Is It Easy to Book? Counting the Taps in a Tee Time Booking Engine
Part 3 of the Tee Time Booking Engine Buyer's Guide · Vendor data current as of October 2026
A golfer who taps Book a Tee Time on your website has already decided to play. Everything after that tap is a chance to lose them: a login wall, a calendar that won't open on a phone, a terms box, a card form that won't take Apple Pay, a second page asking the same questions again.
So the third question in this series is about the golfer, not the operator. Is it easy to book?
Part 1 showed how to measure your booking engine's conversion rate, and Part 2 looked at what it connects to. This part counts the friction in between. At a real public course on each of 20 booking engines, we walked through the booking flow as a first-time golfer and counted every tap and form field up to the payment form, or to the point where the engine made us create an account. Then we rated each engine on sign-in, guest checkout, payment, group bookings, mobile and branding.
Key takeaways
- The sign-up wall is the real friction, not the taps. At the courses we tested, 15 of 20 booking engines made a first-time golfer create an account or profile before checkout. Most got there in 1 to 4 taps, then asked for 2 to 12 sign-up fields.
- Only five engines let us check out as a guest: GolfNow's TeeItUp, Golf Geek Software, GolfBack, CourseRev and Tee Time Central. Golf Geek was quickest, at 3 taps to checkout.
- Defaults add taps. Engines that default to 4 players, 9 holes or a filter the golfer has to change cost a twosome extra taps. A pop-up, policy step or upsell adds one more each time.
- Wallet payments were missing. None of the guest checkouts we reached offered Apple Pay or Google Pay.
- Many of these are course settings. Requiring an account, prepay and policy steps are often your choice. Ask your vendor what you can turn off.
Why friction is a revenue problem
In Part 1, Sagacity's data showed golfers converting at about 13% overall and nearly 15% when they arrived through Reserve with Google. That means most golfers who open a booking engine leave without booking. Some were only checking prices. But every extra screen, required field or confusing button loses a few more, and those are golfers who already wanted to play your course.
Friction comes from two places. Some is built into the software, such as how many screens checkout takes or whether wallet payments are supported. The rest comes from how the course sets it up: requiring an account, requiring prepayment, adding optional upsells before checkout, or asking golfers to accept a long policy. Some of those settings protect revenue, and Part 4 covers them. The point of this part is to know what each one costs you in taps.
How we counted
We used one method for every booking engine:
- Open a live public course's booking page as a golfer who has never booked there, and start from the list of tee times.
- Choose a tee time for 2 players, 18 holes, and count every tap that makes a choice or moves forward, up to the checkout page with the final purchase button.
- Count the fields the checkout page asks the golfer to fill in, such as name, email, phone and card details. If the engine requires an account first, stop there and count the sign-up fields instead.
- Note whether guest checkout is offered, and whether a sign-in or new account is required first.
- Skip every optional add-on, stop at the payment form, and never complete a booking.
Engines that remember the golfer, or let the course pre-fill players or holes, will take fewer taps for returning golfers. Sagacity, for example, reports 3 taps for a signed-in golfer, 4 with a new account, and 5 or 6 when the course offers optional add-ons. We count the first-time golfer because that's the golfer you're trying to win. Taps are only half of it: four taps to checkout means little if the checkout page asks for a dozen fields on a phone keyboard.
Chart 3.1: Taps and sign-up walls
| Booking engine | Taps before sign-up or checkout | Account required before checkout | Guest checkout | Fields to fill in | Previously listed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sagacity (Quick18) | 3, then sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | 7 sign-up fields | 4 | Holes and cart are chosen in the same tap as the tee time. Sagacity lists 4 taps to book, counting sign-in |
| Lightspeed (Chronogolf) | 4, then sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | 6 sign-up fields | 8 | 18 holes preselected; each player is added with its own tap. 8-hour cancellation policy shown after sign-in |
| GolfNow: TeeItUp | 4 to checkout | ✕ No | ✓ Yes Optional GolfID sign-in | 12, on one page | 6 | Book Now, pick golfers, Add to Cart, Checkout. Name, email, mobile and card on one page |
| GolfNow: EZLinks | 2, then sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | Not counted | 7 | View, then Continue, then a sign-in page |
| foreUP | 1, then sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | 9 sign-up fields, including date of birth | 6 | The sign-in window opens the moment a tee time is tapped. Holes, players and cart come after |
| Club Caddie | 3, then sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | 6 sign-up fields, plus terms | 5 | A card is required to hold the tee time. 12-hour policy shown |
| Club Prophet | 2, then sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | 7 sign-up fields | 5 | A course notice pops up every time the date changes |
| Teesnap | 3, then sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | 5 sign-up fields, no password | 5 | Defaults to 4 players, so choosing 2 takes two taps |
| TenFore Golf | 0: sign-in comes first | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | 5 sign-up fields | 5 | The only engine where golfers can't see tee times until they sign in |
| Eagle Club Systems | 1, then player profile | ✓ Yes Short profile, no password | ✕ No | 5 profile fields, no password | 6 | Tee times and simulator bays share one list |
| Easy Tee Golf | 1, then sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | 2 sign-up fields (email, password) | 4 | The lightest sign-up we found. 18 holes is the default |
| Golf District | 2, then sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✕ No Google, Apple, Facebook or LinkedIn sign-in instead | 12 sign-up fields, or social sign-in | — | Holes, rate and players are all chosen on the tee time card |
| Golf Geek Software | 3 to checkout | ✕ No | ✓ Yes | About 5, plus terms | 4 | Fewest taps of the engines with guest checkout. A prepay-discount pop-up appears mid-booking. Pay at the course |
| GolfBack | 5 to checkout | ✕ No | ✓ Yes | 11, including card and two policy boxes | 5 | The cancellation policy is its own step. A $4 convenience fee is charged online and green fees at the course. 10-minute hold timer |
| Tee On | 4, then sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | 8 sign-up fields, including a username | 6 | Opened on 9 holes. One Tee On account works at every Tee On course |
| TeeWire | 1, then sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✕ No Welcome text mentions guests, but only Log in or Create account is offered | 5 sign-up fields | 5 | Four-step booking window with a 5-minute hold timer |
| Proshop Tee Times | 2, then sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | 5 sign-up fields, no password | 4 | Players are chosen before the date and time |
| MemberSports | 1, then sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | 5 sign-up fields, plus reCAPTCHA | 4 | Dense grid of several courses' tee times |
| CourseRev | 4 to golfer details | ✕ No | ✓ Yes | 4 golfer fields; payment on the next step | — | Each player is added with its own tap. A $5 booking fee is charged online and the rest at the counter |
| Tee Time Central | 7 to checkout | ✕ No | ✓ Yes | About 12, including card and address | 4 | Most taps: it defaulted to 4 golfers, so dropping to 2 took three taps. Full prepay; a weather guarantee is offered at checkout |
| Supreme Golf Let's Go | No live course found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | — | 6 | We couldn't find a course using it in October 2026 |
A closer look: GolfNow's two booking engines
GolfNow acquired EZLinks in 2019 and also runs TeeItUp. Both are still in use, and a course on GolfNow can end up on either. We tested one public course on each.
| TeeItUp | EZLinks | |
|---|---|---|
| Look and feel | Modern design, branded to the course, with a full-width course photo | Older interface: a grid of tee times with View buttons |
| Search and filters | Calendar, time, price range, number of golfers, holes, cart or walking, rate type and a promo code box | Date, a time slider and number of players |
| Choosing a time | A pop-up to choose the rate and number of golfers, with what's included (such as a cart) | A pop-up showing the rate name, whether there's a fee or prepayment, the cancellation policy and number of players |
| Account | Guest checkout, with optional GolfID sign-in | Sign-in or a new account required before booking |
| Checkout | Shopping cart, then one page for golfer details and card | Behind the sign-in page |
| Extras | Tee time alerts for sold-out times | Loads Sensible Weather's weather guarantee tool |
The difference that matters most is the sign-in page. On TeeItUp, a first-time golfer goes from Book Now to a single checkout page in four taps. On EZLinks, that same golfer reaches a sign-in page after two taps and has to create an account before seeing checkout. Regular golfers who already have an account won't mind, but a visitor booking your course for the first time will.
What we found
Most engines ask for an account before checkout. On 15 of the 20 engines, the course we tested made a first-time golfer sign up or sign in before reaching payment. TenFore Golf goes furthest: golfers sign in before they can see a single tee time. foreUP opens its sign-in window the moment a tee time is tapped. Sign-up forms ranged from 2 fields at Easy Tee Golf (email and password) to 12 at Golf District, which also offers Google, Apple, Facebook and LinkedIn sign-in. Eagle Club Systems, Teesnap and Proshop Tee Times ask for a short profile with no password, which is lighter but still a form.
Requiring an account has real benefits: verified golfers, a clean customer list, and protection from tee time brokers. But it's the largest single step in the booking, and on many engines it's a course setting. If you require it, keep the form short and ask your vendor about Google or Apple sign-in.
Five engines let golfers check out as guests. Golf Geek Software reached checkout in 3 taps, GolfNow's TeeItUp and CourseRev in 4, GolfBack in 5 and Tee Time Central in 7. Guest checkout is the shortest path for a first-time golfer, but ask whether a guest booking still gives you the golfer's email and phone number for your customer list.
Defaults and pop-ups add taps. Teesnap and Tee Time Central defaulted to 4 players, so a twosome took extra taps to change it. Tee On opened on 9 holes. Lightspeed and CourseRev add each player with a separate tap. Club Prophet showed a course notice every time the date changed, Golf Geek showed a prepay-discount offer mid-booking, and GolfBack makes the cancellation policy its own step. Each one can be worth it. Just know it's there, and preselect the choices most golfers make.
Fees show up at checkout. GolfBack charged a $4 convenience fee and CourseRev a $5 booking fee online, with green fees paid at the course. Tee Time Central took full prepayment. Whatever your setup, show fees before the card form, not on it.
Checkout basics
Once a golfer has picked a tee time, checkout decides whether they finish. We looked at four things that change how quickly a golfer on a phone gets through it.
| Booking engine | Card on file | Apple Pay or Google Pay | Prepay is optional (course setting) | Golfer can cancel online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sagacity (Quick18) | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Lightspeed (Chronogolf) | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| GolfNow: TeeItUp | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| GolfNow: EZLinks | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| foreUP | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Club Caddie | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Club Prophet | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Teesnap | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes Teepay times are prepaid and non-refundable | ✓ Yes |
| TenFore Golf | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Eagle Club Systems | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Easy Tee Golf | ○ Not found | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Golf District | ○ Not found | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| Golf Geek Software | ○ Not found | ✕ No No online payment at this course | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| GolfBack | ✓ Yes | ✕ No Card form only | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Tee On | ○ Not found | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| TeeWire | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Proshop Tee Times | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| MemberSports | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found Behind sign-up | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| CourseRev | ✓ Yes Credit card hold | ○ Not found Payment step not reached | ✓ Yes Pay at counter, prepaid, booking fee or deposit | ✓ Yes Self-serve account hub |
| Tee Time Central | ○ Not found | ✕ No Card form only | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Supreme Golf Let's Go | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Wallet payments belong on phones
Apple Pay and Google Pay replace a 16-digit card number, expiration date and security code with a fingerprint or face scan. On a phone that's the difference between a golfer finishing now and "I'll do it later." None of the guest checkouts we reached in October 2026 offered Apple Pay or Google Pay; most engines put payment behind a sign-up form we didn't complete. If your booking engine collects a card at checkout, ask whether it supports wallet payments and whether your payment processor allows them.
Card on file is not the same as prepay
Many engines can save a card to hold a tee time without charging it. That's a lighter step for golfers than full prepayment. Whether to require either is a revenue decision covered in Part 4. For this part, the question is simpler: can a golfer cancel or change online without calling the pro shop? Online cancellation is less work for staff, and it releases the tee time to someone else sooner.
Booking for a group
Golf is a group activity, and the golfer booking is usually booking for friends. Engines differ on how well they handle that.
| Booking engine | More than a foursome in one booking | Saved playing partners (buddy list) | Split payment between players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sagacity (Quick18) | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✕ No |
| Lightspeed (Chronogolf) | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ✕ No |
| GolfNow: TeeItUp | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| GolfNow: EZLinks | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| foreUP | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Club Caddie | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Club Prophet | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Teesnap | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| TenFore Golf | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes Saved buddy list | ✓ Yes |
| Eagle Club Systems | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Easy Tee Golf | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Golf District | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Golf Geek Software | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| GolfBack | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Tee On | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| TeeWire | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Proshop Tee Times | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| MemberSports | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes |
| CourseRev | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Tee Time Central | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Supreme Golf Let's Go | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
Saved playing partners let a regular add their usual group in a tap. Split payment lets each player pay their own share, so the organizer isn't collecting cash at the first tee. Booking more than a foursome in one go matters for outings and buddy trips. These features are scarce in public evidence, so if they matter to your course, ask for a demonstration.
Mobile, accessibility and branding
A booking engine should look and feel like part of your course, work on any phone, and be usable by golfers with disabilities.
| Booking engine | Course-branded web address | Works inside the course website | Accessibility statement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sagacity (Quick18) | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| Lightspeed (Chronogolf) | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes Vendor states ADA compliance |
| GolfNow: TeeItUp | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| GolfNow: EZLinks | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| foreUP | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| Club Caddie | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| Club Prophet | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| Teesnap | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| TenFore Golf | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| Eagle Club Systems | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| Easy Tee Golf | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| Golf District | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Golf Geek Software | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| GolfBack | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Tee On | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| TeeWire | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes | ○ Not found |
| Proshop Tee Times | ○ Not found | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes Vendor states ADA compliance |
| MemberSports | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes Vendor states ADA compliance |
| CourseRev | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Tee Time Central | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
| Supreme Golf Let's Go | ○ Not found | ○ Not found | ○ Not found |
Branding builds trust
When a golfer taps Book and lands on an unfamiliar web address with someone else's logo, some of them hesitate. A course-branded web address, such as book.yourcourse.com, and branded confirmation emails keep the golfer on familiar ground. Engines that work inside your own website keep them there too, though, as Part 1 explained, a booking engine embedded in your site can make tracking harder. Ask which setup your vendor recommends and how it's tracked.
Accessibility is not a checkbox
A few vendors state their booking engines are ADA compliant. That's a vendor claim, not an audit. An automated accessibility scan isn't an ADA compliance finding either. At minimum, try booking with your phone's screen reader turned on, and with text size turned up. If you can't finish, neither can some of your golfers.
Your booking friction checklist
Book a tee time on your phone, as a first-time golfer, and count. Then ask:
- How many taps did it take from my website's Book button to a confirmed tee time?
- Does a first-time golfer have to create an account? Can they check out as a guest, or sign in with Google or Apple?
- Does a guest booking still give me the golfer's email and phone number?
- Which questions come before the golfer sees tee times, and can the common answers be preselected?
- Which steps come from my settings, such as required prepay, terms boxes and upsell screens, and which come from the software?
- Can golfers pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay?
- Can golfers cancel or change a booking online?
- Can a golfer book for a group, save playing partners, or split the payment?
- Does the booking engine use my course's name in its web address and emails?
- Can I finish a booking with my phone's screen reader on and large text?
Do it again every season. Software updates and setting changes add taps quietly.
Quick answers
How many clicks should it take to book a tee time?
There's no industry standard, but fewer is better. In our October 2026 test of 20 booking engines, most reached either checkout or a sign-up form within 1 to 4 taps. The quickest guest checkout took 3 taps (Golf Geek Software) and the longest took 7 (Tee Time Central). Count your own: open your booking page on a phone, as a golfer who has never booked with you, and tap through to the purchase button without buying.
Does requiring an account hurt tee time bookings?
It adds a full sign-up form for every first-time golfer, which is the largest single step in most booking flows. It also has benefits, such as verified golfers and protection from tee time brokers. In our October 2026 test, 15 of 20 booking engines required an account or profile before checkout, with sign-up forms of 2 to 12 fields. If you require an account, keep the form short and offer Google or Apple sign-in, so sign-up takes a tap instead of a form.
Which golf booking engines offer guest checkout?
In our October 2026 test, five booking engines let a first-time golfer check out as a guest: GolfNow's TeeItUp, Golf Geek Software, GolfBack, CourseRev and Tee Time Central. The other engines we tested required an account or profile before checkout at the course we used, though on some it's a course setting. See Chart 3.1.
Which golf booking engines accept Apple Pay?
None of the guest checkouts we reached in October 2026 showed Apple Pay or Google Pay. On most engines payment sits behind a sign-up form, so we couldn't check. Ask your vendor whether your booking engine and payment processor support wallet payments.
What's the difference between GolfNow's TeeItUp and EZLinks booking engines?
Both are GolfNow booking engines. In our October 2026 test, TeeItUp had a modern design, many search filters, a shopping cart and guest checkout. EZLinks had an older interface, a simpler search, and required golfers to sign in or create an account before booking. If your course is on GolfNow, ask which one you'll get.
Is a tee time booking engine the same as a tee sheet?
No. The tee sheet is what your staff uses to run the day; the booking engine is the golfer-facing storefront that connects to it. Some booking engines, such as Golf District, Golf Geek Software, GolfBack, CourseRev, Tee Time Central and Supreme Golf's Let's Go, have no tee sheet of their own. This guide rates booking engines.
Does an ADA statement mean my booking engine is accessible?
No. A vendor's ADA statement is a claim, and an automated accessibility scan isn't a compliance finding. Test booking with a screen reader and large text, and ask your vendor for its most recent accessibility audit.
Methodology
Tap and field counts come from live booking pages at one public course per booking engine, tested in October 2026 using the method above. GolfNow's two engines were tested on October 12, 2026 and the rest on October 28, 2026, in a web browser. We couldn't find a live course using Supreme Golf's Let's Go. We never completed a purchase or entered card details. Courses aren't named, because a course's own settings affect the count. Where an engine required an account, we stopped and counted the sign-up fields rather than creating one. Sign-in, guest checkout and wallet payments were recorded on the same live pages. Card on file, prepay, online cancellation, group, branding and accessibility ratings come from GCTR's Compare data, vendor feature forms, vendor documentation and smbGOLF's direct experience. "Previously listed" tap counts are the values shown on GCTR's Compare page before this test; Sagacity's comes from Sagacity. "No" means the vendor says it isn't offered, or we confirmed it on a live booking page or through smbGOLF's direct experience. "Not found" means we found no public evidence as of October 2026. Many of these features are course settings, so your own booking page may differ. We invite every vendor listed to send documentation or corrections, and we'll update the charts.
Disclosure: smbGOLF manages websites and booking engines for golf courses that use several of the vendors rated here, and several of these vendors have sponsored Ohio Golf Course Owners Association (OGCOA) events, where Mike Hendrix serves as technology advisor. No vendor paid for inclusion or reviewed its rating before publication. See our revenue disclosure.
Next in the series: Part 4, Features & Benefits: waitlists, golfer text notifications, no-show protection and add-ons. Follow the Tee Time Booking Engine Buyer's Guide for each part as it publishes.
Sources
- GCTR: Part 1, Can You Measure It?
- GCTR: Part 2, Does It Connect?
- GCTR: Compare booking engines
- Teesnap support: Online booking with Teepay (support.teesnap.com)
- CourseRev: Web booking system (courserev.ai)
- GolfNow for Business: checkout add-ons, June 2025 (golfnowbusiness.com)
- Sagacity Golf: clicks to book, vendor statement, October 2026
- GolfNow TeeItUp and EZLinks course booking pages, tested October 12, 2026
- Live booking pages, one public course per booking engine, tested October 28, 2026
Full source list by vendor available on request.
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