The Real Cost of Static Tee-Time Pricing
Most public golf courses still price tee times the same way they did years ago. Same rate, same logic, regardless of demand. The problem isn’t that courses aren’t busy. Many are. The problem is that the tee sheet is being used inefficiently. The best-run courses don’t just aim to fill tee times. They focus on when they’re filled, at what price, and with which type of golfer.
Two Different Problems That Often Get Confused
When people talk about dynamic pricing, two very different opportunities tend to get mixed together. They should not be.
The first is pricing optimization on existing demand.
The second is creating additional demand in underused periods.
They are separate levers. They create value in different ways.
Let’s look at both.
1. Pricing Existing Demand Better
Imagine a public course doing 40,000 rounds per year at an average green fee of $80.
That’s $3.2M in green-fee revenue.
A modest improvement in pricing, mainly by charging more during high-demand periods, can realistically lift average pricing by around 5–10% without reducing volume.
That alone can mean an additional $160,000–$320,000 per year in green-fee revenue.
This is not about selling more tee times. These golfers were already coming. It’s simply about capturing the true value of peak demand.
And to be clear: this does not magically increase food, beverage, or pro-shop revenue. Those golfers were already spending on site. This is a pure pricing improvement.
2. Filling Tee Times That Are Currently Wasted
This is a different problem, and a bigger one.
Most courses have large blocks of unused or poorly used inventory. Mid-week afternoons. Late mornings. Shoulder seasons. Times that go unsold not because golfers don’t exist, but because pricing and presentation don’t match demand.
When smarter pricing and packaging fill those tee times, the impact goes beyond the green fee.
Every new round brings additional spending across the facility.
If an average golfer spends roughly:
- $80 on a green fee
- $25 in food and beverage
- $15 in the pro shop
- $10 on the range
- That’s about $130 per round in total revenue.
Filling just 5,000–10,000 additional rounds per year can mean $650,000 to $1.3M in incremental revenue, revenue that simply does not exist today.
This is where secondary spending matters. And only here.
Dynamic Pricing Is Not About Discounts
Many operators hesitate with dynamic pricing because they assume it means lowering prices.
That’s a mistake.
Good dynamic pricing is mostly about charging more when demand is highest, not racing to the bottom when it’s slow.
Weekend mornings should not be priced the same as Tuesday afternoons. When they are, courses train golfers to expect value where scarcity exists, and struggle to sell time where capacity is wide open.
Poor pricing creates congestion, slower rounds, unhappy golfers, and unnecessary wear on the course.
Smart pricing smooths demand, improves the experience, and increases revenue at the same time.
Why This Also Improves the Golfer Experience
Courses that price intelligently see more than just better numbers.
Peak times become less congested. Rounds move faster. Expectations align with price. Golfers paying premium rates expect, and receive, a better experience.
Off-peak times become more attractive without devaluing the brand.
The course operates more smoothly. The experience improves. Revenue follows.
The Bottom Line
Static pricing doesn’t just leave money on the table. It creates operational problems and a worse golfer experience.
Better pricing does two things:
- It captures more value from demand that already exists.
- It unlocks revenue from tee times that are currently wasted.
Those are different levers. Both matter. And together, they can easily mean six or seven figures in annual upside for a public course.
If your tee-time pricing hasn’t been actively reviewed in years, you’re almost certainly under-optimizing your most valuable asset.
Interested to learn more? Just book a 30 min call with me.
Teemu
Founder
Growth Golf & Country Club
Miami, FL, USA