A Surprize View of Tee Time Booking

As a PGA professional who attends the PGA Merchandise Show each year – it was held virtually last week due to the pandemic – discovering new products and ideas is the most fascinating part of the experience. Some are, to be frank, unnecessary gadgets and tools. Once you’ve seen two dozen versions of a ball washer or ball-mark repair tool, they all begin to look the same. However, if you search long enough, something inventive will announce itself.

This year that something was Golf Surprize, a value-added tee-time revenue generator that puts a clever spin on what golfers have become accustomed to from GolfNow, TeeOff.com or other third-party services. The relationship between golf courses and these sites has long been one of give and take. Facilities gain exposure across the third-party service’s website and e-mail database, which is often the best marketing platform they can afford but sacrifice a portion of their revenue by way of service fees from golfers who book online. The third-party sites are also guaranteed a certain number...