The $100 Million Wake-Up Call for Golf Clubs

Key Takeaways

• Phone calls are an inefficient way for golf clubs to handle customer support
• Members prefer instant, mobile-friendly responses through SMS and chats
• AI allows for fast, personalized communication about routine questions
• Clubs that want to meet shifting customer expectations should embrace AI-powered solutions

The Phone Problem Holding Clubs Back

For decades, phones ringing off the hook meant golf clubs were doing good business. Members were calling to get help with needs on and off the course — booking tee times, planning events, and making dining reservations. Today, that familiar ring is far from a hole-in-one: it’s a $100 million industry-wide inefficiency.

Just take a look at the Hermitage Country Club Facebook page for dozens of humorous pro-shop call stories that highlight how analog phone support still dominates.

According to the National Golf Foundation, golf facilities collectively spend more than 6 million staff hours per year answering calls. That’s not just a lot of hours on the phone — it’s also a huge amount of resources. At roughly $17 per hour, it totals over $100 million in labor costs, excluding benefits or overhead. Diving deeper, 40 to 50 calls per day per facility is the norm, and about two-thirds of those calls are routine, or the kind that could be handled far more efficiently through text messaging for golf clubs.

Whether private or public, clubs are bleeding money on a communication model built for a pre-digital era. Every ring is a cost center, not a service channel, and it’s time to make a change. 

The Mobile-First Shift

Consumers across industries have set a new baseline for service: instant, mobile-first communication. Today’s customer doesn’t want to jump through hoops when booking a flight, checking into a hotel, or troubleshooting a purchase. They want to handle it all with a few taps. Convenience, speed, and personalization are no longer perks — they’re table stakes.

In this environment, phone calls feel increasingly outdated. Forget waiting on hold and repeating details. Modern consumers want quick confirmation, smart follow-ups, and conversation continuity on their own devices.

This isn’t just idle speculation about customer preferences. The data proves it:

8 out of 10 Americans have opted in to receive texts from trusted brands

9 out of 10 travelers book digitally

3 out of 4 buyers prefer live chat or text for support

This expectation of fast, digital-friendly support also extends to the world of golf. Members who can order dinner, board a flight, and chat with a retailer via mobile messaging wonder why ringing phones are still par for the course at their favorite clubs.

AI Powering Member Service

The massive investment in artificial intelligence has already reshaped marketing, communication, and customer service across industries — and golf will be no exception.

Private AI investment has exploded over the past three to four years. U.S. AI funding topped $100 billion in 2024, with $22 billion flowing specifically into generative AI in 2023, and global cumulative investment since 2013 surpassing $750 billion. Those numbers clearly signal one thing: the future of service is being re-engineered around speed, personalization, and conversational access.

For clubs, that means the same technologies transforming travel, finance, and healthcare are now within reach. Expect to see:

• Predictive service tools that anticipate member needs, like recognizing when a regular player tends to book or dine and sending a friendly prompt at just the right time
• Natural language support assistants that can field questions instantly (“What’s the dress code tonight?” or “Are carts restricted this morning?”) and hand off customers smoothly to staff when judgment or warmth is required
• Unified communication hubs where text, app chat, and staff responses all live together, giving every interaction continuity and memory
• Operational insights that show trends—what members ask most, when messages peak, and where service bottlenecks occur—so managers can plan proactively

In the next few years, members will expect their clubs to mirror the convenience of the world’s best service brands, bolstered by instant replies, contextual follow-up, and mobile-first accessibility. For operators, AI isn’t about replacing human connection — it’s about amplifying it by ensuring staff have more time for the moments that truly build community.

Text Is the New Inbound

About a decade ago, HubSpot revolutionized marketing with the term inbound, signaling that cold calls were on their way out. What HubSpot’s team saw then was an early version of a deeper behavioral change: people preferred to seek out information rather than be “sold” on a company’s features and benefits.

Today, that paradigm is being reborn as inbound texts and chats, where sales reps are replaced with customer success reps who support prospects and customers with text messaging and chat conversations.

Consumers across the board now overwhelmingly demand digital-first, conversational access:

• 41% of customers prefer live chat over other support channels (email, phone).
• 73% of customers say they feel more comfortable interacting via live chat than via phone or email. 
• 51% of customers prefer live chat because it lets them multitask. 
• SMS messages enjoy a staggering 98% open rate, dwarfing email’s 20 to 30% range.

With human reading speeds far outpacing spoken conversation, and AI’s ability to summarize and contextualize responses instantaneously, it’s increasingly irrational to force people into voice calls. Digital communication isn’t an optional channel anymore — it’s the baseline expectation.

For golf clubs and member-facing services, the lesson is clear: inbound calls will continue to decline as people shift to faster, more frictionless conversational options. The clubs that lean hardest into that shift by opening up channels for texting, chat, and AI-assisted replies won’t just keep up. They’ll lead.

3 Stages to Modernize Club Communication

Most clubs around the country have elevated their communication to stage one, about 15% to stage two, and just a few to stage three, according to our research.

Stage One: Club App

Many clubs have adopted mobile-first apps that connect members with events, tee-sheet access, and dining reservations. Unfortunately, these apps rarely deliver the conversational service members expect — most lack two-way text or chat options capable of boosting engagement.

Current Vendors:

• ForeTees / ClubCentral App: A private-club system offering tee-time booking, dining, events, and communication tools in one mobile interface
• Whoosh: A modern, tablet-based management platform designed to streamline golf-operations scheduling, waitlists, and real-time staff messaging
• ClubEssential: An all-in-one club-management software suite featuring websites, member apps, reservations, and integrated messaging tools built for private-club operations
• Jonas Club Services: Enterprise-grade club software supporting membership, accounting, dining, and communication modules with optional member-app access

These tools represent progress, but without a dedicated member messaging platform, they often stop short of delivering the seamless, mobile-first experience that members already expect in every other part of their lives.

Stage Two: SMS Messaging

Direct text messaging to members’ mobile phones is the next leap in communication, achieving 98% open rates in three minutes or less.

• Inbound Requests: Members text “Is the range open?” and get an immediate, accurate reply from staff who can multitask efficiently.
• Push Notifications: Invitations for events or outings reach all members instantly, with options to reply for personalized service.
• Surveys and Polls: Boards and general managers gather live feedback to guide decisions that truly reflect member interests.

Current Vendors:

Implementing text messaging for golf clubs requires short-code registration (typically 3 to 5 months), but platforms such as Golf Pilot Messaging Platform and Member Text fast-track that setup, with no IT team required.

Stage Three: AI-Powered Customer Support

Human-led, AI-boosted communication offers the ultimate blend of efficiency and hospitality. Routine questions regarding tee times, course conditions, or event info are answered instantly by AI trained on club policies, while complex or emotional requests are routed directly to staff.

With this set-up, every interaction becomes measurable: response times, satisfaction, and efficiency are visible in real time. This is the next evolution of AI-powered club communication — precision from AI, personality from people.

While Golf Pilot doesn’t yet deploy automated AI responses, look for some advancement in 2026 with AI-powered tools that amplify hospitality, never replace it. This expectation is supported by the National Golf Foundation’s 2025 report, which confirms “45% of golfers say they’d welcome AI help for simple golf-related tasks.”

Why Text Messaging Wins

Text messaging isn’t just a convenience — it’s the new communication standard for service-driven industries. Members shouldn’t have to wait on hold, leave voicemails, or wonder whether their message was received. They deserve quick, personal, and reliable responses from a device that’s always within reach.

Members Prefer It
The evidence is overwhelming: 78% of consumers say texting is the fastest way for businesses to reach them, and 63% prefer text updates over calls or emails. Texting gives members instant access to staff, and clubs gain the ability to respond with the same efficiency and tone as a face-to-face exchange.

It’s More Efficient
Clubs that switch to text-based communication quickly discover how much time it saves. One staff member can manage up to five times more conversations via text than by phone.

It’s Measurable
Unlike phone calls, which disappear the moment they end, text-based communication creates data. Clubs can track response times, satisfaction levels, and message volume to see exactly where service excels and where it needs improvement.

It’s Future-Proof
The world isn’t slowing down — and neither are member expectations. As clubs modernize their technology ecosystems, text messaging integrates seamlessly with tee-time software, point-of-sale systems, and customer relationship tools. It’s ready for the next generation of service, including AI-powered assistance that helps staff respond faster and more effectively.

How to Deploy Text Messaging to Members and Staff

Implementing SMS messaging for clubs isn’t a tech upgrade. It’s a strategic pivot toward operational excellence, enabling most clubs to assign one support specialist to handle all requests and replies from promotions and communications.

The key is to make it personal from the start, then introduce AI support to handle some repetitive replies that can easily be managed to save time.

Step 1: Start Small, Measure Big

• Launch required text opt-in for members as a new service
• Track adoption and offer support if needed

Step 2: Maintain the Human Touch with Texting

• Focus staff on relationships and revenue
• Train tone, empathy, and escalation

Step 3: Promote the Channel

• Encourage members: “Text us anytime for faster service”
• Display the number on signage, scorecards, and newsletters

Step 4: Iterate and Expand

• Add reminders for dining, events, and tee times
• Use data insights to refine staff efficiency

Step 5: Begin to Think About How AI Will Play In

• Document FAQs and policies members ask about most
• Define boundaries for human handoff

What’s Next: Messaging Intelligence

We’re currently exploring what’s next. When text conversations become structured, searchable data, the potential compounds. Here’s what’s on our roadmap:

• Predictive models forecast busy times and cancellations.
• Feedback loops reveal trending member interests.
• Clubs gain a 360° view of engagement, something phones can’t deliver.

Gaining these insights will deliver better communication with intelligence bolted on.

Conclusion: Silence the Ringing, Amplify the Relationship

The $100 million phone problem isn’t just inefficiency — it’s inertia. Golf and country clubs now have the chance to redefine white-glove service for a generation that values immediacy, personalization, and respect for time. 

True hospitality isn’t about how many calls you answer. It’s about how quickly and how personally you support the member.