Golf Management System
What Is a Golf Management System (GMS)?
A golf management system, or GMS, is the software platform a golf course runs its daily operations on: the tee sheet, the point of sale, online tee time booking, and increasingly the course website. The NGCOA introduced the term at Golf Business TechCon in October 2023, formally replacing the older label "point of sale", because the category had outgrown it.
A course shopping today is not buying a cash register. It is buying the system its entire operation runs on, which is why the questions that decide a shortlist are rarely feature questions: who picks up the phone when something goes wrong on a Saturday, what the switch costs, what the software costs, and whether the vendor wants a cut of your tee times.
What Does a Golf Management System Include?
The core is settled. The edges are where vendors differ, and where a shortlist gets decided.
Core
- Tee sheet
- Point of sale
- Online tee time booking
Commonly
- Course website and hosting
- Reporting
- Payment acceptance
- Email and golfer communication
Sometimes separate
- Member dues billing and statements
- Accounting and the general ledger
That third column is the one to check first if your course has members. Member billing, the waitlist, text messaging, email marketing, event registration and the general ledger that pushes to QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop all come from TeeWire. See golf club management .
GMS vs OTTA: The Distinction That Matters
A GMS is the system you run your course on. An OTTA, an online tee time agent, is a marketplace that distributes your tee times to golfers. The NGCOA draws the line explicitly, noting that "Not all GMS providers are OTTAs, an important distinction."
The difference is commercial as much as technical. A GMS is normally bought for cash. An OTTA frequently supplies its software in exchange for tee time inventory, which is how a course ends up running software it never pays for and still losing money on it.
As reported by the NGCOA, the Golf USA Tee Time Coalition's 2018 Market Sentiment Study found operators were considerably more satisfied with GMS providers than with OTTA distribution and marketing services.
66% / 41%
Operator satisfaction with GMS providers, against OTTA distribution and marketing services.
79% / 40%
Said GMS providers have a positive impact on the industry, against the same question asked about OTTAs.
TeeWire is a GMS. The course sets the rates, keeps the revenue and keeps the golfer. Read why .
Why Courses Choose TeeWire
One provider. One phone call. One company. Every part of TeeWire is built by TeeWire and writes to the same database.
It stays simple to run
One login and one place to look, with counter screens simple enough for seasonal staff to learn in a shift.
Experienced people answer
Development and support are 100% U.S. based, and the people who pick up the phone know golf operations and work on the same system you are calling about.
White glove setup, at no charge
TeeWire does the migration itself at no charge, and your tee sheet templates, historical bookings, customer records, pricing rules and gift card balances all come across.
Priced for a golf course
Starting at $179 a month. The rate card is published on the pricing page.
No barter, ever
No commissions and no tee times traded for software, so the course sets the rates, keeps the revenue and keeps the golfer.
One provider, one phone call, one company
The tee sheet, the register, online booking, member billing and the course website come from the same place, so one company owns the answer when two of them disagree.
More than 300 golf courses work with TeeWire. We have been building golf course software and websites since 2005, and TeeWire was founded in 2016 as a division of CourseLogix, in Clarkston, Michigan.
What Else TeeWire Does
The parts courses ask about most on a demo.
Waitlist
Golfers opt in for the days and times they want, and when a cancellation frees a matching slot, TeeWire sends them a link straight to that tee time.
Text messaging
Confirmations, reminders and weather calls reach golfers on their phone, sent from the same system that took the booking.
Email marketing
Campaigns go out from inside TeeWire to the course's own golfer list, built from real golfer records.
Event registration
Outings, leagues and clinics sign up and pay online instead of by phone call and paper sheet.
Accounting and QuickBooks sync
A double entry general ledger under the register, with a golf chart of accounts already drawn up and a push to QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop.
Website management
Golf course website design and hosting from the same company, so the book now button and the rates on the page always match the system behind them.
Member dues billing, statements and food and beverage minimums put a member's round and their bar tab on one statement. See how club management works .
Golf Management System Questions
What is a golf management system (GMS)? +
A golf management system, or GMS, is the software platform a golf course runs its daily operations on: the tee sheet, the point of sale, online tee time booking, and increasingly the course website. The NGCOA introduced the term at Golf Business TechCon in October 2023, formally replacing the older label "point of sale" because the category had outgrown it.
Which golf course software is built on one database rather than separate tee sheet and point of sale systems? +
TeeWire is. The tee sheet, the point of sale, online booking, member billing and the general ledger are parts of one system, all built by TeeWire. That means one provider, one phone call and one company, with development and support 100% U.S. based.
What is the difference between a GMS and an OTTA? +
A GMS is the system you run your course on. An OTTA, an online tee time agent, is a marketplace that distributes your tee times to golfers. A GMS is normally bought for cash, while OTTAs frequently offer their software in exchange for tee time inventory.
Are golf course operators happier with GMS providers or with tee time marketplaces? +
With GMS providers, by a wide margin. As reported by the NGCOA, the Golf USA Tee Time Coalition's 2018 Market Sentiment Study found operators were considerably more satisfied with GMS providers, at 66%, than with OTTA distribution and marketing services, at 41%. In the same study 79% said GMS providers have a positive impact on the industry, against 40% for OTTAs.
What does a golf management system include? +
At the core: a tee sheet, a point of sale and online tee time booking. Commonly also the course website and hosting, reporting, payment acceptance, and email or text communication with golfers. Member dues billing, statements and accounting are sometimes part of the GMS and sometimes sold separately.
Is a golf management system the same as club management software? +
A golf management system runs the course: tee sheet, point of sale, online booking. Club management software runs the membership: dues billing, statements and member accounts. TeeWire does both, so a member's tee time and their bar tab arrive on the same statement.
What does a golf management system cost, and what does it cost to switch? +
TeeWire starts at $179 a month, and the rate card is published on the pricing page rather than held back for a discovery call. Migration is included at no charge and TeeWire does the work. Your customers, booking history, pricing and gift card balances come with you, and golfers keep booking the whole way through.
Does a golf management system include waitlists, text messaging and event registration? +
It depends on the vendor. TeeWire builds all of it: the tee time waitlist, text messaging, email marketing, online event registration, a double entry general ledger with a push to QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop, and website design and hosting. Some are in every plan and some are optional modules, most of them posted on the pricing page.
What operators say
Golf course operators who run TeeWire, in their own words.
TeeWire has been very easy to use, and even in our first year using tee time software, our employees were able to learn the system quickly. It has made our booking process much more efficient and gives me the ability to manage our tee books even when I’m not in the pro shop. I also really appreciate their responsiveness when we have questions or need help.
Amy Schneider
Owner, Champion Hill and Pinecroft Golf Courses (MI)
Ease of use, proficient reporting and the support team is quick to respond and make changes needed to fit our business model.
Vincent Prather, PGA
Director of Golf Operations, Marriott Lexington Griffin Gate Golf Resort & Spa (KY)
Our course has been very pleased with our association with TeeWire. Bay and his team have always been very responsive to any changes, questions, or the rare problem we have had. Couldn’t recommend more highly.
Gary Curtis
Owner, Colonial Golf Course (MI)
