You’ve scrolled through GolfNow, booked a tee time, and seen that little Points balance in your account, but you might not be entirely sure what to do with them. Think of Golf Pass Points as your personal currency for cheaper golf, a simple reward system that often goes underutilized. This guide will walk you through exactly what these points are, how to earn them faster, and the best ways to turn them into discounts on your next round.
At its core, the Golf Pass Points system is a loyalty program created by Golf Channel and GolfNow. It’s designed to reward you every time you book a round of golf through their platform. The concept is probably familiar if you’ve ever collected airline miles or reward points on a credit card - the more you use the service, the more rewards you accumulate.
The main purpose of these points is to give you a tangible benefit for your loyalty. Instead of just a "thank you" for booking, GolfNow gives you points that translate directly into discounts. Every point you earn has a real-dollar value you can apply toward future tee times. Specifically, you can use them to cut the cost of "Hot Deals," which are already-discounted, prepaid tee times available exclusively on GolfNow. It’s a simple loop: you play golf, you earn points, and you use those points to play even more golf for less money.
Consider them a little savings account for your golf habit. While a single booking might only net you a handful of points, they add up over a season. Before you know it, you could have enough to take $20, $30, or even more off a round, turning an average weekend tee time into a fantastic deal.
Understanding how you earn points is the first step to maximizing them. The rate at which you accumulate points depends entirely on one thing: whether you are a standard GolfNow user or have a paid Golf Pass membership. This is the most important distinction, as the earning potential between the two is enormous.
If you just have a free GolfNow account, you can still earn points, but the process is much slower. Standard users typically earn 1 point for every dollar spent on the "convenience fee" associated with a booking. It’s paramount to understand that you are not earning points on the green fee itself, only on the small booking fee GolfNow charges for the transaction.
Let's look at an example:
As you can see, it takes a long time to build a meaningful balance this way. You’d have to book about 25 rounds just to earn enough points for a $10 discount.
This is where the points system truly becomes valuable. Members of Golf Pass and its premium tier, Golf Pass+, earn points at a much higher rate. Instead of earning on the convenience fee, members earn points on the full price of the tee time itself, but only when booking an eligible "Hot Deals" tee time.
Members earn at a base rate of 1 point for every dollar spent on a Hot Deals tee time. The membership also waives convenience fees, so not only do you save money on every booking, you earn rewards significantly faster.
Let’s use the same example for a Golf Pass member:
In this one booking, the Golf Pass member earned more than 12 times the points of a standard user. If your goal is to leverage the points system, a Golf Pass membership is practically a necessity. It’s the difference between earning a small rebate after an entire season versus getting a noticeable discount every few rounds.
Now that you know how the system works, let's get into the specifics of how to fill up that points bank. Following these steps will put you on the fast track to earning valuable rewards.
The majority of your points will come from booking Hot Deals. These are prepaid, often heavily discounted tee times that GolfNow offers in partnership with courses. You can easily spot them in the app or on the website - they're marked with a bright orange flame icon. For Golf Pass members, every dollar spent on these deals equals one point. Make it a habit to check the Hot Deals section first when you're looking to play. Not only will you get a better price upfront, but you'll also be accelerating your rewards.
GolfNow frequently runs promotions that can seriously boost your points balance. These offers are usually sent via email or are displayed as banners in the app. Common promotions include:
Activating these offers is usually as simple as clicking a link in an email or just booking during the promotional period. A little attention here can cut the time it takes to earn a free round in half.
This is a small but incredibly easy way to add points to your account. After you play a round booked through GolfNow, you'll often receive an email asking you to review the course. Taking a few minutes to share your feedback - on pace of play, course conditions, staff friendliness - can sometimes net you bonus points. It might only be 10 or 20 points, but it costs you nothing and helps other golfers. Over time, these small bonuses add up.
This one is obvious but worth restating. If you're a regular golfer who uses GolfNow, the Golf Pass or Golf Pass+ membership is the key that unlocks the entire points ecosystem. The slow trickle of points earned on convenience fees as a free user is hardly an incentive. The membership model is designed to reward frequent players, and the points system is one of its central pillars.
Earning points is great, but the best part is actually using them. The process is simple, but there are a few rules and strategies that will help you get the most value from your hard-earned rewards.
This is the most critical piece of information for redeeming points: you can only use them for discounts on Hot Deals tee times. You cannot apply your points to regular tee times (those without the flame icon), use them to pay at the pro shop, or redeem them for cash. They are purely an online currency for GolfNow's special prepaid deals. The redemption value is also fixed and simple:
10 Points = $1 Discount
This means if you have 200 points in your account, you have a $20 credit ready to go for your next Hot Deals booking.
Using your points during checkout is incredibly straightforward. Here's how it's done:
As a coach, I'm all about smart decision-making, and that extends to how you use your rewards. You can use your points as soon as you have them, but a little patience can make the discount feel more impactful.
This is a question many golfers ask. If you look at the points in isolation, the answer depends on how often you play and book Hot Deals. However, the points are just one piece of the value puzzle that a Golf Pass membership offers.
When you're deciding, consider the entire package:
The points system acts as a fantastic bonus layer on top of these immediate, tangible benefits. For the dedicated golfer who plays regularly and a books through GolfNow, the combination of waived fees, monthly credits, and accelerated points earning makes the membership a very sound investment in their game. It helps you manage the cost of golf, allowing you to focus more on playing it.
In short, Golf Pass Points are a simple loyalty program that rewards you for booking tee times through GolfNow, with the real benefits reserved for Golf Pass members. By focusing on booking Hot Deals and using promotions, you can earn discounts that make your golf habit more affordable, letting you get out on the course more often.
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