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Worst Golf Inventions


chrismikayla

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Thanks for adding your experience. I've had the same experience booking airfare with Priceline vs. going directly to the airline website. No savings going through the portal (though also no more expensive in my case with Priceline). The real value I see in GolfNow and similar portals is that, if you don't really care where you play, you can comparison shop really easily. I fall into the cheapskate golfer category as I'm the sole breadwinner supporting a family so I care much less about where I play (I'm also a high handicapper) than how much I pay to play. For golfers who are looking to play a particular course, especially a popular course, the savings may or may not be there with a portal.

 

The airline portal comparison is perfect. I could call every airline, write down all of the flight options and prices, then compare pricing vs. timing vs. connections, etc. Or i could just use the portal and use the sorting tools to find exactly what i want from every company.

 

Why do people use Amazon? Because I can look for anything I want on one website with reviews and free shipping and get 90% of the time, the best price possible..

 

I think this comes down to how much you value your time. I want to spend my free time with my kids and wife and doing things we all love...I do not want to spend my free time searching seven different stores for an item at the best price, or calling 18 different places to get a hotel/flight/tee time/rental car...

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That alone has tremendous value...Not only that, but it allows you to directly compare all courses across the time which you would like to play. Do I want to call 3 golf courses, ask about greens fees and availability 3 different times, then compare pricing/availability and call 1 of the 3 back hoping the time is still available...or do i want to look online at every course in the area with an opening at 8am or so tomorrow, get the price each is offering, as well as pretty recent reviews of the condition of that course...oh, and i still have the option of calling the one I choose instead of booking with golfnow, AND i might find an awesome hot deal, AND I might find a course I haven't played before or a hidden gem, AND i could book it right there if I want to pay an extra $3 and not call anyone...

 

I have zero comprehension of how any golf consumer could be against golfnow. It gives you literally all of the relevant information about courses/tee times in your area AND everywhere else in the country, and still allows you to call those courses if you so choose to book the tee time without the fee.

 

As for the courses, they choose to use GolfNow. They can also choose not to. They lose 2 tee times per day to GN at any price point. Does that hurt, yes, but they aren't prime times, so not as much. Also, people who ONLY book hot deals aren't the kind of customers you want, or that you'll ever get to be fixtures at your course anyway. The other times are often as much or more than the course, which maintains pricing integrity, but provides tons of exposure...You also get some great juice if you keep your place in nice shape and treat people well, because the reviews are also easy to navigate and are up to date.

 

I am not sure why you would need to call anyone. All of my local courses are bookmarked and it is easy to see what times and pricing is available. Is it as nice as having a bunch of courses on one portal? Maybe not but it is not THAT much tougher to navigate separately. I usually have it narrowed down to a few courses before I began looking for a tee time.

 

Why I am against Golfnow is I don't think what they offer is worth the price. They are mostly increasing the cost to the golfer and the courses. See my point below about using only Golfnow.

 

Thanks for adding your experience. I've had the same experience booking airfare with Priceline vs. going directly to the airline website. No savings going through the portal (though also no more expensive in my case with Priceline). The real value I see in GolfNow and similar portals is that, if you don't really care where you play, you can comparison shop really easily. I fall into the cheapskate golfer category as I'm the sole breadwinner supporting a family so I care much less about where I play (I'm also a high handicapper) than how much I pay to play. For golfers who are looking to play a particular course, especially a popular course, the savings may or may not be there with a portal.

 

I agree it is nice to have a big list to choose from. However, I would warn that you are only comparison shopping one site. Tomorrow morning I can book directly at one of my favorite courses website for $39 but if I go through GolfNow for the same time it is $49 plus the processing fee.

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That alone has tremendous value...Not only that, but it allows you to directly compare all courses across the time which you would like to play. Do I want to call 3 golf courses, ask about greens fees and availability 3 different times, then compare pricing/availability and call 1 of the 3 back hoping the time is still available...or do i want to look online at every course in the area with an opening at 8am or so tomorrow, get the price each is offering, as well as pretty recent reviews of the condition of that course...oh, and i still have the option of calling the one I choose instead of booking with golfnow, AND i might find an awesome hot deal, AND I might find a course I haven't played before or a hidden gem, AND i could book it right there if I want to pay an extra $3 and not call anyone...

 

I have zero comprehension of how any golf consumer could be against golfnow. It gives you literally all of the relevant information about courses/tee times in your area AND everywhere else in the country, and still allows you to call those courses if you so choose to book the tee time without the fee.

 

As for the courses, they choose to use GolfNow. They can also choose not to. They lose 2 tee times per day to GN at any price point. Does that hurt, yes, but they aren't prime times, so not as much. Also, people who ONLY book hot deals aren't the kind of customers you want, or that you'll ever get to be fixtures at your course anyway. The other times are often as much or more than the course, which maintains pricing integrity, but provides tons of exposure...You also get some great juice if you keep your place in nice shape and treat people well, because the reviews are also easy to navigate and are up to date.

 

I am not sure why you would need to call anyone. All of my local courses are bookmarked and it is easy to see what times and pricing is available. Is it as nice as having a bunch of courses on one portal? Maybe not but it is not THAT much tougher to navigate separately. I usually have it narrowed down to a few courses before I began looking for a tee time.

 

Why I am against Golfnow is I don't think what they offer is worth the price. They are mostly increasing the cost to the golfer and the courses. See my point below about using only Golfnow.

 

I honestly have no idea what you mean, when you can, in fact, use everything they offer for free...you don't HAVE to book through them, so why in the world would you be AGAINST them...That's like being against Kayak. I don't have to book through kayak, but why the h*** would I want to do more work. Yes, it might be just a "little" extra work, but my time is valuable, so the little bit i save on golf courses, travel, hotels, or just plain buying stuff, the more time I have for other things.

 

Option 1, I call Delta, SW, American, United, etc and get all the flights between 9 am and 3 pm to Dallas. I then write all of those down, or the ones that would work and the price, compare each of them, then call back the airline I want to book with and get a reservation.

 

Option 2, I go to kayak, search flights to dallas from 9am to 3pm, sort them by the most important factor (take off time, landing time, price)...then either book on the spot, or call and ask for that exact flight and that exact price or better if it is offered.

 

I cannot imagine who in the world would want to do option 1....It's like using a phone book in 2016

 

 

EDIT: Even if i don't have to call, I have to use 3-5 different websites, depending on how many options I am considering. For a flight it might be 8, for a tee time it might only be 3. None the less, since the service is free unless you book, I'm not sure why you wouldn't use it.

 

And you can't have the argument both ways...Golf courses say GN lowers prices, ruins price integrity and decreases profit...you're saying that it makes golf more expensive...

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I honestly have no idea what you mean, when you can, in fact, use everything they offer for free...you don't HAVE to book through them, so why in the world would you be AGAINST them...That's like being against Kayak. I don't have to book through kayak, but why the h*** would I want to do more work. Yes, it might be just a "little" extra work, but my time is valuable, so the little bit i save on golf courses, travel, hotels, or just plain buying stuff, the more time I have for other things...

 

...EDIT: Even if i don't have to call, I have to use 3-5 different websites, depending on how many options I am considering. For a flight it might be 8, for a tee time it might only be 3. None the less, since the service is free unless you book, I'm not sure why you wouldn't use it.

 

And you can't have the argument both ways...Golf courses say GN lowers prices, ruins price integrity and decreases profit...you're saying that it makes golf more expensive...

 

I want to do more work because it can save me money. My earlier example the price difference is $12.49 less booking directly at the course rather than through Golfnow.

 

I never said I didn't use GolfNow. I do occasionally use it and have found the courses direct pricing the same or less (before considering the booking fee) unless it is a hot deal. As I said I don't think what they offer is worth the price they charge. If they save me $10 but charge me $2.49 then that might be worth it but I still feel that is too much for the service they offer. Especially when you book a foursome and they charge $2.49 per player for basically the same thing as booking for just 1 player.

 

If they are gouging the courses a bit as well I don't particularly like that either. I really think golf would be just as good or better without GolfNow.

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Killer Bee Driver

Sumo Square Driver

Greg Norman's The Secret Training Device

Anything Bruce Fleisher or Arron Oberholser are pimping

Nudie Golf Tees

 

Agreed on those Nudie Tees... VERY distracting...

 

After using them for three or four holes I usually call the wife and tell her I'm only playing nine and will be home shortly...

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I honestly have no idea what you mean, when you can, in fact, use everything they offer for free...you don't HAVE to book through them, so why in the world would you be AGAINST them...That's like being against Kayak. I don't have to book through kayak, but why the h*** would I want to do more work. Yes, it might be just a "little" extra work, but my time is valuable, so the little bit i save on golf courses, travel, hotels, or just plain buying stuff, the more time I have for other things...

 

...EDIT: Even if i don't have to call, I have to use 3-5 different websites, depending on how many options I am considering. For a flight it might be 8, for a tee time it might only be 3. None the less, since the service is free unless you book, I'm not sure why you wouldn't use it.

 

And you can't have the argument both ways...Golf courses say GN lowers prices, ruins price integrity and decreases profit...you're saying that it makes golf more expensive...

 

I want to do more work because it can save me money. My earlier example the price difference is $12.49 less booking directly at the course rather than through Golfnow.

 

I never said I didn't use GolfNow. I do occasionally use it and have found the courses direct pricing the same or less (before considering the booking fee) unless it is a hot deal. As I said I don't think what they offer is worth the price they charge. If they save me $10 but charge me $2.49 then that might be worth it but I still feel that is too much for the service they offer. Especially when you book a foursome and they charge $2.49 per player for basically the same thing as booking for just 1 player.

 

If they are gouging the courses a bit as well I don't particularly like that either. I really think golf would be just as good or better without GolfNow.

 

I don't want to continue this too much longer, as I am beating a dead horse..working more does not save you money. You can use golfnow, save yourself all of the time, then call the course and book directly through them without paying a fee.

 

For the customer, GolfNow is only a net positive, no matter how you use it.

 

For the golf courses, it is case by case. I have talked to some GM's who love it, and I have talked to others who hate it.

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The Power Pod driver. About 20 years ago I met the inventor if this club, Jim Flood. Really nice guy.

 

I would LOVE to hear the theory/science/physics behind that monstrosity!

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[b][size=3][font=comic sans ms,cursive]Callaway Apex 20* GD AD HY 95[/font][/size][/b]
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I honestly have no idea what you mean, when you can, in fact, use everything they offer for free...you don't HAVE to book through them, so why in the world would you be AGAINST them...That's like being against Kayak. I don't have to book through kayak, but why the h*** would I want to do more work. Yes, it might be just a "little" extra work, but my time is valuable, so the little bit i save on golf courses, travel, hotels, or just plain buying stuff, the more time I have for other things...

 

...EDIT: Even if i don't have to call, I have to use 3-5 different websites, depending on how many options I am considering. For a flight it might be 8, for a tee time it might only be 3. None the less, since the service is free unless you book, I'm not sure why you wouldn't use it.

 

And you can't have the argument both ways...Golf courses say GN lowers prices, ruins price integrity and decreases profit...you're saying that it makes golf more expensive...

 

I want to do more work because it can save me money. My earlier example the price difference is $12.49 less booking directly at the course rather than through Golfnow.

 

I never said I didn't use GolfNow. I do occasionally use it and have found the courses direct pricing the same or less (before considering the booking fee) unless it is a hot deal. As I said I don't think what they offer is worth the price they charge. If they save me $10 but charge me $2.49 then that might be worth it but I still feel that is too much for the service they offer. Especially when you book a foursome and they charge $2.49 per player for basically the same thing as booking for just 1 player.

 

If they are gouging the courses a bit as well I don't particularly like that either. I really think golf would be just as good or better without GolfNow.

 

I don't want to continue this too much longer, as I am beating a dead horse..working more does not save you money. You can use golfnow, save yourself all of the time, then call the course and book directly through them without paying a fee.

 

For the customer, GolfNow is only a net positive, no matter how you use it.

 

For the golf courses, it is case by case. I have talked to some GM's who love it, and I have talked to others who hate it.

 

You are beating a dead horse as I have not found that GolfNow saves me 'all the time'. I still need to check with the courses direct website anyways. Since I have found GolfNow's pricing to be higher in every single instance, with the exception being Hot deals as I have stated, I would save time by not even bothering with GolfNow which is what I do most of the time. The only time I have booked through GolfNow this year is when the tee time did not show on the courses website..... due to an issue with GolfNow.

 

As I have stated earlier it is nice to have a somewhat easy to navigate list in one spot. I just don't think the price for what you get is worth it. There are 1000's of bookings a day through GolfNow where I bet people think they are saving money when they are only increasing their cost. I could get by just fine without GolfNow and their booking fees. Others are free to feel differently.

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