“You mean if it rains, I get a refund and I still get to play? That’s awesome!"

Come rain or shine, we all know that “golfers gonna golf”. And most of the golfers we talk to say that they’ll take a tee time in the rain that comes with a Weather Guarantee refund over a rain check any day of the week and twice on Sundays. That’s because many avid players don’t mind playing in light rain, since their golf routine is the happy ritual and valued social engagement they hate to break or postpone. And that’s just one reason why Weather Guarantees are such a welcome addition to the golf bag.

Golfers can add a Weather Guarantee right when they set up a tee time for a nominal cost that amounts to only a small percentage of the booking fee. Now, fast forward to the day they’re scheduled to play, and before they’ve even had their morning coffee, Sensible has sent helpful weather updates and issued a reimbursement if the forecast is unfavorable.

We surveyed over 1,000 golfers in the USA to ask what they think about Weather Guarantees. Here’s what we learned:

• 32% golf at least once a month.
• 97% of avid golfers expressed some interest in Weather Guarantees.
• It’s more common to receive a rain check than a refund when rained out, but golfers prefer to receive refunds.
• 66% of those interested in Weather Guarantees reported being willing to pay 11% or more to protect their prepaid round; 33% reported being willing to pay 21% or more.
• 76% said they will golf in a light rain, and that they’d be happier if their round was 100% reimbursed due to the inconvenience of bad weather.

Locked-in Revenue and Refunds that Get Spent in the Clubhouse

With a refund in hand, an enthusiastic golfer can stay home or go ahead and keep that tee time, opting to play through any inclement weather. Hopefully it fairs up. If not, an intrepid player can head for the clubhouse and put that Sensible Weather reimbursement to good use.

“That prompt refund is getting spent on food and drinks in the bar,” said one respondent.

When offering Weather Guarantees, golf facilities see fewer rain checks, more conversions with locked-in revenue, and more satisfied members and guests. And when refunds replace rain checks, there is incremental revenue in the clubhouse, where reimbursed golfers can spend their windfall.

Weather Guarantees: Another Reason to Love Your Favorite Golf Club

A whopping 75% percent of our surveyed golfers expressed a preference for golfing at courses that offer Weather Guarantees when all else is equal. As one respondent noted, “I would visit that course as often as possible because I think that’s awesome!”

Weather Guarantees bring competitive advantage to facilities that offer them. A challenging course, a congenial staff, a lively clubhouse, and the option for players to protect against and even benefit from bad weather with a Weather Guarantee–it all works together to heighten customer satisfaction and drive revenue and popularity for a facility.

Almost as Good as a Hole in One

We asked our surveyed golfers how they would describe a golf facility that refunded them 100% of their tee-time money due to bad weather (such as rain) AND still let them play their whole round that day if they wanted to. They practically punched the air with enthusiasm:

• “Classy”
• ”Oh wow, sign me up!! I would love it”
• “A golfers paradise that puts you first”
• “Unique. Very interesting promotion.”
• “Awesome. Best place ever."”
• “Very considerate and very reasonable. They really deserve some accolades.”
• “I would definitely choose a course offering that option over one that didn’.”
• “I would say it's a golf facility that cares about the customer and giving golfers options.”

The PGA Is Onboard and Thrilled

PGA Members now have access to Sensible Weather’s innovative Weather Guarantee product, eliminating the burden of issuing rain checks and giving golfers the option to protect against the risk of volatile weather when booking tee times and stay & play packages online.

“The PGA of America is thrilled to bring Sensible Weather to PGA facilities nationwide,” said PGA of America Chief Innovation Officer Arjun Chowdri. “The weather is something out of our control and affects the lives of our PGA Professionals and their facilities every day. Having a company and product that is good for our Members, their facilities and golf consumers is an all-around winning formula.”

Sensible Weather quantifies and manages weather risk for golfers, offering Weather Guarantees to automatically reimburse tee time and other travel-related costs in the case of rain, extreme temperatures or other undesirable weather during a round. The service is designed to streamline operations for PGA Members, increase golfer satisfaction, decrease last-minute cancellations, avoid “rain check” issuance, and generate incremental revenue for golf facilities.

Time to Tee Up Weather Guarantees

So, let’s recap the state of play. Sensible’s Weather Guarantees:

• increase peace of mind and conversion rates for golfers booking advanced tee times or golf trips
• boost on-site (F&B, merch, etc.) spend from golfers who receive money back from Sensible due to poor weather
• create a risk-free ancillary revenue stream to replace your current rain check policy
• offer a competitive advantage over other facilities when golfers are exploring tee times
• reduce operational impact on staff when bad weather affects course conditions

Ready to take a swing at implementing this valuable innovation? We’re here to give you a smart download on how to get started with our easy integration options. Please take a few minutes to chat with someone on our team about bringing the value of Weather Guarantees to your facility, quickly and at no cost.

Set up a demo from Sensible team member Ben Tyler, PGA, today!