The Summer Surge: Make the Most of Every Tee Time
Author
Graeme Love
Back In Full Swing
What You’ll Learn:
- How to optimise operations during the busiest part of the year
- Where revenue is being gained, or lost, during peak season
- Smart ways to increase average spend without adding pressure
Intro
When the sun shines, the tee sheets fill, and the café’s doing brisk business, summer in golf can feel like one big win. But behind the scenes? It's a juggling act. Staff are stretched, stock’s moving fast, and customer expectations are sky high.
The good news: peak season is your biggest opportunity to grow revenue, build loyalty, and make the quieter months easier. The key is not just to survive it, but to use it.
We spoke with Graeme Love, owner of Accounts.Golf, to find out how golf businesses can make the most of the summer surge, without burning out.
Spot the Gaps and Maximise Use of Time
“Even in peak season, there’s always underused capacity,” says Graeme. “It just hides better.”
No-shows, half-empty cafés during twilight hours, or unsold tee slots on weekday afternoons, all of these add up. And when you're fully booked on paper, it’s easy to miss what’s slipping through the cracks.
Graeme's tip? Use real-time data to track booking patterns, stock movements, and sales. “You’ll spot trends that aren’t obvious in the moment. That’s when you can act.”
Want to dig deeper? Ask your team: Where are we most often waiting around during busy periods and why?
Focus on Your Profit Centres
When you're flat out, it’s tempting to celebrate headline sales. But Graeme warns: “Not everything that’s busy is profitable.”
That popular twilight deal that fills the course? It might be costing you more than you think. The same goes for promotions in the bar or discounted events that tie up staff for little return.
Instead, focus on the products and services with strong margins. Know what they are, promote them intentionally, and build bundles around them.
Graeme recommends a simple review:
- What are your top five highest-margin items?
- Are they being promoted as much as your biggest sellers?
- What’s costing staff time but returning little value?
Boost the Spend Per Visitor, Without Pressure
“You don’t need to push harder,” says Graeme. “You just need to make it easier for people to spend.”
Think about well-placed suggestions, not sales scripts:
- A pre-round breakfast offer
- A bundled lesson + round deal
- Impulse-buy items by the till
- Loyalty perks that reward spend
During summer, your footfall is up. That means small wins add up quickly.
Need ideas? Ask yourself: What do most visitors already buy and what’s the next logical step from there?
Don’t Let Customer Experience Slip
When things are hectic, service is often the first to suffer. But Graeme sees this as the one thing you can’t afford to lose sight of.
“People don’t remember the price they paid. They remember how they were treated, especially when it’s busy.”
The solution isn’t always more staff. Sometimes it’s better communication, clear signage, or making sure your team knows what ‘good’ looks like when the pressure’s on.
Quick wins:
- Give new team members simple, memorable service guidelines
- Check in regularly are they coping? What’s causing delays?
- Watch review platforms and act fast on negative trends
“Good service doesn’t have to be complex,” Graeme says. “It just has to be consistent.”
Final Thoughts: Peak Season Is the Launchpad
Summer isn’t just about revenue, it’s a test of your systems. If you can spot where time or money is leaking now, you’ll be in a much stronger position come October.
“This is the best time to sharpen up,” Graeme says. “Track what’s working. Capture what you’d change. Then use that to build a better year overall.”
And if you want a second pair of eyes on the numbers? That’s exactly what we’re here for.
Ready to make the most of summer? Let Accounts.Golf help you turn busy days into bigger returns.
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Book a meeting with Graeme to talk about how Accounts.Golf can drive your business forward.