I stopped consulting on a regular basis in 2010 and I have made a conscious effort to play more golf. Since I am flexible when and where I play and I am a natural planner, I don't usually have to pay the posted or rack rate for a round of golf. Instead I primarily use two Internet based sites for the vast majority of my golfing needs. The first I have been using for the last three years called Golfnow and the second one Underpar I started using in 2012 although it has been around for the last four years.
I primarily use Golfnow for short-term bookings usually one or two days from when I plan to play. I receive their daily e-mail alerts; one is sent for Ontario and the other for Richmond Va. I typically use the e-mails to check out courses, tee time availabilities, and prices to get a sense as to when and where to find the best deals - I review them daily even when I am not planning on playing. I find there are differences in availabilities depending on the day of the week, the time of day, and the course.I follow the availabilities over the course of the week to try and get a feel for how long the tee times remain available. This provides me with a feel for how long I have before I need to book to get a suitable course, time and price. If there are multiple options I can be more selective, less and I will pull the trigger sooner.
The best part of Golfnow is that once you book you have a confirmed tee time. There are typically two types of transacts; one where you pay at the course for the round or one where you pay Golfnow upfront. The negative is that there are no refunds when you pay Golfnow for the rounds unless the course is closed for inclement weather. These are designated as the hot deals and are typically offered at the greatest discounted price. When you pay at the course it is sometimes possible to cancel a tee time ahead of time without penalty but any booking fee paid to Golfnow is lost; these tee times are usually offered at a smaller discount or at the rack rate.
Golfnow rewards me for being flexible by giving me the opportunity to book deep discounted tee times when courses are not usually busy - that is a win/win for me!
As much as I like Golfnow I also have started to use Underpar for more of my golfing needs. Underpar periodically offers deals at courses in Ontario for single rounds, twosomes or foursomes. The deal will be for a specific course and can be redeemed over an extended period - some of the deals recently offered are for use anytime in the 2013 season. Underpar deals usually come with tee time restrictions -time of day or day of week. The Underpar offerings are usually offered for a limited time i.e. 2 -3 days or until a certain number of rounds have been purchased.
When I have been able to compare deals I find that Underpar is generally comparable with the lower priced Golfnow rounds. They range in price between $27 to $60 or more with the typical price around $32.50 + tax. There are some course overlap between the two booking services but there are also some courses only available on one or the other. The upside with Underpar is that you can buy multiple rounds at courses to lock in attractive savings. Many but not all of the deals might have sweeteners; usually a cart, sometimes it is all you can play, and occasionally a bucket of range balls etc. The downside is that you never know when the next deal will come along, where it might be and at what price, you have to pay up front for the rounds, and you have to phone to book the tee time with the course before you play. The latter could be a problem if the tee-time restrictions are tight and the deadline for using the coupon is fast approaching - getting a tee time might be tough and the courses might be busier as a result.
Generally I have found that with Golfnow the rounds are off peak and the course is not usually busy - many times we have been able to start when ready rather than wait for our tee time. If the tee time is not fully booked we can go out as a twosome. With Underpar the courses tend to be busier and we are more likely paired up to make a foursome. The selection of Underpar courses has been much smaller than the Golfnow universe although the list is growing. Underpar is also offering deals in a limited number of areas in the U.S. but not in Williamsburg or Virginia yet.
There are other places to find golf deals in Ontario. I received the Greens' Fee Passport book in 2011 as a gift; it currently retails for $64.95 plus tax and shipping although the price can vary with promotions or after the season starts. It is filled with coupons that can be used at participating courses and there are on-line offers as well. I found that I did use it but the best deals offered were similar or slightly less in price for the ones available through Golfnow; I would never have saved enough to justify paying the annual fee. Further a number of the coupons offered 2 for 1 deals on the green fees so when adding in a full cost cart the deal wasn't that good. I suspect that if I predominately walked courses and played mostly on weekends it might have been of more value. I suggest you do your own due diligence and research as the deals and courses can change year over year.
Another potential source of deals is Wagjag. I have never used Wagjag although I am on their e-mail distribution list. They typically offer something similar to Underpar with a coupon to play at a discounted price. There have been some interesting offers but nothing enticing enough to get me to purchase one; partly I think it was the courses offered and partly due to pricing and/or tighter restrictions on use. I am considering an offer now that I missed on Golfnow Deal Caddy; a service that Golfnow operates that provides a similar product as Underpar. I have not used Deal Caddy as yet but as I mentioned I was very interested in an offer recently and forgot to purchase it before the deadline.
There are other sources of deals including the courses themselves. Some have Internet bookings up to two weeks into the future and may offer moderately discounted tee times to build off-peak demand - I have used this type of service in a pinch when nothing else was available Some also offer a free round of golf on your birthday when you sign up to receive e-mails from the course. Those e-mails may also contain additional specials and offers for sales and discounted golf. Courses will sometimes offer discount coupons in local newspapers although I haven't much or used any in the last couple of years.
If you are a member of Interval International and with a Gold or Platinum membership you have access to a Travel and Entertainment service that is provided by Entertainment Publications. As part of their offerings they have discount coupons for a few golf courses in Ontario - 2 for 1, 50% off, buy 3 get 1 free type of deals. The service also offers deals in other areas of North America including courses in Virginia. I have used coupons from this service a couple of times - typically when I play on a course that I walk. The downside is that they offer the discount on the green fee only and not usually the cart; in some instances they require a cart rental to get the discount so I am very selective when I use them. There are similar deals in coupon books that the general public can purchase - these are the books that charities or schools use for fund-raisers. Be sure to read the restrictions for use so you are not blindsided.
My timeshare The Cottages of Port Staton is managed by Bayview Wildwood Resort and when they book a round at Lake St. George golf club (6 miles from the resort) on our behalf we get a discount from the club. Interestingly enough I played there twice last summer and one round was booked through Golfnow and the other through the lodge; different days and similar prices.
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| Lake St. George GC - July 2012 |