Gostar Direct, one of the fastest growing reservation companies, has for the last 18 months, been researching the available technology to provide, both existing and new clients, with the facility to make golf tee time reservations in real time. We are aware that many travel agents and numerous golf or travel related websites, have under gone the same research, although not to the same extent as that research performed by Gostar Direct. All research so far has failed to find a suitable solution, that fulfills the demands of the modern day golf course operators, individual golfers, and tour operators.
We have listened to many and during our research and heard common statements about golf being a niche market, the fact that some have exclusive rights through agreements made with associations, associations not golf course operators, the fact that many golf courses have still not embraced the available modern day technology. Of those companies that do offer a limited solution, or as we believe have dabbled in the technology to provide real time golf tee times, most expect setup payments both from the golf courses and also the tour operators who wish to market and sell tee times of courses world wide. In effect golf courses and tour operators are paying twice for the privilege, one on the setup and secondly in the commissions payable when a tee time is booked. The resultant fact of the way ,minimal available solutions work in this “niche market” is that golf courses see reduced profit margins, and golfers pay more to play golf.
For many years real time reservations of car rentals, flights, hotels, package holidays and the list goes on, have been available because of technology developments, industries that are more complex than the reservation of golf tee times, but it must not be assumed that golf tee time reservations is not a complex business. These markets have embraced available technology in the knowledge that technology increases reservations. Lets be very blunt and remove from our thoughts of complexity in processing real time reservations and look at the results that are required. All companies in the industries mentioned, and golf course operators are no different, are NOT in a niche market, their underlying business model is exactly the same, the more reservations they take the more revenue is generated for the company. We can even see this same business model in the restaurant industry, the more seats they have occupied the more revenue is generated for the company.
During our research we spoke to many golf course operators, all of whom focused on the same aspect. How do we market and make it easy for people to book tee times and increase tee time reservations. Well certainly not by being tied in to solutions that limit the market potential, by charging setup fees, taking extortionate commissions, and making the solution available to a niche market of reseller outlets. The marketing budgets of golf courses generates millions of Euro's of revenue for marketing companies, newspapers and magazines every year. Once again this proves that golf course owners do not see their product, tee times and access to any other facilities that they offer as a niche market. By advertising in the media they are making their product available to anyone, so why has it been accepted to limit this availability in the electronic world.
Gostar Direct, through its considerable research have come to the conclusion that the reservation of golf tee times is the same business model as industries that use current reservation technology, and this has been reiterated by many golf course operators. GDS technology as some call it, although it is not a technology, it is a method of working or if you like a network design, a data flow process or even an electronic work flow process. This work process has been a huge success in other industries, without it many of house hold names we associate with would have gone out of business long ago.
Gostar Direct have now developed the electronic work flow process for the golf industry, able to process golf tee times in real time, whilst allowing course operators to maintain complete control of their product. Access to the system is completely free of charge, there are no setup fee's involved and any golf course can have access. Course operators will be able to define tee time prices, changeable in real time at any time, implement promotional codes, special offers, packages, maintain telephone and walking bookings, issue tee time vouchers instantly, monitor and comment on user reviews and comments and course news across the entire Gostar GDS network in a fraction of a second. The system comes with complete reporting allowing course operators to analyze successes, booking levels, trends and revenue. In a nut shell the course operator is in complete control at all times even down to payments. The GDS system has been designed with security in mind, even when it comes to payments. All payments are made direct to the golf course, in this financial climate especially this is an important factor and Gostar Direct will never under any circumstances accept money on behalf of the golf course. Gostar also realize that cash flow is the number one killer of many businesses and therefore the golf course needs the immediate revenue, this point alone has attracted over 4000 courses to be interested in using the Gostar GDS already in Europe.
Who will have access to sell tee times? Anyone. Gostar Direct will not be limiting access to the its system. Currently the number of websites offering real time golf tee time reservations is a mere 8% compared with those offering other reservation services for hotel, car rental, package holidays. This amazingly low percentage is proof of the limitations imposed by existing solutions and a limitation Gostar Direct are determined to remove.
The system comes with 6 different ways that travel or golf related websites can incorporate real time tee time reservations in to their existing website and we have a support group ready to assist any website owner in the setup process which is free of charge. Currently we have over 7000 website owners waiting on the release and ready to market the exceptional real time system. Backed by exceptional SEO abilities within the Gostar Team the websites using the system will get massive exposure, exposing the golf courses to existing and to date, new and untapped market places.
Website exposure is only one of many different outlets. Gostar are currently addressing. Contacting more than 90,000 hotels, generated from its existing hotel reservation system providing them with the facility to offer real time tee time reservation from their reception desk, arranging that over 21,000 car hire collection points will be able to book real time tee time for their clients when they reserve a vehicle and providing more than 50,000 travel agents with free access to the system to make reservations.
Big statements from a company, can it really work, can it really generate increased revenue? The answer its yes! Gostar Direct know that to jump in at the deep end and rely on a new system could be disastrous and no one in the right mind would be fool enough to do so. Gostar Direct are so confident about its plans we will make no claims for you to provide us “exclusive contracts” we do not have the right to do this, whether is be directly with the golf course or through any associations all we ask is you try the system, may be a little extra work initially running two system but within three months we know that we will represent more then 75% of your reservations.
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