Increase Usage of Your Golf Course Without Discounting Tee Times

Increase Usage of Your Golf Course Without Discounting Tee Times

You’ve invested in a well-maintained golf course. You’ve worked hard to attract members. But if your tee sheet still has gaps, especially midweek or during shoulder seasons, you’re not alone.

The instinct for many clubs is to offer discounts or promotions just to fill slots. But constant discounting can devalue your offering and train people to wait for the next deal.

Instead, what if you focused on driving usage by increasing awareness, excitement, and involvement among existing members?

With a few smart tweaks to how and where you communicate, you can boost course activity, increase member satisfaction, and unlock more secondary spend on food, drink, and retail.


Why Aren’t Members Playing More?

Even active members sometimes lapse into infrequent play. And many golfers don’t need to be persuaded – they just need a nudge.

Common reasons for low course usage:

  • They don’t know about available tee times
  • They feel out of the loop on competitions or club events
  • The course feels underutilised midweek without incentive
  • No clear or consistent communication about what’s happening

Golfshake report that, despite recent green fee increases, demand appears to have remained the same [1]. So, don't discount those green fees - make the changes required to increase demand!

A full tee sheet often starts with better visibility and prompts, not bigger discounts.

"The uplift in green fee prices has been one of the key growth drivers throughout the year" Chris Knight, Director of The Revenue Club [1]

Practical Ways to Encourage More Course Usage

Here are several effective (and low-cost) strategies that make your course feel more alive, without undercutting your pricing...


1. Adapt To Taking Online Bookings

Golfshake also note an ongoing transition to online sales as the main driver of green revenue. Some clubs have not thought of their online presence as priority, due to the older member demographics. But this is changing - older people are increasingly tech-savvy.

Plus, if you want to encourage more younger members, this should be a key concern!

What to do:

  • If you don't yet offer online booking, make this your top priority
  • If you do already offer online booking, check to make sure the process is straightforward
  • Ensure your calendar is easy to navigate, so customers can see availability at a glance, and see any special events
Digital screen golf course promo

2. Display What’s Happening on the Course – Every Single Day

Make it easy for members to know:

  • What tee times are available
  • Which days are busy
  • When the next competitions or member events are

Use weatherproof outdoor signs:

  • Place one near the first tee or clubhouse entrance
  • Update it daily with tee sheet highlights or course updates
  • Feature upcoming events or reminder notices

Browse Outdoor Signs →


3. Promote Friendly Competitions and Loyalty Incentives

Members often just need a reason to play more regularly, especially if they feel like they’re not improving or have nothing to aim for.

Try promoting:

  • Weekly roll-ups or 9-hole social evenings
  • Leaderboards or “Play 5 Rounds, Get One Free” schemes
  • Points-based loyalty cards for green fees or prizes

Use poster displays in:

  • Locker rooms
  • Hallways between the bar and pro shop
  • Entry/exit routes to the car park
Golf course poster display

Shop Snap Frame Poster Holders →

View Leaflet Dispensers →


4. Use Cubicle Signage to Capture Undivided Attention

It sounds unglamorous – but signage inside toilet cubicles and above urinals is one of the most consistently viewed placements in any venue.

Suggested promotions:

  • “Get Involved – Join the Summer Stableford Series”
  • Midweek availability offers or early-bird tee times
  • Coaching sessions and swing clinics

Learn more about toilet door signs →


5. Leverage Indoor Signs to Prompt Last-Minute Bookings

Golf clubhouse reception sign

Place freestanding signs near:

  • Reception desks
  • Exit to the putting green or pro shop
  • Inside the bar/lounge

Feature:

  • “Book Tomorrow’s Tee Time Before You Leave”
  • “Midweek Twilight Rounds Available”
  • “Only 3 Spots Left for Saturday’s 4-Ball Scramble”

Explore A Board Signs →

View Roller Banners →


Your Next Step

Walk through your club as if you’re a member who hasn’t played in three weeks. Would you know:

  • What’s happening this weekend?
  • What tee times are still open?
  • Whether there’s a fun 9-hole comp you can join?

If not, start by introducing 2 or 3 key POS displays – like a weatherproof notice board, a locker room snap frame, or an indoor A-board.

Start inspiring more course usage today:

View our specially-selected range of displays for golf clubs →


Final thoughts

You don’t need to flood your calendar with discounts to fill the tee sheet. More often than not, golfers just need a little reminder, a reason, or a sense of momentum.

Increased course usage means more:

  • Café visits
  • Pro shop sales
  • Member satisfaction and retention

It all starts with better visibility.


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References

1. ‘Visitor Revenue at Golf Courses Reaches New Heights’ (9th Jan 2025), Golfshake, https://www.golfshake.com/news/view/21176/Visitor_Revenue_at_Golf_Courses_Reaches_New_Heights.html.