Golf Club Software Technology
2025 Report
In association with
Foreword
Golf Genius has teamed up with the game’s leading administrative voices, including the GCMA and Players 1st, to conduct this survey, which looks to provide deeper understandings of the software landscape for golf facilities in the UK. It is our shared belief that this research will help decision makers to improve their awareness of golf software and take informed steps to implement the best solutions possible at their golf clubs. We have worked hard on their behalf to organise these options, and the survey findings drive to the heart of the software landscape that lies before them.
It is our shared belief that this objective research will help decision makers to take informed steps to implement the best solutions possible at their golf clubs.
“
Software increases efficiency and enhances the customer experience – it should be a tool that golf club managers use to make their lives easier. At Golf Genius, we take our responsibility to lead by listening seriously and will act on the findings to help golf club managers through better knowledge, software products and collaborations.
Craig Higgs Managing Director, Golf Genius craig@golfgenius.com
70 survey questions
70% market share held by four providers
Golf Club Software Technology
66% of Golf Clubs
134 % of Golf Clubs want help with the process 7.43 Months The average length of time to review and implement a piece of software
50 Independent Software Vendors active in the market
A Cross -Industry Collaboration
In July 2024, six representing trade bodies for golf clubs and golf club managers embarked on a national research project – in association with Players 1st and Golf Genius – to understand how well golf clubs felt they were currently being served by the Independent Software Vendor (ISV) market. The ambition was to provide insights into how organisations and suppliers could better support golf clubs with their choices in software technology.
Tom Brooke
“We want to empower our members with the knowledge needed to navigate the software landscape effectively. By presenting the choices and options available in this report, we have already laid the foundation for golf clubs to make objective, informed decisions. That alone is a reason to be supporting this project.”
Jacob Buksted Director of Research
“We conducted this survey to open the doors for Golf Club Managers to figure out what they really need to know to get a good grasp on the software landscape. Information is power, and these responses enable us to paint an impartial picture on how best to move forward to make life easier for staff and decision makers at golf clubs.”
Michael Coffey
“We have found the findings from this survey to be very insightful, offering a new perspective into where golf club managers can be assisted from a software point of view. We are strong advocates of the impact these surveys can have and the opportunity to improve the lives of administrators, particularly golf club secretaries.”
In doing so, a path has been laid out for suppliers and organisations to better engage with golf facilities, clubs and venues to provide them with what they need and create a range of digital improvements to their operations. This report acknowledges each stakeholder’s involvement and collaboration in delivering this project, which will provide value and support to their respective membership bases for years to come.
Chris Spencer Secretary
“The survey results expose where we can focus in on for 2025 and beyond. Finding solutions to the software problem is a two-way street, where work can be done on both the supplier and customer sides to reach an outcome that works for all. We fully support this project and believe in the opportunities it will create for club managers across Scotland.”
Doug Poole CEO
“An informed approach to software and technology goes hand in hand with efficient business practises. Integrating software is a difficult task for golf clubs and their managers, and it is research like this that allows us to survey the software landscape from a position of knowledge.”
Michael Walsh Executive Officer
“We personally strive to assist the Irish club manager with everything they need to do their jobs and software has a big part to play there. We gladly supported this survey because its findings will allow the CMAI and golf clubs across Ireland to successfully navigate the ever-changing software landscape and make better decisions.”
Terms and Definitions
The Market England, Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland and Republic of Ireland.
Independent Software
Vendor (ISV)
Specialist Provider
All-in-One Provider
Function
Ecosystem
Integration
An organisation that creates and sells software as their primary business function.
An ISV that specialises in providing software products for a specific function or purpose.
An ISV that provides a full suite of software products to cater for various purposes.
A major category of software technology in an ecosystem. In golf, this could include Membership, Tee Sheets, PoS and Competitions.
A golf club’s typical suite of software technology across functions.
When one supplier’s product connects and transfers levels of data to another supplier’s product, typically actioned through an open Application Programme Interface (API) integration. These can come in two forms: one-way or twoway synchronisations.
The Software Technology Market
The uptake of technology by golf clubs has been much slower than other industries, caused by various demographic, social, industry and technical factors. For example, golf clubs are traditionally governed by committees, which consist of older demographics with imperfect technical knowledge. As a result, golf clubs have traditionally favoured a technology model with a single hardware provider that, at face value, can “do it all” (often termed ‘All-in-One’ suppliers).
Today, technology has become much more ingrained into the golf club’s operation. It enables staff to carry out their daily tasks, provide great products and services, connect with new customers and carry out various administration duties. This growing reliance has created significant market opportunity for third-party suppliers of technology products – both hardware and software – to golf clubs. This has led to an increase in specialist golf ISVs and Software as a Service (Saas)-based products in the market. These include online tee sheets, tournament management software, accountancy systems, and membership management solutions.
Rationale
Growth in golf-specific ISVs and SaaS products has driven competition, which has led to the provision of more products, services and customer support. However, this can also saturate the market with products and potentially overwhelm decision makers. To make an effective decision, golf clubs need good awareness of suppliers, high levels of technical knowledge, access to products with high quality integrations, and an effective decision and implementation process. To date, ISVs have faced challenges in providing golf clubs with the level of support they need. To foster a more supportive and collaborative software environment, it is essential first to understand golf clubs' current preferences and attitudes towards the ISV market.
CHRIS WILLIAMS General Manager, Hillside Golf Club
It is virtually impossible to find a one-size fits all approach solution for golf clubs. Most technology does a really good job, but I believe it is through integrations and specialist software providers that we find the gains needed to elevate our golfer’s experience and improve our own working lives.
A National Response from Golf Clubs
By surveying golf clubs across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, this research aimed to investigate the golf-specific ISV market. Through the lens of decision makers, it looked at which ISVs were being used by golf clubs, the reasons for doing so and the attitudes towards suppliers.
The Survey
Between 20th June and 31st July 2024, golf clubs in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were asked to complete an online survey. The survey was distributed by trade bodies for the golf club industry, including The Golf Club Manager’s Association (GCMA); the Scottish Golf Club Manager’s Association (SGCMA); The Golf Club Secretary (GCS); the Club Manager’s Association of Ireland (CMAI) and the UK Golf Federation (UKGF).
Communications were distributed to members of each body, asking them to complete the survey. The survey included 57 structured questions and 13 unstructured questions and was developed by Players 1st (a golf survey and insights specialist) in consultation with representatives from the GCMA and Golf Genius (an ISV).
Membership size of each respondent’s respective golf club
The Sample
134 unique golf clubs and facilities responded to the survey. 82.9% of survey responses came from ‘Private Members Golf Clubs’. The second and third largest survey response rates were from ‘Public / Proprietary Golf Clubs’ (11.2%) and ‘Resorts’ (4.5%). In total, green grass golf facilities represented 99.3% of the survey response.
Facility
Members / Golfers
/ CEOs
Results
Setting out what your golf club aims to achieve is the common starting point for golf clubs when assessing their software technology. If golf clubs don’t know what their objectives are, choosing the best and most appropriate solutions becomes difficult.
The survey asked respondents to rank three objectives on a scale of 1-10 based on level of importance to their golf club (efficiency, experience and revenue).
Golf
Clubs value efficiency the most
Administrative efficiency (9.45/10) ranked highest, followed by member experience (9.28/10) and profitability (8.92/10). This result infers the primary concern for golf clubs is the need to be efficient, followed by providing a good experience to golfers, followed by revenue generation.
For software technology, what does this
mean? It suggests the need for solutions to be quick and easy to use and where possible, remove time from an administrator when carrying out tasks. It also suggests the need for one ISV solution to work well with another (be ‘well integrated’), otherwise it will create time issues such as double entry.
When considering options, golf clubs should consider these areas the most, as they are likely to lead to the most efficiency gains.
3.15% Member approval
13.39% Supplier support Switch Consideration Factors
25.2% Product development
Have you ever considered an alternative supplier and why?
Once objectives have been identified, golf clubs decide whether they are generally satisfied with their existing solutions or not. To investigate solutions and tender for new supply, golf clubs must first reach a level of recognition that something is wrong or not, otherwise they risk wasting their time and the supplier’s time.
For example, they may ask themselves:
• “Am I happy with my current position?”
10.24% Cost considerations
48.02% Product does not meet their requirement
• “Am I in control or do I feel I am being controlled by my supplier?”
• “Does my supplier care?”
The survey first asked golf clubs whether they would consider alternatives to their existing system/s or not. 66.42% of golf clubs indicated they were not happy and that they would consider an alternative – their reasons are shown above.
The response suggests all five reasons contribute to whether a golf club is happy or not. Whether a product was deemed high quality or not (product meets requirements) was the most important reason (48.03%). Interestingly, cost considerations (10.24%) had limited influence.
The fact that 66% of golf clubs would consider alternative options also suggests a high level of disparity between golf clubs and suppliers, or at the very least, that their current solution hasn’t been working for them – if this significant sample of data is extrapolated to the full size of the UK market (approximately 3,000 golf courses), then there is a clear market demand for more engagement and product offerings from suppliers.
What
club software solution do you use today (multiple suppliers or single supplier)?
Assessing software technology then looks at the approaches you can take and the suppliers you can work with. Whilst golf clubs have traditionally preferred ‘All-in-One’ suppliers, more are now ‘mixing and matching’ suppliers within their ecosystem and their appetite for technology is growing through increased awareness and understanding.
To understand this split, golf clubs were asked whether they used a single supplier or multiple suppliers for the eight major functions in the software technology ecosystem (see page 16).
The majority favoured a multiple supplier approach (64.18%) over a single supplier model (35.82%).
Single Suppliers
When a golf facility uses one supplier (‘Allin-One’) for the provision of software technology across the ecosystem.
Multiple Suppliers
When a golf facility uses a mix of specialist providers (but can also use modules from an ‘All-in-One’) across the ecosystem.
You selected ‘Multiple Suppliers’ - please estimate how many suppliers you have in place?
Respondents that selected ‘Multiple Suppliers’ were asked to estimate how many software technology solutions they had in place at their golf club (Figure 8). A 2-4 supplier approach was the most common taken by golf clubs with ‘All-in-One’ solutions being supported by single ISVs for chosen functions. For example, BRS Golf being used for Tee Sheets, PoS and Membership, with Sage being used for Payments and Accountancy/Reporting.
To then understand which providers are ‘in-market’, respondents identified their suppliers for each of the eight functions. In total, 50 different suppliers were identified; some being more popular than others. This suggests multi-supply ecosystems exist, and that the golf club software technology market is competitive and well saturated with ISVs.
However, a deeper look into market share of suppliers identifies a small number of major players. Club Systems (30.61%), Intelligent Golf (21.63%), BRS (9.77%) and Sage (7.85%) were the most chosen suppliers across all functions.
Combined, the other 46 suppliers represented a 30.14% share. This all suggests that golf clubs are still reverting to a small number of established suppliers to deliver their entire software technology ecosystem – supporting the idea that golf clubs are still much slower on the uptake of new technology compared to other industries.
The Ecosystem
Golf Software Technology
To understand the place of ISVs, software technology and the role they play in a golf club’s operation, an ecosystem can be mapped out. This map identifies eight major functions, each of which require single or multiple vendor environments for any given golf club. These functions are Membership, Point of Sale (PoS), Payments, Accountancy & Reporting, Tee Sheet, Competitions & Handicapping, Website and CRM / Marketing Tools.
Not inclusive of all active suppliers and other ISV providers may
Handicap Master
Due to its primary role in connecting all other functions together, Membership provides a good starting point when viewing the ecosystem.
MURRAY COOK General Manager, Fulwell Golf Club
Golf clubs should go out and source the best solutions for each specific area within their golf club. If these all integrate, for the benefit of the club and the members, it would be incredibly helpful. It’s crucial that they all integrate efficiently; that will help our members of all demographics use the systems easily.
Importance - Satisfaction = Performance
To assess an ecosystem, golf clubs should perform an objective review of each of their systems across the eight major functions. The survey sought to establish a benchmark for doing so by asking golf clubs to rate the levels of importance of their systems on a scale of 1-10, and then their corresponding levels of satisfaction on a scale of 1-10. By subtracting suppler satisfaction from importance ratings, a measure of performance is created (the disparity level). For example, if importance of Membership was rated 9/10 and satisfaction was rated 8/10, the Membership solution was underperforming by -1.
Accountancy and Reporting
Market Share
Despite holding the majority market share, Sage ranked 3rd in performance based on satisfaction.
Accountancy & Reporting solutions
Market Share
Two providers (Intelligent Golf and Club Systems) provided the membership module to 81% of golf clubs.
Competitions and Handicapping
84% of golf clubs used two providers (Intelligent Golf and Club Systems) for
Important
Competition/hcp software was deemed the 3rd most important function to golf facilities.
Market Share
Despite holding the majority market share, Clear Accept ranked 4th in performance across payments suppliers.
Point of Sale
Market Share
68% of Golf Clubs used the PoS module from an ‘All-in-One’ provider.
Despite an abundance of available PoS options (page 16), golf clubs reverted to a small number of known suppliers.
9.06
7.27
Market Share
The Golf Club website market was the 2nd most competitive compared to other functions, with many suppliers active in the market.
Performance
BRS held the most significant share in golf club tee sheet modules and also outperformed all other Tee Sheet providers available.
Underperforming
At the same time, Competition/hcp solutions ranked the 3rd worst performing across the eight major functions ( 1.63). 99% of Golf Clubs used the Tee Sheet module from an ‘Allin-One’ provider.
CRM and Marketing Tools
Market Share
31% of Golf Clubs used CRM/Marketing modules from an ‘All-in-One’ provider.
Golf clubs relied less on All-in-One providers for their marketing tools, opting for other specialist providers.
Other findings …
How best would you describe your knowledge of the golf software market?
Whilst over half of respondents consider themselves to have competent or extensive knowledge of the software market, almost a third stated a limited or passable level of knowledge of the golf software market (42/134).
Considering the increase of technology at golf clubs now, this represents a significant proportion of golf club managers who would like more knowledge on how to use software effectively at their golf clubs.
How much do you agree/disagree with this statement about the golf software market: "The choice of suppliers in the market is very good”?
Almost one-third of respondents believe that the choice of suppliers in the market is not very good. This suggests to these respondents that there are a lack of alternatives available.
How much do you agree/disagree with this statement about the golf software market: "The solutions available are good value for money”?
41 golf clubs do not believe the golf software market provides good value almost one-third of the response. Value for money is a key decision factor, so this perception needs to be addressed by suppliers.
How much do you agree/disagree with this statement about the golf software market: “Suppliers demonstrate commitment to innovate, improve and develop their products”?
49% of golf clubs were unsure or disagreed with this. The objective of a responsible supplier is to continuously develop their products to benefit customers, yet this result suggests a real lack of innovation from some of the main suppliers. If offered, would external advice from related experts and organisations be of value when assessing software?
57% of golf club managers would consider or possibly consider external advice from experts when assessing software. This cry for help suggests the need for suppliers to do more to help – perhaps in the form of consultancy services.
Which of the following stakeholders have involvement in conducting a review and decision of your software?
General Managers were typically involved (83.58%) as the ‘de Facto CEO’ (GCMA, 2023). Only 16 golf clubs (11.94%) deployed a Technology / IT Committee to support a decision. More sought the help of an External Advisor (18.66%) but this was still low. This finding, combined with the fact that 57% of golf clubs were open to receiving external help, illustrates a need for experience and expertise to support the process – a ‘consultative’ approach as such.
General Manager Board Other Committee External Advisor Owner / CEO Tech Committee
How long would each stage of a review take when choosing a piece of software for your golf club?
Respondents estimated how long it takes to complete a review of software technology and identify when they typically begin the process. From start-to-finish, the average timeline to review and implement software was 7.43 months. 106 golf clubs begin the process in Q4 of any given year. Given these timeframes, most golf clubs would ‘go live’ in early spring, when the new season of regular golf begins this ‘leaving it until the last minute’ creates various implementation challenges and risks the solution not being adopted or embraced properly. It’s no wonder golf clubs have just ‘stuck with what they know’ for so long!
Typical timeline to switch suppliers
ASHLEY LERIGO
General Manager, Rotherham Golf Club
For any club managers out there making a switch, my advice is to take your time with the transition. Test it out, address any concerns, and don’t rush. It’s a bit of a process to get everyone on board but once you’ve worked through the initial hurdles, the benefits are clear.
“ “
Instead of picking a point in the year to begin a software technology review, it is recommended to flip the process: identify an ideal launch date first (perhaps early January to allow for a testing period ahead of the new season). Then, determine the level of training needed to make that launch a success (given that ‘Staff, Golfer and Other User Training’ is the biggest challenge for golf clubs to overcome when making a final decision), and work backwards from there. This approach avoids underestimating the timings to complete each stage, which in turn means golf clubs won’t need to rush through the latter and more critical stages. This scenario would suggest a mid-summer commencement date as most optimal for golf clubs looking at new software technology.
Discussion Research Summary
By surveying golf clubs across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, this research sought to understand the current market situation for golf clubs and golf-specific ISVs, with a view to providing greater levels of guidance and support for adoption and implementation of new solutions.
To summarise what this research found, the golfspecific ISV market is one characterised by a level of disconnect between suppliers and golf clubs, which has led to strong levels of dissatisfaction. Dominated by four suppliers, golf clubs feel some level of disenfranchisement from the limited product value, support and development currently on offer, and seek to find more value from alternative options.
However, doing so is a lengthy, complex job and golf clubs make it difficult for themselves to conduct a successful review and implementation process of new solutions. Such high-risk implementations limit their ability to embrace what are potentially better solutions from specialist technology providers, instead often reverting to the status quo of an ‘All-in-One’.
An Alternative Vision
This situation where ‘suppliers supply, customers abide’ has contributed in large parts to the underperformances seen across every function in the software technology ecosystem. For golf clubs to achieve their ambitions of operational excellence, they should consider the mantra “the right solutions, to the right club, at the right time”. To create a successful ecosystem that works for many golf clubs, the ‘Best-in-Breed’ vision can combine the best functional solutions to create a bespoke offering for any given golf club.
In direct consultation with the golf club, an objective assessment would be conducted across each functional area to identify their strengths, weaknesses and areas of opportunity to become more efficient, more effective, and more cost effective. Don’t be mistaken in thinking this is a ‘David vs Goliath’ scenario where golf clubs simply overhaul mainstream suppliers in exchange for a mix of smaller suppliers to fix their problems. It is about empowering golf clubs to selfreflect on what’s important to them and objectively review the available solutions to get the best possible outcome for them. If the outcome leads to a golf club using ‘All-in-One’ solutions, ‘Best-in-Breed’ solutions, or a combination of the two, then this vision is realised.
Doing so achieves numerous outcomes, including the embracement of more innovative solutions that have been built by suppliers with a developmental and customer-first mindset. It also enables golf clubs to hold suppliers to account through the process much better, rather than placing ‘all their eggs in one basket’ and trusting the word of a single salesperson to make a decision that can have huge implications across the golf club environment.
Because there isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution available, I’d strongly advise every golf club to be more inquisitive about their current suppliers, otherwise they can never expect to improve what they do. “ “
JAMES GLOVER General Manager, Hallamshire Golf Club
Appendix 1
Full-System Integrations
The opportunity exists for golf clubs to ‘mix and match’ their suppliers across functional areas to create a ‘Best-in-Breed’ ecosystem that is tailored towards their unique requirements. This approach leverages ‘full-system integrations’ to connect different suppliers and software systems together to allow for the sharing of data through a single application. The following options present a range of full-system integrations between suppliers and solutions across five functions - these options exist today for golf clubs to implement. Please note this list is not exhaustive and other integrations may exist.
1
2
Point of Sale
Membership
Tee Sheet
Website Comps / Hcaps
3
Membership Point of Sale
Tee Sheet
Website Comps / Hcaps
Membership Point of Sale
Tee Sheet
Website Comps / Hcaps
Handicap Master
Membership Point of Sale
Tee Sheet
Website Comps / Hcaps Handicap Master
5
Membership Point of Sale
Tee Sheet
Website Comps / Hcaps
Membership Point of Sale 6
Tee Sheet
Website Comps / Hcaps
Membership Point of Sale 7
Tee Sheet
Website Comps / Hcaps
Appendix 2
Partial Integrations
In specific circumstances, a golf club can also leverage ‘partial integrations’ to create an effective ecosystem. Partial integrations connect only a portion of functionality between two different software systems. For example, a CRM system partially integrates with accounting software to automatically transfer basic customer information like name and contact details, while more detailed financial data is handled manually. The following options present a range of partial integrations between suppliers and solutions across five functions - these options exist today for golf clubs to implement. Please note this list is not exhaustive and other integrations may exist.
1
2
Point of Sale
Membership
Tee Sheet
Website Comps / Hcaps
3
Membership Point of Sale
Genesys
Genesys
Tee Sheet
Website Comps / Hcaps
Membership Point of Sale
Tee Sheet
Website Comps / Hcaps
Genesys Handicap Master
Membership Point of Sale
Tee Sheet
Website Comps / Hcaps
Tee Sheet
Membership Point of Sale 5
Website Comps / Hcaps Membership Point of Sale
Tee Sheet
Website Comps / Hcaps
Handicap Master
Appendix 3
Full Supplier Listings
Active Campaign
Bright HR
BRS Golf
Chronogolf
Clear Accept
Clover
Club Systems
Club Minder
Genesys
Clubnet
Club View
Concept
Croft
Crossover Technologies
Dojo
eposnow
ESP
Favourite Table
GC Media
Genesys
GolfClubSubs
Golf Genius
Golfmanager
Golf Working
Handicap Master
HR Locker
HubSpot
Intelligent Golf
Imagination Golf
Handicap Master
Jonas Club Software
Journey
Lightspeed
Mailchimp
NooQ Golf
OB Payments
Pacesetter Technologies
Pipedrive
Players 1st
Quickbooks
Res Diary
Sage
Salesforce
Stripe
TrackMan
Trello
TurkKeeper
Whoosh
Wordpress
Worldpay
Xero
Zettle
ZOHO
References
AWS (n.d.) What Is an ISV (Independent Software Vendor)? Available at: https://aws.amazon.com/whatis/independent-software-vendor/ (Accessed: 9 November 2024).
England Golf & GCMA (2023) A Blueprint for Good Governance. Insight and Guidance to Build a Successful Future. Available at: https://www.englandgolf.org/governance-blueprint (Accessed: 18 September 2024).
Statista (2023) Golf in the United Kingdom (UK)Statistics & Facts. Available at: https://www.statista.com/topics/3199/golf-in-theunited-kingdom-uk/ (Accessed: 10 October 2024).
Sporting Insights (2023) Golf Participation Grows in Great Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://www.sportinginsights.com/golf-participationgrows-in-great-britain-and-ireland/ (Accessed: 20 October 2024).
Next Steps Software Technology Audit
Arrange a Consultation
This survey report highlighted a range of issues and concerns relating to the level of guidance and support provided by ISVs to golf clubs during the software review process.
To provide additional support for this, Golf Genius with Players 1st has constructed a software technology audit tool that allows your golf club to identify what functions are important together with your satisfaction levels. In the final report, a series of recommendations for improvement are also provided.
To request use of the audit tool, please scan the QR code.
