The problem
Beginner courses and golf days fill quiet midweek slots, but bookings by phone and cash at the counter mean lists on paper, places held for people who never pay and evenings matching payments. If the office spends 3 hours a week on it and 4 unpaid no-shows a month each leave a $40£30€36A$58C$56 place empty, that is about 13 hours and $160£120€143A$230C$226 a month.
What the AI does
Bookwhen is an online booking system for classes, courses and events. Its pricing page lists payments and discounts from the Lite plan (€12, about $13£10€12A$19C$19 a month plus VAT, with 300 bookings a month and 2 team members). Add each course, taster morning and golf day as an event with a date, capacity and price, and link the booking page from the club website. Players pay when they book, through Bookwhen Payments, your own Stripe account or PayPal, with card fees separate. Lite doesn't include reminder emails, a waiting list or attendance tracking; those are on Standard (€19, about $21£16€19A$31C$30 a month plus VAT).
A worked example
A pay-and-play course outside Norwich runs 4-week beginners' courses, ladies' taster mornings and a monthly Sunday golf day, about 60 places a month at $40£30€36A$58C$56. The office moves bookings from the phone and counter onto Bookwhen Lite.
Before
3 hours a week taking bookings and chasing payment; about 4 unpaid no-shows a month
After
Players book and pay online; about 1 hour a week checking lists, and every place paid in advance
What it's worth
About $356£268€319A$515C$504 a month, against about $13£10€12A$19C$19 for Bookwhen Lite plus card fees. That is 2 hours a week of office time saved (8.6 hours a month at an assumed $27£20€24A$38C$38 an hour, $229£172€205A$330C$323) and $128£96€114A$184C$180 in profit, at an assumed 80% margin, on 4 places a month at $40£30€36A$58C$56 that are now paid in advance.
How to set it up
- Sign up for Bookwhen on Lite so you can take payments, and connect Bookwhen Payments, your own Stripe account or PayPal.
- Add each beginners' course, taster morning and golf day as an event with a date, capacity and price.
- Write your refund and bad-weather policy on each event before you open bookings.
- Put the booking page link on the club website, social pages and the shop counter.
- Check the booking list before each event and share numbers with the coach and the kitchen.
What goes wrong
- Lite has no reminder emails or waiting list. If you need them, Standard is €19 (about $21£16€19A$31C$30) a month plus VAT.
- Prices are in euros plus VAT, so the sterling cost moves a little with the exchange rate.
- Frost and waterlogged courses cancel events. Decide in advance whether you refund, credit or rebook, and say so on the booking page.
- Lite allows 300 bookings a month. A big charity day on top of courses can push you over, so check the count in busy months.