Page 25 - GBC Fall English 2025 flipbook

Unlocking
Flexibility,
Fairness &
Financial
Health at
Your Course
courses face rising costs, tighter
labour pools, and evolving
expectations from players, pricing
has become a powerful lever for
aligning business goals with
customer satisfaction.
THE EVOLVED FOUNDATIONS
OF DYNAMIC PRICING
Historically, many dynamic pricing
tools in golf have been reactive.
These models often rely on basic
rules such as raising prices by a
fixed percentage once a certain
occupancy level is reached.
Although this approach is an
improvement from static pricing,
its limited flexibility often prevents
it from fully maximizing revenue
potential.
More advanced systems now use predictive models, drawing on a
wider range of operational and behavioural data. These systems analyze
patterns in past tee sheet activity, forecasted weather, golfer behaviour,
booking lead times, and source channels to anticipate demand and adjust
prices accordingly. The key advantage is not just automation, but informed
automation with pricing that reflects context, not just capacity.
These predictive models allow for:
•  Anticipatory adjustments based on historical and real-time cues,
improving the balance between demand and availability.
•  Flexible rate management within set pricing boundaries, offering
guardrails for both revenue protection and customer trust.
•  Customer segmentation by group type or booking channel, encouraging
direct bookings and allowing pricing to support broader marketing
goals.
•  Support for broader objectives like incentivizing early bookings,
increasing prepayment rates, and reducing last-minute volatility on the
tee sheet.
In short, while many courses may begin their pricing evolution with
occupancy-based rules, the trend in 2025 is toward data-informed and
forward-looking systems. This evolution is less about replacing human
judgment and more about enhancing it with reliable, scalable insights.
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES BEYOND REVENUE
When operators first think of dynamic pricing, the focus is often on
growing total revenue. But in practice, smart pricing strategies can help
achieve a range of operational and customer engagement goals, some of
which can be just as valuable in the long term.
For example, incentivizing early bookings through lower advance
rates does not just generate more predictable revenue. It also helps courses
better manage staffing, cart availability, and pace of play. This same
methodology can be used to encourage prepayment at the time of booking.
By doing so, courses can dramatically reduce no-show rates and last-
minute cancellations, improving cash flow and solving a major pain point
for operations.
Dynamic pricing can also serve as a lever to promote loyalty or
subscription programs. Courses can offer preferred pricing tiers for
members or repeat guests, reinforcing long-term engagement while still
using price to balance demand. With this method of incentive pricing,
courses can launch, grow, or optimize their loyalty and membership
programs effectively and efficiently.
Golf Business Canada 25