What GolfNow's "Free" Tee Sheet Costs in Trade Times
GolfNow's tee sheet can be paid for in tee times instead of money. Its own terms define the currency: one Trade Time is four rounds that GolfNow sells for its own benefit, up to 31 Trade Times (124 rounds) a month. One a day for an eight-month season is 992 rounds. At Pellucid's median effective green fee of $33, cart included, that is $32,736 of green fees a season, and NGCOA's cost model puts the cost of hosting those rounds at $14,682 even if you could never have sold one of them.
Your course's number
That is $4,092 a month of your tee sheet, or 18.3 times Starter's yearly price. At a $33 green fee, Starter costs 54 rounds a year (13.5 Trade Times), paid in money instead.
The table, one Trade Time a day
| Green fee | 8-month season (992 rounds) | 12 months | Two a day, 8 months | Cost to host, 8 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25 | $24,800 | $37,200 | $49,600 | $14,682 |
| $33 (median) | $32,736 | $49,104 | $65,472 | $14,682 |
| $50 | $49,600 | $74,400 | $99,200 | $14,682 |
If only half of those golfers would have booked with you anyway, halve the green-fee columns: that is the opportunity-cost example NGCOA uses. The cost column does not halve, because a played round costs the course its operating cost whoever sold it.
Against OpenTeeSheet
Starter is $149 a month, $1,788 a year, month to month, paid in money and never in tee times. At a $33 green fee that is 54 rounds, or 13.5 Trade Times a year: less than half of one month at the 31-a-month maximum. A course giving one Trade Time a day pays roughly 14 to 55 times Starter's price, depending on its green fee and season.
Against a $0-a-month tee sheet that charges 5% + 30¢ on each card payment, Starter plus Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ costs more until your card sales pass about $7,095 a month, and less after that. Card fees themselves are close to the same across vendors, and we do not claim a cheaper card rate.
Questions
What is a Trade Time?
GolfNow's business terms define one Trade Time as four 9-hole or 18-hole rounds that GolfNow sells for its own benefit. The terms stop at 31 Trade Times, or 124 rounds, sold in a month: one a day. Your order form sets how many you owe.
How much does one Trade Time a day cost a course?
Over an eight-month season it is 992 rounds. At Pellucid's median effective green fee of $33, cart included, that is $32,736 of green fees. If only half those golfers would have booked with you anyway, as in NGCOA's opportunity-cost example, it is $16,368.
Is there a cost even if I could not have sold those rounds?
Yes. NGCOA's model course spends $14,800 a season in operating expense to host about 1,000 barter rounds, because a played round costs the course the same whoever sold it. For 992 rounds that is $14,682.
What does OpenTeeSheet cost in the same terms?
Starter is $149 a month, $1,788 a year, paid in money, never in tee times. At a $33 green fee that is 54 rounds, or 13.5 Trade Times: less than half of one month of the 31-a-month maximum.
When is a $0-a-month tee sheet cheaper?
A $0-a-month tee sheet that charges 5% + 30c on each card payment costs less than Starter plus Stripe's 2.9% + 30c until your card sales reach about $7,095 a month. Above that, Starter costs less. Card fees themselves are close to the same across vendors; we do not claim a cheaper card rate.
Sources
- GolfNow for Business, Terms and Conditions (updated June 5, 2023): Defines a Trade Time as four rounds, caps trade rounds at 31 Trade Times (124 rounds) a month, and sets a $500 per product, per course, per month fee when a course paying in Trade Times is out of compliance.
- NGCOA, "Beware of Barter" (2019), as reported by Golf Inc.: Edgehill Golf Advisors' model course: about 1,000 barter rounds a season cost $14,800 in operating expense; Pellucid's median effective green fee is $33 with cart; the opportunity-cost example counts half the rounds.
- Stripe pricing: 2.9% + 30c per online card payment, the rate a course pays on its own Stripe account with OpenTeeSheet.
Updated 2026-10-31. See also the full GolfNow comparison and pricing.