More Than Revenue: How Smarter Tee Time Pricing Fuels Better Golf Experiences
Golf is in the middle of a well-earned boom; rounds are up, interest is strong, new players are entering the game, and seasoned golfers are playing more than ever.
But here’s the part that doesn’t always get talked about: growth alone doesn’t guarantee better golf courses.
What does make the difference is what courses are able to do with the incremental revenue they capture—and how that revenue gets reinvested back into the experience.
That’s where Priswing comes in.
The Golf Experience Is the True Differentiator
Ask any golfer why they love their home course and you’ll rarely hear “because it was the cheapest tee time.”
They’ll talk about:
- Greens that roll true
- A clubhouse that feels welcoming
- A pro shop that actually has what they need
- Staff who remember their name and go the extra mile
The heart-and-soul of a golf course isn’t always about being the fanciest or most expensive facility. It’s about pride. Culture. Consistency. Care.
And delivering that kind of experience requires reinvestment year after year.
Incremental Revenue Changes Everything
Owning and operating a golf course is expensive. Maintenance costs rise. Labor is competitive. Equipment doesn’t get cheaper. And expectations from golfers continue to increase.
Priswing’s intelligent pricing is pricing done the golfer’s way, it helps courses capture incremental revenue that would otherwise be left on the table.
Let’s put it into perspective.
If smarter pricing was able to capture just $4 more per tee time on average, that impact compounds quickly:
- Over hundreds of tee times per week
- Across an entire season
- And then year over year
That’s not theoretical revenue. That’s real money that can be reinvested into:
- Better playing conditions
- Clubhouse upgrades
- Expanded amenities
- Staff wages, training, and retention
Small pricing improvements add up to big operational freedom.
Reinvesting Where It Matters Most
When courses have more flexibility in their budgets, the benefits show up everywhere golfers notice:
- Greens get the attention they deserve
- Practice areas improve
- Cart paths, bunkers, and signage don’t get deferred
- The pro shop evolves instead of stagnates
The result? A facility you’re proud of and one that golfers talk about, return to, and recommend.
Why Superintendents Are Going to Love You for Bringing on Priswing
Superintendents may not be setting tee time prices, but their ability to succeed is directly tied to the resources available to them.
Across the industry, course maintenance has become more complex and more demanding. Expectations for conditioning are high, while budgets are constantly under pressure.
When revenue improves:
- Maintenance plans are less reactive
- Equipment replacement doesn’t get endlessly postponed
- Staffing levels become more sustainable
- Long-term agronomic goals are actually achievable
Better pricing decisions upstream lead to better conditions downstream.
Simply put: when ownership and operators capture more value from demand, superintendents are empowered to do their best work—and that shows up on every green, fairway, and tee box.
Smarter Pricing for Stronger Courses Makes Better Golf
Priswing isn’t about charging golfers more just for the sake of it. It’s about aligning price with demand in a way that golfers understand and accept, while giving courses the financial headroom they need to thrive.
In a moment when golf has momentum, reinvesting back into facilities isn’t optional. It’s essential.
Because the courses that win long-term won’t just be the busiest.
They’ll be the ones that feel cared for.
The ones with culture.
The ones people are proud to call home.
That’s what smarter pricing makes possible.
The Missing Link in Golf Resort Revenue Strategy In hospitality, few metrics matter more than RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room). RevPAR is the core performance indicator hotels use to understand how efficiently they are monetizing their room inventory. It combines occupancy and average daily rate (ADR) into a single, powerful measure of revenue effectiveness. In simple terms, RevPAR answers one question: How well are we turning our available rooms into revenue? Hotel revenue managers use RevPAR to guide pricing decisions, forecast demand, and align rates with seasonality, events, and booking behavior. It is foundational to modern yield management, and it works. But for many resorts, one major revenue-generating asset still operates outside this framework: the golf course. Golf Has a Major RevPAR Opportunity A golf course has the same economic characteristics as a hotel: Fixed inventory (a finite number of tee times per day) Perishable demand (an unsold tee time is lost forever) Highly variable demand by season, day, time, and external events Which means golf has its own version of RevPAR. In golf, the equivalent metric is often referred to as Revenue Per Available Round and it's a measure of how effectively a course converts its tee sheet into revenue. Yet while hotel leaders obsess over RevPAR, many golf operations still rely on static or occupancy-based green fees, manual price changes, or broad seasonal rate cards. The result is familiar: Peak tee times are underpriced Off-peak inventory goes unused Pricing is short-sighted and disconnected from true demand Revenue is managed reactively instead of strategically In short, golf inventory is rarely managed with the same rigor as rooms, even at resorts where hospitality revenue management is highly mature. Why This Disconnect Exists at Golf Resorts Resorts are sophisticated businesses where room rates flex with demand, packages are optimized, and events are priced dynamically. Revenue leaders at these properties actively forecast performance weeks and months in advance. Golf, however, has traditionally been treated as an amenity and not as yield-managed inventory; a mindset that leaves value on the table. When tee times are priced statically or merely reactive to occupancy rates, the resort misses the opportunity to: Capture premium demand during peak periods Stimulate play during shoulder and off-peak windows Align golf pricing with broader resort occupancy trends Maximize total guest spend across rooms and rounds The irony is that the hotel side of the business already has the playbook. Applying RevPAR Thinking to the Tee Sheet Yield management works because it aligns price with predicted demand, not guesswork. Priswing brings this same discipline to golf by applying hotel-grade pricing intelligence to tee time inventory. Instead of asking, “What should our green fee be this season?” the question becomes: “What is the optimal price for this tee time, given current and projected demand?” Priswing evaluates: Historical booking patterns Seasonal and day-of-week demand Tee time performance by daypart Event-driven and travel-driven demand shifts Advanced booking behavior Weather sensitivity This allows golf resorts to manage Revenue Per Available Round with the same intentionality they already apply to RevPAR on the hotel side. More Revenue and a Better Guest Experience Yield management is often misunderstood as purely revenue-driven. In reality, it improves pricing fairness and transparency. Guests already expect demand-based pricing when booking rooms, flights, and experiences. When tee time pricing reflects real-world demand, it feels consistent with the rest of the resort experience and not arbitrary. For resorts, the benefits are twofold: Higher yield during peak demand Better utilization during slower periods All without increasing volume or sacrificing brand standards. Why Priswing Is Perfect for Resort and Hotel Golf Many golf pricing tools stop at “dynamic pricing” where rates respond to booking occupancy. Priswing goes further by aligning golf pricing with hospitality revenue management principles already in use across the resort. Priswing is uniquely positioned for resort golf because it: Treats tee times as perishable inventory Uses yield management logic familiar to hotel revenue teams Supports strategic and package pricing across seasons, events, and demand cycles Enables golf to participate fully in total resort revenue optimization For resorts already managing RevPAR aggressively on the hotel side, Priswing ensures golf is no longer the outlier. Golf Shouldn’t Be Your Last Unmanaged Inventory If RevPAR guides how you price rooms, Revenue Per Available Round should guide how you price tee times. Resorts that apply yield management consistently across their property unlock incremental revenue, better utilization, and a more cohesive guest experience. Priswing helps resorts connect the dots to bring hotel-grade revenue intelligence to the tee sheet.
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.