2016 GolfNow Rewards

[Missouri Swede]

Anybody heard any rumors?

[SavvySwede]

6 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

Anybody heard any rumors?

Just received the same email. Doesn't see to be any info floating around the web. I figure they want to hear what sort of rumors their customers generate before they commit something that will likely anger customers again.

[Dave2512]

I don't want rewards I don't want a season of booking fees. As it is GN does nothing just going to my courses site and booking does. 

[kpaulhus]

Ask Dave from Orlando how he feels about GN just one year after they set him up for a round with GMAC. 

[David in FL]

13 hours ago, kpaulhus said:

Ask Dave from Orlando how he feels about GN just one year after they set him up for a round with GMAC. 

 

Yup.  Booking fees have now negated any minimal benefit to the "rewards" that are offered, and even most of any cost per round savings to using the service.

I used to be the worlds biggest, most vocal GN proponent.  Now I believe that most people using the service just aren't very good at math. 

Let's hope they change the fee structure again, but I suspect that they won't because they're driving more revenue from those that don't do the math than they lose on those that go elsewhere because they do...

 

[RFKFREAK]

11 minutes ago, David in FL said:

 

Yup.  Booking fees have now negated any minimal benefit to the "rewards" that are offered, and even most of any cost per round savings to using the service.

I used to be the worlds biggest, most vocal GN proponent.  Now I believe that most people using the service just aren't very good at math. 

Let's hope they change the fee structure again, but I suspect that they won't because they're driving more revenue from those that don't do the math than they lose on those that go elsewhere because they do...

 

What services are you using nowadays, @David in FL?

[David in FL]

2 hours ago, RFKFREAK said:

What services are you using nowadays, @David in FL?

 

Golf18 Network is ok, with a fee structure similar to what GN used to use, i.e., after 10 bookings, you're pretty much fee free forever.

I also book more with the courses directly.  Not as convenient, but those with whom I have a relationship will generally give me pretty much the GN price without the booking fee.

 

[RFKFREAK]

Just now, David in FL said:

 

Golf18 Network is ok, with a fee structure similar to what GN used to use, i.e., after 10 bookings, you're pretty much fee free forever.

I also book more with the courses directly.  Not as convenient, but those with whom I have a relationship will generally give me pretty much the GN price without the booking fee.

 

How many different courses do you play?

[markb]

i played with a guy who said he had his booking fees waived for 2015 because he books a lot with them and he called and requested it....i called and they told me to pound sand.....i book 200+ rounds a yr with them.....i have switched to other golf booking sites (supremegolf) and find the booking fee a ripoff...they should be waived after so many rounds as they did in 2014......

[David in FL]

5 hours ago, RFKFREAK said:

How many different courses do you play?

Maybe a 15ish different courses in a year.  Really only 4 or 5 that we play a lot though.  

[RFKFREAK]

1 hour ago, David in FL said:

Maybe a 15ish different courses in a year.  Really only 4 or 5 that we play a lot though.  

Ahh.

Yeah, I cycle through a few courses around here but none of them really use golfnow or any other online service.  I used GN a few weeks ago to play a round in MA which cost me $14 which included the booking fee (out of season golf rates, FTW!)

[SavvySwede]

Kinda stuck with GN because all the other services don't cover courses in my area. But it's still not as terrible now as many make it out to be. I almost exclusively book hot deals which are cheaper than the course rate with or without the booking fee and then the rewards program gives a lot of it back anyway. I earned $185 worth of greens fees and $190 in cleveland/srixon gift cards. Pays for itself. 

[bones75]

Is it me or does the 2016 Golfnow rewards even worse than before?  almost no reward at all?

to get a $10 hotdeal reward, you have to book 10 regular rounds (10 points per round).  So basically you spend ~$25 in booking fees for a $10 reward?  At least previously the rewards made you come out ahead for your loyalty.  

2015 golfnow rewards were:

for 25 rounds booked @ $60 in booking fees = ~$110 worth of benefits = ~$4 of benefits per round booked.

for 50 rounds booked @ $125 in booking fees = ~$395 worth of benefits = ~$8 of benefits per round booked.

2016 gofnow rewards:

10 rounds @ $25 in booking fees = $10 reward or $1 of benefits per rounds booked.

To me, it's really an incentive to book directly with the course.  You used to come out ahead after being a loyal GN customer, and in previous years, you would additionally get free booking fees.  Now it seems the most benefit you can get is a 40% reduction in booking fees ($1 in benefits/round, $2.50 booking fees/round).

maybe I'm reading this wrong?  Or final terms/conditions aren't in yet?

... maybe I'm just greedy and spoiled, but it's like even w/ rewards, it's always cheaper to book directly at the course. (I know you earn points faster on hot deals, but for me personally, I can barely find convenient hot deals when cashing in rewards earned, much less golfing my regular rounds on a hot deal)

 

Edited December 21, 2015 by bones75

[SavvySwede]

Confirmed, super lame.

[Harp stein]

I've stopped booking through GN b/c it's the same price on the course's site and no booking fee, but GN runs those course booking sites in my experience. It's not branded as GN but my GN login works on those sites and they've got my CC saved from the GN website.

[JenImp]

These rewards are a fraction of last year.

20 points per hot deal booked

100 points = $10

So that is every 5 rounds = $10 back

Last year I booked 75 tee times with them and that reward alone was a $200 reward.

Even figuring them all as hot deals that would be

75 divided by 5 = 15 x $10 for a total of $150

Last year I got

$10 Off Any Hot Deals Reservation
Buy One Hot Deals Round Get One Free (up to $40)
$20 off Deal Caddy Deal Purchase
$40 Srixon/Cleveland Golf Reward Card
$25 Off Any GolfNow Hot Deals Reservation
$35 Off Any GolfNow Hot Deals Reservation
$50 Srixon/Cleveland Golf Reward Card
$75 Off Any GolfNow Hot Deals Reservation
$100 Srixon/Cleveland Golf Reward Card
$200 Off Any GolfNow Hot Deals Reservation

 

Those total $595.

This year that same total $150.

Total rip off.

[SavvySwede]

52 minutes ago, JenImp said:

These rewards are a fraction of last year.

20 points per hot deal booked

100 points = $10

So that is every 5 rounds = $10 back

Last year I booked 75 tee times with them and that reward alone was a $200 reward.

Even figuring them all as hot deals that would be

75 divided by 5 = 15 x $10 for a total of $150

Last year I got

$10 Off Any Hot Deals Reservation
Buy One Hot Deals Round Get One Free (up to $40)
$20 off Deal Caddy Deal Purchase
$40 Srixon/Cleveland Golf Reward Card
$25 Off Any GolfNow Hot Deals Reservation
$35 Off Any GolfNow Hot Deals Reservation
$50 Srixon/Cleveland Golf Reward Card
$75 Off Any GolfNow Hot Deals Reservation
$100 Srixon/Cleveland Golf Reward Card
$200 Off Any GolfNow Hot Deals Reservation

Those total $595.

This year that same total $150.

Total rip off.

Yeah it's a shame. Will most likely be playing the home courses more often and hold out for the better deals because there's no longer an incentive to rack up bookings.