Beyond Golf Course Revenue: Using Dynamic Pricing to Improve Operations

The Hidden Dilemma of Singles and Twosomes Every golfer has probably done it at one point or another. You’re booking a tee time for yourself or yourself and a buddy. You find a perfect slot with some room for you to breathe in the afternoon. You click “Book,” confirm your spot, and move on with your day. Simple. Convenient. Exactly how modern booking should work. But behind the scenes, that simple single or twosome booking quietly creates a challenge for the golf course. Because while single players and pairs naturally prefer to book into open tee times, those partial bookings create a haphazard tee sheet schedule on the backend and often block larger playing groups from reserving prime slots. What feels like a smooth customer experience for the golfer becomes a complex operational puzzle and a loss of potential revenue for the course. And it happens constantly. Half of All Tee Times are Partially Filled In recent simulation modeling and anonymized research across a broad sample of golf facilities, we found: 50% of tee times book as full foursomes 20% book with three players 20% book with two players 10% book with single players That means roughly half of all tee times are partially filled at the time of booking . Individually, these bookings make perfect sense for golfers. But collectively, they create: Stranded singles sitting in premium morning slots Twosomes blocking high-demand tee times “Swiss cheese” tee sheets with gaps that are hard to sell later Lost opportunities for full groups ready to book Over time, these small inefficiencies add up to meaningful revenue leakage. The Real Cost Isn't Just the Empty Slot The obvious loss is simple: An unfilled spot is a green fee never collected. But the deeper cost is more subtle. A premium tee time with only a single golfer is effectively removed from inventory for foursomes. That devalues your highest-demand hours and forces operators to either leave revenue on the table, or discount it later to fill the gap. Neither is ideal, and it still also introduces operational friction: Inconsistent pace of play Uneven group distribution Staff uncertainty around expected volume Increased reliance on last-minute deals Meanwhile, golfers did nothing wrong, they simply booked the most convenient slot available. This is not a customer behavior problem. It’s an inventory optimization problem. Small Improvements with Big Impact Our simulation modeling shows that solving even a fraction of this issue can generate meaningful results. By intelligently guiding partial bookings into better-fitting tee times and applying precise, incentive-based pricing where appropriate, we project an average 1–2% uplift in total rounds and revenue. That may sound modest; until you apply it across: A full season A busy daily tee sheet Cart fees Food & beverage Merchandise Suddenly, that 1–2% becomes a major financial lever delivered without adding tee times, raising rack rates, or increasing staff workload. A New Way to Fill the Tee Sheet This is exactly the problem Priswing set out to solve. Introducing Gap Fill A novel new approach to tee sheet optimization powered by machine learning models trained on: Golfer booking behavior Price sensitivity by daypart Historical sell-through velocity Weather patterns Event calendars And the unique demand rhythm of your course Gap Fill continuously scans your tee sheet, identifies emerging partial-group risk, and dynamically applies the right incentive at the right moment to nudge golfers into slots that complete groups rather than fragment them. This is done intelligently, without blanket discounts or last-minute fire sales that often end up incentivizing last minute bookings from customers. Gap Fill is precision micro-yield management , tuned to how golfers actually book. Creating a Better Golfer Experience This isn’t just better for operators. Golfers benefit from: More availability in premium tee times Fair, transparent pricing Fewer frustrating “no foursome slots left” messages Smoother pace-of-play experiences on course Everyone wins when the tee sheet flows better. From Static Inventory to Living, Learning Yield For years, the industry has embraced dynamic pricing at the macro level by adjusting prices depending on time of day or day of week. Priswing took it further by applying machine learning to truly optimize prices across the tee sheet. And Gap Fill takes it to the next level. Slot-by-slot intelligence. Group-by-group optimization. Revenue without disruption. No more guessing. No more Swiss cheese tee sheets. No more leaving money behind in the smallest gaps. The tee sheet finally works as hard as the operator behind it.

A Strategic Advantage for All Course Types For years, dynamic pricing in golf has carried an unspoken assumption: it’s something “big” operations do. Multi-course management groups, destination resorts, high-traffic metros, etc. and sure, it works for them. But rural courses? Single-owner clubs? A nine-hole community staple run by a family for 30 years? There’s a widespread fear that dynamic pricing will alienate loyal golfers, spark backlash, or complicate operations. And that fear has kept many small and mid-sized facilities from exploring a strategy that could actually improve customer service, strengthen relationships, and create more financial stability; without disrupting the culture or the pricing structure golfers already love. The truth: modern dynamic pricing, when done intelligently and transparently, is one of the most golfer-friendly tools a course can adopt. And platforms like Priswing have made it fully customizable so operators keep total control. Let’s break down why. Dynamic Pricing Has Evolved and Now Serves Your Customer First Most operators think dynamic pricing exists for one reason: to change prices. But today’s best tools exist for a better reason: Dynamic pricing helps you serve your golfers better. Because when pricing adapts to booking behavior, the operator gains two huge advantages: Visibility into occupancy earlier. More predictable demand patterns. And with that comes improved staffing, clearer planning, and more meaningful customer interactions which all the things rural and small operations are already known for, and want to protect. A Customer-Friendly, Zero-Risk Way to Start: Price Only Last-Minute Bookings Rural courses and owner-operator clubs often have one shared concern: “I don’t want my loyal golfers thinking we’re squeezing every dollar or changing the rules.” This is where customization matters. Priswing allows courses to leave their pricing exactly as-is for early and mid-window bookers and apply dynamic pricing only to last-minute bookings. And golfers are already accustomed to paying different rates based on timing. You choose what “last minute” means: 3 days out 5 days out 48 hours Even same-day, if you prefer This single adjustment: Avoids surprising loyal golfers Keeps core pricing intact Encourages golfers to book earlier Helps operators forecast demand earlier Makes dynamic pricing easy to explain (“only last-minute spots adjust in price”) And, importantly, golfers accept it, because it’s logical, transparent, and fair . Better Planning Means Better Service When golfers book earlier because last-minute spots are dynamic, operators finally get the clarity they’ve always wanted. With visibility days (or even weeks) earlier, operators can answer critical questions: Staffing Do we need more marshals this Saturday? Should we double-staff the pro shop for a busy morning? Inventory Do we have enough carts? Is the beverage cart stocked? Are we loaded on range balls, gloves, and snacks? Personal Touch One of the strengths of rural and single-owner clubs is knowing your golfers personally. Early bookings amplify that. If Mrs. Parker books her Friday morning tee time a week in advance, the owner now has time to: swing by the first tee to say hello, address a recommendation she made last week, personalize her experience in a way that last-minute bookings just don’t allow. This is customer service dynamic pricing enables — not disrupts. “We’re Full Every Weekend. Why Change Anything?” Another common belief among small local courses: “We’re booked solid. We’re doing great. Why mess with pricing?” Because nothing in golf is permanent. We are living in a golf participation boom, but booms end. And when tee times sell out fast, basic economics tells us something: If you sell out quickly, you are likely underpriced. That doesn’t mean your pricing is wrong. It means there is opportunity. Even an incremental gain — just $2 per tee time across a season — can create meaningful change: new equipment better pay for your team improved greens additional maintenance hours more pro shop help during busy weekends resurfacing cart paths a more competitive junior program Those small improvements pay dividends for years. And all of it comes without disrupting your regular golfers, especially when dynamic pricing applies only to last-minute and price-insensitive bookings. Customization Protects the Golfer Segments Who Matter Most Small and rural courses often serve deeply loyal and community-rooted groups. Priswing's robust customization supports exclusions for: Seniors Veterans Loyalty program members League players Season pass holders Members These groups can be exempt from dynamic pricing entirely. Meanwhile, casual last-minute bookers who are typically less sensitive to price and less connected to the operation shoulder the pricing variability. That’s fair, transparent, and easy to explain. The Operators This Blog Is Written For 1. The Rural Golf Course Where relationships matter more than revenue. Where golfers know the staff by name (and might even be related to a few!). Where a handful of staffing hours can make or break pace of play. Dynamic pricing, applied minimally and smartly, gives these operators better predictability and lets them continue delivering the personal touch that defines them. 2. The Single Owner / Single-Course Operator The one “wearing every hat.” Running the pro shop. Handling the books. Mowing a fairway at 6AM then returning emails by 7:30. For these operators, dynamic pricing isn’t about making golfers pay more; it’s about giving them more control, more visibility, and more freedom to run their business without chaos. The Conclusion: Dynamic Pricing Is a Customer-Service Strategy — Not a Revenue Gimmick Dynamic pricing doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to disrupt tradition. It doesn’t have to upset loyal players. When implemented intentionally, especially through last-minute pricing windows, it can: strengthen relationships improve service stabilize operations help courses reinvest in people and facilities protect the business for the long term Small courses shouldn’t avoid dynamic pricing because large resorts use it. They should adopt it because it helps them do what they do best: take care of golfers. And with a customizable platform like Priswing, dynamic pricing becomes an extension of your hospitality; not a threat to it.