Setting up a golf simulator venue: the checklist
Setting up Golf O'Clock goes fastest when each piece builds on the one before. This checklist is the order venues use to go from an empty account to taking real bookings.
In short: The order that works for setting up an indoor golf venue's booking system: hours, bays, booking options, pricing, payments, memberships and a test booking.
The checklist
- Venue details. Name, time zone, language and tax. The time zone comes first because every schedule depends on it.
- Opening hours. Your weekly hours, plus holiday closures and special days.
- Bays. Add each simulator, and label them by type if some are premium. See managing your bays and simulators.
- Booking options. Decide what customers can book, such as bay rental and lessons, with the durations and group sizes you offer.
- Booking window. Decide how far ahead customers can book, and whether members get longer.
- Pricing. Your standard rate, then peak, off-peak and member rates.
- Payments. Connect Stripe or Square so you can take card payments online.
- Payment and cancellation policy. Nothing up front, a card on file, a deposit or full payment, and how much notice customers must give to cancel.
- Notifications. Choose which confirmations and alerts go out by email and text.
- Products and memberships. Add-ons, hour packages and memberships.
- A test booking. Book as a customer, pay, cancel, and check the refund. Then book as staff.
Before you go live
Your booking page is live as soon as you have hours, a bay and a booking option. If you're setting up before opening day, keep booking options hidden from customers until you're ready. Still planning the venue itself? Start with how to start a golf simulator business.
Common questions
- How long does setup take?
- A single-location venue with standard pricing can be ready in an afternoon. Memberships and advanced pricing take a little longer to plan than to enter.
- Can I import my customers from my old system?
- Yes. Customers, and their memberships, can be imported from a spreadsheet. See switching booking systems.
- Do I need a payment processor to start?
- You can take bookings without one, but you'll need Stripe or Square to collect payments online.
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