Across the country, both public golf courses and private clubs are preparing for their busiest stretch of the year. The grass is green, tee sheets are getting slammed, and golfers are returning with high expectations, and not just for on-course play. Today’s members and guests demand convenience, culture, and responsiveness on par with first-class hospitality experiences. And as the spring season ramps up and lengthy summer hours approach, many operators face a familiar struggle: how to deliver premium service without the luxury of a large staff.

Though it’s sometimes tough to tell from the outside, the reality is that many courses operate lean. It’s typical to see the same one person toggling between member check-ins, event setup, scheduling conflicts, and answering phones, sometimes all within a single morning. Hiring additional help sounds like the logical solution, but labor shortages and seasonal staffing challenges often make that impossible. 

The labor shortage the hospitality industry is feeling isn’t a new challenge, but its ripple effects are hitting clubs harder than ever. Post-pandemic workforce changes, an aging labor pool, and shifting expectations from younger workers have all contributed to a tough hiring environment, especially for seasonal roles. According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, as of February 2025, 65% of hotels reported staffing shortages, with 71% unable to fill open positions despite active recruitment. Likewise, a 2024 USGA report highlights that labor shortages in golf course maintenance surpass concerns like infrastructure and turf management.

Finding qualified, reliable part-time staff for the summer used to take a few weeks. Now, it can take months, if it happens at all. Operators can’t afford to wait around. They have to find ways to deliver the same level of service with fewer people on the floor.

At the same time, members and their guests have grown more discerning of a best-in-class golf experience from the moment they step on property. The normalization of mobile ordering, digital check-ins, real-time communication, and on-demand service in everyday life has raised the bar for club experiences. Members and guests expect things to work, and they expect them to work effortlessly. This mismatch between available hands and elevated expectations is where smart operational strategy becomes an essential pillar.

So, the question becomes, how do smaller teams rise to meet modern expectations without burning out the staff? The answer, for a growing number of operators, lies in a shift from reactive scrambling to a proactive strategy, and increasingly, that strategy is powered by technology. With the right strategy and tools, even modest facilities can provide elite-level service. And to us, it’s all about leveraging modern technology solutions to deliver timeless hospitality, ensuring that club staff, no matter how small, are set up to succeed. Having the right tools in place lets the club staff focus on people, not paperwork, and cloud-based platforms, mobile-first interfaces, and AI-supported scheduling are leveling the playing field and creating space for creativity, flexibility, and growth.

While software does not replace the human warmth at the heart of hospitality, it can drastically reduce the demands that get in the way of delivering what can be a defining experience. Clubs are rethinking operations by turning to modern tech, not to replace hospitality, but to remove the friction that often gets in its way. In place of paper sign-up sheets and long email threads, clubs are adopting, or at least exploring, modern systems that automate routine tasks, centralize communication, and allow staff to be more present with guests. This shift enables lean teams to operate with greater agility and impact.

Take self-service booking tools. By allowing members to reserve tee times, practice areas, or lessons on their own schedules, clubs save countless hours of administrative back-and-forth each week. Similarly, mobile check-in systems reduce lobby congestion, giving staff time to give members that trademark friendly greeting instead of having their head down, manning a clipboard or kiosk.

Another area of significant time savings is billing and scheduling. Automated invoicing and class registrations eliminate human error and give both staff and members a clearer picture of what's happening and when. When operators have better visibility, they can plan proactively, adjust staffing more effectively, and minimize chaos during peak hours.

Clubs that used to spend a bulk of their time reacting are now getting ahead of it. By using key data and insights on movement and preferences within the grounds, the club’s staff can better estimate where the bottlenecks are going to be before they happen.

This shift from reactive to proactive management is where small teams begin to punch above their weight. Instead of scrambling to catch up, they’re using data, automation, and streamlined workflows to stay ahead. It’s a change in mindset that has tangible effects, not just for the team, but for the entire member and guest experience.

One notable benefit of digital platforms like Whoosh is the ability to unify different areas of club operations. Rather than using separate systems for tee time reservations, simulator bookings, lesson scheduling, and communication, clubs can use a single tool that brings all of those services together. This not only reduces training time for seasonal workers but also ensures a more consistent and polished experience for members.

And for clubs on tighter budgets, the shift to technology often means they can maintain, or even elevate, their service levels without expanding their payroll. Clubs that previously thought they needed to hire three more part-time employees for the summer can instead invest in software to help with the administrative work they were trying to offload.

As the peak golf season arrives in full force, operators who have already embraced a tech-forward mindset are reaping the benefits. They’re able to maintain consistent standards, delight members, and keep staff morale high, even without a surge of seasonal hires.

The long-term trend is clear, operational efficiency is becoming a competitive differentiator in the golf and hospitality space. While course conditions, amenities, and facilities matter, it's the seamlessness of experience, from booking and check-in to post-round cocktails, that defines whether a club feels truly modern.

Especially for lean-staffed clubs, technology isn’t a shortcut, it’s a strategy. One that transforms limitations into opportunities, and challenges into moments of innovation. For members, that means something powerful, a club that feels cared for even in the busiest of seasons.

These pioneering clubs aren’t merely responding to change, they’re shaping it, empowered by tools that let operators modernize seamlessly. Ready to see how you can embrace this change? Book a demo today to learn more.