The Links Card is the next evolution of a discount card.
We’re creating a network of partner courses that are using collective marketing benefits to drive traffic into hard to market slots – expiring tee times.
From members
From partner courses
Years in the business
gaps filled every year
Remember, our primary goal is to protect your brand so we encourage you to use restrictions in order to limit your offer to where you need results. That might be 24 hour advanced booking and limited to Mondays after 12pm or no limit booking 7 days a week. It's wherever you want results.
Tighter restrictions can limit traffic but it protects your brand and yields.
This is a very common question and concern for both courses and golfers. How many times can an offer be redeemed?
Because of the nature of our platform, our default is unlimited because we want to continually drive results into the time frames you need whether or not it's accomplished by the same golfer over and over. This creates a long term affect where value golfers are pushed into slots you need filled - ie, turning them into an effective yield management crowd.
However, you're welcome to limit the number of uses. Just add it as a restriction.
Once we have our restrictions set, it's time to figure out an offer to drive traffic into our desired time frames. First, consider the opportunity cost. If your tee time expires at $0, what would you wish you had sold it for?
Next consider the restrictions. If you have broad restrictions like 7 day advanced booking and good anytime then we suggest smaller savings. If you're using 24 hour advanced booking on weekdays only, we suggest a larger discount to motivate action.
We will say that the most successful offers are tighter restrictions + bigger savings.
Of course, there are plenty of other factors to consider like audience size, demographics, or even the season. Luckily, your offer isn't set in stone and you can change it anytime throughout the year.
Carts are another opportunity for win-win.
Including them can boost the effectiveness of your offer and keep your pace of play where you want it.
90% of our partner courses include them.
This is the savings off your retail rates for greens fees and cart fees, if applicable.
Not currently a partner course
Nestled in the heart of Thompsonville, Michigan, Betsie Valley at Crystal Mountain Resort offers an 18-hole championship golf course that combines scenic beauty with challenging gameplay. Designed by renowned architect Bob Meyer and established in 1965, the course underwent a significant renovation with the addition of the second course, Mountain Ridge.
Rolling hills covered with mature pine forests create a breathtaking backdrop for golfers of all skill levels. Measuring 6,575 yards in length with a par of 72, Betsie Valley presents a fair challenge for both beginners and seasoned players. Its tight layout and small greens demand precision shot-making, making it a haven for those who relish the art of accuracy. One standout hole is the par-5 10th, a dogleg right that plays longer than its yardage suggests, adding an extra layer of excitement to the round.
Golfers' experiences at Betsie Valley have been a mixed bag, with some expressing admiration for the course conditions and layout, while others found it to be average or below expectations. One reviewer described the course as a "tale of two nines," with the front nine falling short of expectations but the back nine delivering a true Northern Michigan golfing experience. Another reviewer mentioned ongoing renovations aimed at improving several holes and enhancing playability.
Despite the varying opinions, the friendliness of the staff at Betsie Valley has been consistently praised. Golfers have lauded the exceptional service and attention they received, making them feel valued and taken care of throughout their visit.
The Links Card provides a balanced perspective on the value offered by Betsie Valley at Crystal Mountain Resort. While some golfers have questioned whether the course justifies its price tag compared to other options in Northern Michigan, others have found the experience to be worthwhile. The course's picturesque setting, challenging layout, and friendly staff have been highlighted as key factors contributing to its appeal.
The ongoing renovations aim to address some of the concerns raised by golfers, with a focus on improving certain holes and enhancing overall playability. These efforts demonstrate the resort's commitment to providing a top-notch golfing experience that meets the expectations of discerning players.
In conclusion, Betsie Valley at Crystal Mountain Resort offers a unique golfing experience that caters to a wide range of players. Its scenic beauty, challenging course layout, and friendly staff make it a worthwhile destination for those seeking a memorable round of golf in Northern Michigan.
*Our information is based on reviews and descriptions from across the internet
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue M: 71.9/136 | 476 | 168 | 354 | 410 | 339 | 441 | 152 | 566 | 319 | 3225 | 457 | 145 | 376 | 392 | 187 | 401 | 369 | 566 | 409 | 3302 | 6527 |
| White M: 68.7/124 W: 74.5/139 | 462 | 150 | 304 | 369 | 309 | 414 | 139 | 505 | 295 | 2947 | 444 | 135 | 351 | 340 | 160 | 353 | 320 | 532 | 359 | 2994 | 5941 |
| White/Green M: 67.8/122 W: 73.4/135 | 419 | 150 | 304 | 369 | 309 | 364 | 139 | 505 | 295 | 2854 | 424 | 135 | 351 | 340 | 160 | 328 | 320 | 483 | 321 | 2862 | 5716 |
| Green M: 66.5/120 W: 71.5/129 | 419 | 131 | 263 | 343 | 271 | 364 | 121 | 448 | 269 | 2629 | 424 | 122 | 320 | 324 | 138 | 328 | 308 | 483 | 321 | 2768 | 5397 |
| Red M: 63.4/102 W: 68.0/121 | 378 | 114 | 235 | 343 | 227 | 325 | 102 | 419 | 233 | 2376 | 404 | 106 | 291 | 309 | 119 | 295 | 296 | 428 | 315 | 2563 | 4939 |
| Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 72 | 6575 yards | 72.2 | 136 |
| White | 72 | 5946 yards | 68.8 | 134 |
| White (W) | 72 | 5946 yards | 74.6 | 139 |
| White/Green | 72 | 5716 yards | 68.1 | 122 |
| White/Green (W) | 72 | 5716 yards | 73.7 | 136 |
**We have not verified the course website. Many links are based on google search results**
Our partner courses have come to love, enjoy, and look forward to their staff memberships each year.
We offer free memberships for your employees to use at other partner courses for access to the same perks available to our paying members. Your staff's cards will carry your courses' name and their name so they're identified as industry insiders.New in 2022: an unofficial industry rate program. At the request of several partner courses, we're creating a section in our listings for insider rates that are only visible and available to registered staff members. Participation by your course is optionalYour staff memberships will stay active as long as your course remains active on the platformOur members call your proshop and identify themselves as Links Card members. When paying their greens fees, they show their membership card to your staff.
You can restrict it to a 1 time offer or allow our members to redeem it as many times as they'd like.
Most of our partner courses allow for unlimited redemption because the special offer restrictions are so beneficial yields.
We don't charge our partner courses to participate on The Links Card platform.
Our revenue comes from selling memberships to golfers to access the special offers.
We simply want you to have the systems in place to reduce $0 tee times, even if they are rare for you.
Our platform allows you to create offers that increase demand during times that you need it, even if it's as small of a window as after 2pm on Mondays.
From what we've seen, it's the time frame when chances of bookings drop drastically and the expected value of a tee time rapidly approaches $0. For most courses, it's the last 24 hours before a tee time.
24 hours if our default but you're welcome to extend your offer out to meet the needs of your course. For example, a more rural course may want to use 72 hours while a resort near a city may want to use 24 hours
Great question and you absolutely can!
It's easy enough to build out an audience of value golfers. From what we've heard from our partner courses, the more difficult and time consuming part is utilizing them without damaging your brand.
Instead of adding another set of processes to your to do list, you can leverage The Links Card and our process to increase your yields for free.
If your course is consistently booked with foursomes and zero gaps, we congratulate you!
The Links Card is a platform that let's you put systems in place to reduce $0 tee times, even if they are rare for you.