How to Roll Out Dynamic Pricing at Your Course (Without Confusing or Frustrating Golfers)

If you’re considering implementing dynamic pricing at your golf course, you’re not alone. With seasonal demand swings, unpredictable weather, and increasingly savvy customers, many course operators are leaning into pricing models that reward early bookings and help optimize tee sheet revenue.

But here’s the truth: even the best pricing strategy falls flat without a thoughtful rollout. So, how do you introduce dynamic pricing to your team and your golfers in a way that builds trust, not tension?

Let’s walk through a few practical best practices for implementation, drawing from insights in our eBook on introducing dynamic pricing and what we’ve seen work best across successful operators.

Step 1: Prep Your People First

Before you tweak a single tee time rate, make sure your staff understands what’s happening, and why. They are the first line of communication, especially in the pro shop and on the phones.

Host a Team Meeting with Key Talking Points

Bring your team together (or include it in your next team meeting) and walk through the “why” behind dynamic pricing:

It’s not about raising prices across the board. It’s about matching price to demand, so we’re not leaving revenue on the table during peak times and can offer better deals during slower periods.
Customers benefit too. Early bookers get better prices. Flexible golfers can find deals during off-peak times.
It’s normal. Weekday rates, twilight specials, etc. are all examples of dynamic pricing in action.

Pro Shop/Phone Script Example

Arm your staff with a simple script to explain dynamic pricing clearly and consistently:

“We’ve recently introduced demand-based pricing for our tee times. That means prices may vary depending on play demand, time of day, weather conditions, and how far in advance you book.”

Encourage staff to:

Emphasize early booking as a benefit
Reassure customers that pricing is still fair and transparent
Avoid terms like “surge pricing,” which can feel negative

Step 2: Be Transparent on the Tee Sheet

When golfers go to book online, the dynamic pricing model shouldn’t be a mystery. A simple, short explanation on your tee sheet or booking engine can go a long way in building trust.

Sample Blurb to Add to Your Online Tee Sheet:

We use dynamic, demand-based pricing to offer the best value to our golfers. Tee time rates may vary based on time of day, weather, seasonality, and how far in advance you book. Booking early? You’ll often lock in a lower rate! Playing during off-peak times? Great deals await.

Just like many industries that are dependent on weather, season, and occupancy, this pricing strategy helps us keep rates fair and aligned to value.

This message can be added:

As a banner or text section on your booking page
As a pop-up explanation when hovering over or clicking the price
In an FAQ section near the tee time selection

Step 3: Train Staff to Handle Feedback

Some customers might still be surprised, especially your long-time regulars. That’s okay. Equip your staff to handle these moments with empathy and consistency.

Coaching Tips:

Don’t apologize for pricing changes. Instead, explain the benefits.
Reinforce that prices still reflect value for time and demand.
Use examples: “If you book your Friday morning round two weeks in advance, it’ll likely cost less than booking it last-minute.”

Final Thoughts

Rolling out dynamic pricing is as much about communication as it is about technology. Your team needs to be aligned. Your golfers need to feel informed. And your systems need to be seamless.

When done right, dynamic pricing doesn’t just boost revenue, but makes the booking experience smarter, fairer, and more flexible for everyone.

Bonus Tip: Let Technology Do the Heavy Lifting

Dynamic pricing doesn’t mean more work for your team, especially if you’re using the right platform.

Tools like Priswing integrate with your tee sheet and can automatically adjust prices based on your rules. You just define your objectives, and the system handles the rest with no spreadsheets or guesswork required.

Want to keep pricing power and customer trust? Set guardrails on minimum and maximum rates, and make sure there’s always a visible deal for those who value savings.

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