For club managers: know what happens on the course, not just what was booked
As club manager you answer for the experience of members and visitors, for green fee income and for giving the board something to decide on. The booking system tells you who booked. It does not tell you what happened next.
What the booking system cannot see
Booking systems count bookings. The Swedish Golf Federation, whose national figures come from booked rounds, says itself that there is no general check of whether a booked round was played. The same is true at the club: the tee sheet shows what was planned, not how many went out, when they finished or where the queue began.
That leaves three questions that are hard to answer, although they decide both the member experience and the revenue.
- Was what was booked actually played, and were the slots that came free filled?
- Where on the course do queues start, and when in the day?
- How full is the course really, hour by hour and day by day?
Five decisions that get easier with the right data
These are decisions club managers take before and during the season. Each one gets better with figures from your own course.
1.The tee interval
The R&A recommends at least 8 minutes between two-balls, 10 between three-balls and 11 or 12 between four-balls. A tighter interval gives more tee times on paper, but longer rounds and more waiting. With measurements you can see what your interval actually delivers.
2.Empty slots on the tee sheet
An empty slot at regular intervals absorbs delays that have built up on the course. Ingarö GK in Sweden blocked three tee times a day on each course in 2024; according to its business plan, the groups starting after a blocked time won back about ten minutes.
3.Marshal shifts
Marshals are often few, and often volunteers. Put the shifts where and when queues actually form, and give them time par to compare against.
4.No-shows
More and more clubs charge a fee for booked tee times that go unused. In Sweden, Falsterbo GK charges 250 kronor and Lidingö GK 300, according to the trade site Golfsektorn, and the GolfStar chain has required cancellation twelve hours before the start since May 2026. None of them publishes how often slots actually go empty. The booking system cannot see it, but the first tee can.
5.Course maintenance
When greenkeepers cannot finish before the first tee time, the R&A recommends working in hole order, ahead of play. With hourly occupancy you can schedule mowing and hole changes where the golfers are not.
A week with TeeGuard
This is what the work looks like for a club manager once the sensors are in place.
In the morning
The overview shows today's summary at the top and then what needs attention: alerts, groups behind schedule and the next likely bottleneck.
During the day
The marshal sees the alerts in the web app on their phone. You see the same picture on the desktop or tablet, including which groups are behind.
After the week
The weekly report summarises occupancy, alerts and no-shows, so you can see what has changed.
Before the board meeting
A summary of what has happened, what the club has done about it and what needs deciding.
Pre-season checklist
Seven things to have in place before the course fills up, whether you measure with sensors, by hand or not at all.
- A time par for the course, for two-, three- and four-balls, printed on the scorecard.
- A tee interval the course can handle, with empty slots at regular intervals.
- A rota for the marshals, and a briefing before the first shift.
- Cancellation and no-show rules that members know about.
- One person who owns pace of play, so members know who to talk to.
- If you use camera sensors: a legitimate interest assessment, signs, and information for members and visitors.
- A way to follow up: what is measured, how often and who gets the report.
What it takes from you
A contact person, often the club manager or course manager, who joins the survey walk and the follow-up. Access to the course for installation. And your feedback, so the system can be adjusted to how your course plays.
Questions from club managers
Do we have to connect the booking system?
No. The sensors measure pace and queues either way. If the club connects its booking system, no-shows, unbooked play and groups with more players than booked show up too. The connection must then be covered in the club's legitimate interest assessment and in the information to players.
What does TeeGuard cost?
The price depends mainly on how many sensors are installed. You get a written quote after the survey, tailored to your course.
Who owns the data?
The club. Data created on your course belongs to the club, and TeeGuard processes it only on the club's instructions.
How much staff time does it take?
Little. A contact person joins the survey walk and the follow-up. Other staff get a thorough introduction to the web app.
Sources
- Swedish Golf Federation: statistics, with the 2025 report on rounds played (in Swedish)
- Ingarö GK: extract from the 2025 business plan (in Swedish)
- Golfsektorn: No show-avgift eller inte, det är frågan, 22 September 2026 (in Swedish)
- GolfStar: new cancellation rules, 12 hours before the start (in Swedish)
- The R&A: Pace of Play Manual, Management Practices
See TeeGuard on your own course
Book a demo. We come out to you and demonstrate the system on site. Together we look at your needs and discuss what TeeGuard means for your club.