6 Best POS Systems For Golf Courses

You will need to contact Lightspeed for a pricing quote based on your setup and needs.

Here are some of the features you’ll get with Lightspeed Golf:

• Integrations with Find A Game, Golf Canada, Golf EMS, Golf Genius, GolfBack, GolfNow, PGA Tee Times, Tee Time Central, and TeeOff
• Built-in tee sheet management
• Pro shop retail management
• Pro shop eCommerce
• Restaurant management
• Member management with house accounts
• Online booking with a prepayment
• Self-check-in kiosks
• Electronic scorecards
• Online marketing features

Lightspeed runs on an iPad app and a desktop PC via a web browser. Lightspeed sells POS hardware bundles as well as individual hardware components, but you will have to reach out for a pricing quote. You can also source your own hardware, so there is no obligation to buy or lease any hardware from Lightspeed.

Lightspeed offers in-house payment processing via Lightspeed Payments, with an in-person transaction rate of 2.6% + $0.10. You also have the option to use an integrated payment provider such as Worldpay, but it will come with an extra monthly fee.

Lightspeed typically offers monthly and annual plans, with better pricing on annual plans. You can contact Lightspeed to learn more about its plans and any contract requirements.

The basic Square POS app is free to use, but Square offers various paid add-ons such as Square Marketing ($15+/month) as well as industry-specific POS systems, including Square for Restaurants ($60) and Square for Retail ($60).

Square POS offers the following features that may appeal to golf courses:

• Integrations with Birrdi & Easy Tee
• Basic retail/inventory management features
• Customer directory with integrated loyalty program
• Can use iOS or Android
• Onscreen tipping with email receipts
• Online ordering and online checkout links

If you need more features beyond what the free POS has to offer, Square also has Square KDS for basic restaurant/order management. There’s also Square Terminal or Square Register for POS options.

Square offers a free mobile pos reader and also sells various POS hardware bundles and individual components for Apple and Android tablets, as well as the proprietary all-in-one Square Register ($799), and the mobile Square Terminal ($299).

Hardware kits that include an iPad stand, card reader, cash register, and receipt printer start at $739.

Square payment processing starts at 2.6% + $0.10, though businesses processing over $250K/year can get a volume discount. You cannot use an outside processor with Square POS.

Square is pay-as-you-go with no contract or commitment required. All Square accounts come with Square Processing, but there’s no minimum processing obligation.

A possible downside to Square Processing is that some Square merchants have experienced withheld funds or even sudden account terminations. Unfortunately, issues like these are common with payment service providers.

Clover has numerous pricing plans available. You can purchase your hardware outright and pay a monthly subscription fee of $14.95 to $94.85. Or you can sign up for Clover’s leasing program, which allows you to pay for your hardware and software with one monthly fee.

Leasing options range from $50-$290/month. Other Clover providers may charge different pricing.

Here are some of the Clover POS features that golf courses may find useful:

• Quick18 TeeSheet integration
• Retail and inventory features
• Advanced inventory management, including modifiers and tracking
• Built-in item exchanges
• Combine multiple orders and tickets
• Kitchen printing
• Built-in discounts
• Built-in loyalty program
• Email invoices to customers
• Online ordering module
• Employee management with time clock
• Customer management and spending histories
• Add features with Clover App Market

Clover hardware ranges from $499 for a Clover Flex smart terminal to a $1,799 Clover Station Duo. Other hardware options include the $799 Clover Mini or a $1,349 standard Clover Station. You can also mix and match the hardware. (Again, this pricing is from Clover.com, but other providers can charge different pricing.)

If you purchase a POS plan through Clover.com, you’ll pay rates starting at 2.3% + $0.10 for in-person transactions. However, various other Clover providers have different processing models, including tiered, interchange-plus, cash discount, and others.

If you buy your hardware and software directly through Clover, your contract is month-to-month. However, if you buy Clover from a lower-quality provider or lease your equipment, you could be required to sign a multi-year contract.

If you plan to buy outside of Clover, make sure you know how to identify the best Clover resellers to avoid high pricing and long contracts.

Revel Systems starts at $99/month per terminal with a two-terminal minimum and annual billing. This price requires a three-year processing contract with Revel Advantage.

Professional onboarding and implementation is a flat fee, which starts at $674.

Golf courses using Revel Systems will receive the following features:

• Advanced restaurant and retail features
• Multilocation management
• House accounts
• Full offline functionality
• Open API
• Built-in purchase ordering
• Full QuickBooks integration
• Intuitive interface
• Advanced reporting
• Personalized customer support

Revel Systems uses iPad POS hardware, which you can source yourself or purchase from Revel. You will have to reach out to Revel for a personalized hardware quote.

Revel offers built-in payment processing with Revel Advantage. In-person transaction rates are 2.49% + $0.15. You also have the option to integrate an outside payment processor, but you will likely pay a higher monthly price if you don’t use Revel Advantage.

Revel Systems is a long-term commitment. You have to commit to Revel POS (and Revel’s processing service) for three years in order to get the best price. However, you may be able to get a shorter contract if you agree to a higher monthly price.

Epos Now currently advertises its POS system at a price of $449.

This price seems to include both the hardware and software, but in the fine print, Epos says this price requires a three-year service contract, a hardware lease, and a customer support subscription that runs an additional $59/month.

Epos Now includes the following features:

• Retail & hospitality features
• Simple refunds & exchanges
• Loyalty cards
• Store credit
• Automated purchase ordering
• Built-in product matrix
• Quick, easy staff training
• Capture customer information at point of sale
• Handheld ordering devices
• Mailchimp email marketing integration
• eCommerce integrations
• Integrated accounting with QuickBooks, Sage, or Xero

The all-in-one golf POS system includes hardware and software for $449. Android and iPad options are available. If you want to add a handheld ordering device (“Epos Pocket”), Epos has two plans, including one where you pay $0 upfront and $44 monthly and another where you pay $189 upfront and $24 monthly.

Epos Now includes payment processing with Epos Now Payments at a rate of 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person transactions and also integrates with International Bancard, EVO, and Worldpay. Payment processing pricing is not listed.

Epos Now may require a multi-year service contract and/or hardware lease, and customer support costs extra. However, getting a month-to-month contract and purchasing your POS hardware outright may be possible.

Also note that while Epos Now claims it can “manage your pro shop, bar, restaurant, and cafe,” it does not mention golf-specific features like tee sheets. So, be sure to ask about specific features that are important to you.

foreUP’s golf point-of-sale system starts at $130/month. Additional pricing plans are offered for tee sheet software, billing, marketing, tournament management, and more.

foreUP includes these golf-specific POS features for golf courses:

• Online tee time bookings with automated SMS reminders to decrease no-shows
• Member billing with customer-facing portal
• Detailed revenue reports (see above example)
• Point-based loyalty program
• Renewable passes to track memberships
• Customer database shows loyalty points, passes, leagues, tournaments, and more
• Employee management with individual shift reports, SwipeCard login, tip entry, and tip sharing
• Customizable employee permissions to restrict your staff from double-booking, scheduling after daylight, and other data-entry errors
• Weather and sunrise/sunset schedule displayed each day
• Custom mobile app and mobile payments
• Golf websites and marketing services
• Integrations with Supreme Golf, 18Birdies, eGull, Gallus Golf, 9-Eighteen, GolfBack, and more

foreUP is cloud-based software that works with any tablet, PC, or smartphone. You can contact foreUP directly to learn more about hardware options and pricing.

For payment processing, foreUP offers an in-house solution, foreUP Payments. Contact foreUP directly for information about payment processing fees. foreUP users can also process payments through integrations with Worldpay or Stripe.

foreUP does not clearly list its contract length or terms on its website. Be sure to pay close attention when signing your contract to make sure you’re not committing for longer than you would like.