Golf’s digital transformation has a new face … and a new business model. Golf District, co-founded by Josh Segal, is introducing a seismic shift in how golf courses manage bookings, cancellations, and no-shows. Segal calls it the first prepaid, non-refundable booking engine built specifically for golf, and the timing couldn’t be better.
The Problem Golf Needed to Solve
For decades, golf’s biggest inefficiency has been what Segal calls “phantom inventory.” Tee sheets appear full, yet last-minute cancellations and no-shows create hidden gaps that can’t be resold in time. Legacy systems, built for an era when courses struggled to fill fairways, still rely on refunds, rain checks, and half measures.
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| Josh Segal |
“Discount programs mattered when courses were half empty,” Segal explains. “Now they erode revenue and waste inventory.”
Golf District’s solution? Apply proven marketplace principles from other industries — prepaid, non-refundable inventory with controlled resale — directly into golf.
The Lightbulb Moment
The idea sparked when Segal and his team noticed golf lagging behind modern ticketing and travel systems.
“We kept seeing golf courses lose money to no-shows, rain checks, and last-minute cancellations,” he says. “It felt like 1990s ticketing.”
Their insight: if golfers could resell their prepaid tee times, courses could enforce non-refundable policies without alienating players … and even generate more revenue from both the original sale and the resale.
Balancing Flexibility and Control
At its core, Golf District gives operators complete autonomy. Pricing, ceilings, timing, and resale rules are determined entirely by the course. The platform simply provides the infrastructure.
Municipalities can enforce resident-rate mandates, set price ceilings, and even cap public inventory to ensure fair access. High-demand public courses can protect their pricing integrity, while private or semi-private clubs can experiment with dynamic resale options.
The system also combats an emerging threat: bots and booking brokers.
“We built this to stop bad actors,” Segal notes. “When a tee time is prepaid and non-refundable, it kills the bot model. They can’t book and drop without risk.”
The Early Returns
The results from partner courses have been striking:
- Revenue lift: Average daily rates have increased 30–40% over prior seasons.
- Zero no-shows: Every prepaid time either gets played or relisted.
- Happier golfers: Players gain access to times they couldn’t before, and liquidity to resell if plans change.
- Less staff burden: Golf District handles customer service and waitlist technology, freeing pro-shop staff for operations.
An AI-driven phone system 9set to launch soon0 will further reduce administrative workload.
Making Phantom Inventory Disappear
By turning every prepaid time into a tradable asset, Golf District exposes and eliminates the “phantom inventory” that has plagued operators for years. When a golfer cancels, their tee time goes straight back into the course’s own booking engine—not a third-party site—for another golfer to purchase.
That means no more wasted rounds, no more mystery gaps, and a cleaner, truer view of real inventory.
Built for Scale
Golf District integrates directly into existing tee sheets, with partnerships already spanning five of the major U.S. providers, so courses can go live in just days. Multi-course operators and municipalities can deploy it system-wide, customizing rules for each property while maintaining centralized oversight.
“It’s simple: we bolt onto what’s already there, we don’t replace it,” Segal says.
Beyond Golf
The implications stretch far beyond the fairway. Any time-based, perishable activity—from tennis and pickleball courts to ski lift tickets and marina slips—faces the same challenges of wasted inventory and price control.
Segal envisions Golf District’s “prepaid + controlled resale” model becoming standard across sports and recreation. “We’ll prove it in golf,” he says, “and license the model elsewhere.”
The Team Behind the Vision
Golf District’s advisory group includes veterans from SeatGeek, the PGA of America, Golf Channel, and Starbucks, each bringing expertise in marketplace dynamics, operator trust, golfer engagement, and scalable service. Their influence is evident in everything from the platform’s user experience to its data-driven pricing engine.
Looking Ahead
Segal’s forecast for golf’s future is clear: prepaid, flexible access will become the new normal. Courses will open inventory further in advance, lock in guaranteed revenue, and use data to price more intelligently … all while protecting resident access and maintaining rate integrity.
“In five years,” Segal predicts, “the question won’t be ‘Should we prepay?’ It’ll be ‘Why weren’t we doing this all along?’”
Golf District is backed by private investors and expanding with leading course operators across the U.S. For investment or partnership inquiries, visit www.golfdistrict.com or contact hello@golfdistrict.com.
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