twilight play and range balls in the evening. It’s an affordable entry point for casual players who still want to feel like members.Alamo Golf Club (Texas) Previously offered unlimited range balls for $75/month. Simple, low-commitment, and popular with frequent practicers.<h3>But Isn’t That Too Cheap?</h3>It might sound low, until you think about the economics.Not everyone who subscribes is playing 15 rounds a month. Some just want the convenience. Others love the feeling of “belonging.” What you get is a healthy mix: some play a lot, some play a little. That balance is what makes it sustainable.And here's the key point: green fees are only part of the revenue story.According to the National Golf Foundation, only 50–60% of a golfer’s on-site spend comes from green fees. The rest comes from food and beverage, the range, pro shop purchases, and other services.So the more often they come to the course, even if they're not paying full-price green fees, the more money they spend overall.That’s the real power of subscriptions. You’re not just selling a round. You’re building recurring revenue and customer lifetime value. <h3>What This Could Look Like at Your Course </h3>You don’t need to overthink it. Here’s a simple example of how you could structure this at your club:Weekday Only – $159/month Unlimited play Monday through Friday. Perfect for retirees, remote workers, or weekday warriors. Twilight Access – $99/month Unlimited play after 3pm. Keeps your late-day slots filled and adds value without clogging peak hours. Full Access – $249 to $279/month Seven-day access, any time. The premium plan for your most engaged players. Practice Plan – $70/month One bucket per day, or unlimited after 4pm. A great option for beginner golfers, juniors, and those who just love the range. You control the rules. You decide how many to offer. You can even limit access to the first 50 or 100 members to generate scarcity and test demand. <h3>You Already Have the Audience </h3>Your tee sheet is full of names. Your database is full of emails. That’s your launch platform.You don’t need to run ads or build a brand-new product. You just need to send one good campaign with a clear offer, and make sure the sign-up process is fast, easy, and mobile-friendly.If you’re unsure, start small. Pick one tier, offer a limited number of spots, and see what happens. <h3>And No, This Isn’t Hard to Build </h3>You don’t need a custom app or expensive tech to get started. You can run this with tools you already have.<ul><li>Use your website or a simple landing page to explain the offer</li><li>Set up monthly payments using Stripe, Square, or even PayPal</li><li>Track members manually at check-in or through your existing tee sheet software</li><li>Send reminders and updates through email or SMS That’s it.</li></ul>You can go fully digital later, with auto-renewing subscriptions, in-app bookings, and real-time member verification, but the key is: you can start now, in a simple browser-based format.Just launch, measure, and improve.<h3>Ready to Explore This? </h3>We help public and daily-fee golf courses design and launch subscription models that actually work. That includes pricing, tech setup, member experience, and go-to-market strategy, all in under 30 days.If you're ready to shift from unpredictable rounds to predictable revenue, we’d love to talk.Click <a data-mce-href="https://growthgcc.com/contact" href="https://growthgcc.com/contact">https://growthgcc.com/contact</a> and we’ll help you get started.

The Future of Public Golf Memberships: Monthly Subscriptions That Actually Let You Play

Man Standing On Golf Field Against Sky During Sunset

Last Friday I played at TPC Sawgrass with Len Mattiace, PGA Tour winner, Masters runner-up, and a great friend of mine.We were talking about golf clubs and digital strategy when he asked me something I hear all the time: “Don’t most clubs already have someone who handles this stuff?”You know what he meant, social media, marketing, the website, maybe some Google ads, a few emails here and there. And I said: “Len, sure. But let me explain it to you in golf terms.”<h3>So, Let’s Talk Handicaps </h3>"I’ve played golf my whole life. I know how to swing a club. I’m a 9 handicap. So yes, I know how to play golf.But Len… you’ve won twice on the PGA Tour. You were runner-up at the Masters. There’s a difference between someone who knows how to play, and someone who plays at the highest level under pressure, against the best, and wins.That’s the same thing I see at most golf clubs. They have a “Jim”. Jim runs the newsletter. Jim handles the Facebook page. Maybe even updates the website when he has time.And look, Jim is solid. He’s a 22 handicap in the digital world. But in 2025, with tee time revenue at stake and third parties trying to own your customers, you don’t need a 22 handicap. You need a Tour player."<h3>&nbsp; The Gap No One Talks About </h3>Let’s break this down. The typical golf club doesn’t have anyone on staff who has spent 10 to 20 years:<ul><li>Driving online traffic in competitive B2B &amp; B2C environments</li><li>Turning visitors into paying customers</li><li>Using data to bring those customers back again and again</li><li>Building loyalty systems, retargeting strategies, and high-conversion sales flows</li><li>Understanding the full digital picture, from Google reviews to CRM to tee sheet optimization And it shows.</li></ul>Because while your starter is doing a great job and your superintendent is working miracles, your digital presence is often being handled by someone who simply doesn’t have the tools, training, or background to win.And in today’s golf economy, that’s where the game is being played.<h3>This Isn’t Just “Marketing” Anymore</h3>Your online presence affects everything:<ul><li>Who finds you</li><li>How they perceive you</li><li>Whether they book, and whether they come back</li><li>What they tell others</li><li>How much they spend</li><li>This is not just “posting on Facebook.”</li></ul>This is business strategy, reputation management, revenue optimization, and customer lifecycle mastery.<h3>So Yes, You Might Have a Guy… But Do You Have That Guy? </h3><ul><li>I’ve built, run, and scaled online businesses.</li><li>I’ve helped companies land key accounts, raise millions, and grow revenue fast.</li><li>I’ve done multiple exits and invested and built in golf tech. And now I also help golf clubs do what they were never shown how to do: win online. </li></ul>Not by trying every shiny tool. Not by blaming the weather or hoping for more walk-ins. But by taking control of traffic, tee times, customer data, loyalty, and reputation, because it’s all connected.I’m not just here to do your marketing. I’m here to drive your business.<h3>Final Thought: What’s at Stake</h3>Having a 22 handicapper run your course’s digital strategy might have been fine 10 years ago. But not now. Not when:<ul><li>GolfNow owns half the tee sheets.</li><li>Google Reviews decide your tee time bookings.</li><li>Your data is the difference between a one-time visitor and a loyal customer.</li></ul>You don’t need more noise. You need someone who’s played this game at the highest level.That’s what we do at Growth G&amp;CC.Let’s talk. Teemu Ruuska Founder&nbsp;

You Have a Guy—But You Don’t Have That Guy

<h3>You Might Not Notice It, But Golfers Do</h3>Your course might be open, your tee sheet might be filling up on weekends, and you might be doing “fine.” But meanwhile, something is quietly working against you.Your online reputation.Every day, potential golfers are pulling up your course on Google, Facebook, and golf apps, checking your photos, your comments, and most importantly, your reviews.If your Google rating is anything below 4 stars, you are losing business.This is not a guess. This is what players do now. They check before they book.And if they see a 3.4-star rating with complaints about greens, bunkers, or staff attitude, you’ve lost them, without a chance to respond.<h3>The Problem: One Bad Week Can Haunt You for a Year</h3>A run of poor maintenance after heavy rain An unfriendly check-in A group stacked too close behindThese moments might seem minor, but when they show up in a review, they live online forever.And the worst part?Most of the time, they’re not wrong. A lot of the complaints are about course conditions. And many courses are struggling to invest in maintenance, not because they don’t care, but because they don’t have the revenue to do it properly.So it becomes a cycle: Bad financials → bad conditions → bad reviews → fewer bookings → worse financials<h3>The Solution: Take Control of the Story</h3>You cannot stop people from reviewing your golf course. But you can do something far more powerful.You can guide the conversation.You can create systems that encourage positive reviews when things go well. You can collect feedback privately when something goes wrong. You can monitor your ratings and actively work to improve them, just like you'd monitor a turf schedule.<h3>How It Works: Real-World Strategy, Not Theory</h3>Let’s say your course is in great shape this week. Greens are perfect. Rough is clean. Staff is dialed in.That’s the moment to collect reviews.Here’s how you do it: <ul><li>Send a quick thank-you message to every player 2 hours after their round</li><li>Ask them how their experience was</li><li>If they had a great time, invite them to leave a review on Google</li><li>If not, give them a short form to tell you why—and offer a discount on their next visit for their honest feedback This does two things: </li><li>It turns satisfied players into promoters</li><li>It turns unhappy players into return customers, not angry reviewers And over time, your online presence becomes a strength, not a risk.</li></ul><h3>Why This Matters More Than Ever</h3>Online reviews are no longer just “nice to have.” They are part of your sales funnel.Just like your booking engine or your pricing model, your online presence is either driving revenue or repelling it.And unlike the old days, it’s not just Yelp or TripAdvisor. It’s Google, Facebook, Apple Maps, and tee time apps. It’s everywhere. And golfers are reading them.You have to be in control of the story they read.<h3>How Growth G&amp;CC Helps You Win the Review Game</h3>We help public golf courses turn their online presence into a competitive advantage:<ul><li>We set up automated messages to follow up with players after their round</li><li>We design feedback loops to catch issues before they go public</li><li>We create systems that help you build a five-star reputation over time</li><li>And most importantly, we help you fix the root issue: getting more profitable rounds so you can invest back into the course Because at the end of the day, most bad reviews are just symptoms. The real problem is a business model that doesn’t give you enough margin to deliver what players expect. We help you fix that too.</li></ul><h3>Final Thoughts: What Are Golfers Saying About You Right Now? </h3>Pull up your Google listing today. Read the last ten reviews. Are they helping you or hurting you?If you don’t like the answer, it’s time to take control.Because whether you manage it or not, your online presence is already shaping your revenue. And ignoring it won’t make it go away.Let’s fix the foundation. Let’s rebuild the experience. And then let’s make sure the rest of the world sees it the way your best players already do.Let’s talk.

The Silent Killer: How Your Online Presence Is Costing You More Than You Think

<h3>Your Website Is Your First Impression, and Your Salesperson</h3>For most public golf courses, the first interaction a potential player has with your club is your website. Not your clubhouse. Not your phone system. Not your starter.It’s your website.And whether you realize it or not, your website is working 24/7. Every single day. It’s either helping you grow bookings, or it’s pushing people away.If your website was a human employee, you’d probably fire it.<h3>What’s Actually Going Wrong?</h3>Most golf course websites weren’t built to sell tee times. They were built to exist. To list information. To show a few pictures. Maybe to tell your story.But if you’re a daily fee golf course, you don’t just need a digital brochure, you need a machine that turns visitors into bookings.Here’s what we see over and over again:<ul><li>The site is slow to load. People give up after 3 seconds.</li><li>The tee time button is buried or hard to find.</li><li>The booking process is confusing, especially on mobile. I would say 50 to 65 percent of your site visits happen on mobile.</li><li>The site asks people to create an account before booking. You know why Amazon has eliminated even the shopping cart? Well, there you go. You don't ask anything before you take the money. After getting the payment, you can ask them to fill whatever form you wish.&nbsp;</li><li>The design isn’t clear, clean, or professional. It doesn’t build trust or excitement. </li></ul>It’s no wonder so many courses struggle to increase direct bookings.<h3>Let’s Break It Down with Simple Math</h3>Let’s say 100 people visit your website today.How many of them are actually booking a tee time?For most courses, maybe 2 or 3 percent. Some even lower! That means you’re losing 97 out of every 100 visitors.Now, not all of those people came to book. Some were just checking course info or looking at rates. But a large chunk of them probably intended to book and gave up halfway.Why?Because the process was too hard. Too slow. Too confusing.And remember, the average golfer isn’t a tech expert. They’re using their phone. They’re in a rush. They’re expecting something simple.If your website makes them think, makes them wait, or makes them work, they leave.<h3>Conversion: What It Means and Why It Matters</h3>In marketing, the word “conversion” simply means turning a visitor into a booking or a sale.If someone visits your site and completes a tee time reservation, that’s a conversion.If they visit and leave without booking, it’s a missed opportunity.Even small improvements in your “conversion rate” can mean thousands of extra rounds booked per year!Let’s look at a modest example:<ul><li>100 visitors per day</li><li>2 percent book = 2 bookings per day</li><li>4 percent book = 4 bookings per day</li><li>That’s 730 more rounds per year, just from fixing your website</li><li>Now do the math at $80 per green fee. That’s $58,400 in extra revenue, without changing anything else about your operation.</li></ul>Now let’s look at a more realistic, high-impact case:<ul><li>300 visitors per day</li><li>Conversion rate improves from 2 percent to 6 percent</li><li>That’s 12 additional bookings per day</li><li>12 x 365 = 4,380 more rounds per year</li><li>4,380 rounds x $80 = $350,400 in new revenue </li></ul>Add F&amp;B, pro shop, and range spend, and you’re looking at well over $500,000 in total impact. These numbers are real. They happen when your website starts working like a proper salesperson, not just a trainee.<h3>How Growth G&amp;CC Helps You Fix This</h3>We help public golf courses turn their websites into actual sales tools. Not just digital brochures.What we do:<ul><li>Design clean, fast, mobile-friendly sites that are built for bookings</li><li>Create frictionless booking flows with smart calls to action</li><li>Eliminate barriers like forced account creation</li><li>Track drop-off points so we know where you’re losing potential customers</li><li>Help you own the full booking journey so you don’t lose revenue to third-party sites</li><li>Your website should be selling for you all day, every day. If it isn’t, you’re paying the price, quietly, invisibly, but consistently.</li></ul><h3>Final Thoughts: Is Your Website Helping You or Hurting You?</h3>Most clubs think their biggest problem is getting more players. But often, the real problem is that they’re already getting traffic, they’re just not converting it into bookings.If your website is outdated, slow, or confusing, you’re losing money every single day.Let’s fix that.Let’s turn your website into what it should be: your top-performing, always-on salesperson.

Growth G&CC

Knowledge Base

The Infrastructure of Golf Booking Is Broken — But the Fi...

What Happens When Golf Clubs Fall Behind

The Future of Public Golf Memberships: Monthly Subscripti...

You Have a Guy—But You Don’t Have That Guy

The Silent Killer: How Your Online Presence Is Costing Yo...

Why Your Website Is Your #1 Salesperson (And Why It’s Fai...