Too many golf simulator businesses offer membership tiers like $100, $150, and $200. On paper, it looks smart — a low, middle, and high option that seem fair to different budgets.
But in reality? You’re just confusing your customers and killing your revenue.
If They Can Afford $100, They Can Afford $200
Here’s the truth: if someone walks in ready to spend $100, they likely could’ve spent $200. But because your tiers are too close together, they don’t see a reason to. There’s no meaningful value jump. So they pick the lowest tier and walk away thinking they got a deal.
And you just left $100 sitting on the table.
Pricing should pull customers upward — not make them hesitate. But when your price gaps are small, they start comparing features instead of making a decision. You end up talking people down the ladder instead of up it.
We Get It: You’re a Golfer
Most golf sim owners go with too many membership options because they’re golfers themselves. You’re used to seeing five, six, even ten different membership types at traditional golf courses. Weekday only. After 2pm. With cart. Without cart. Range pass. Junior. Snowbird. You name it.
But let’s be clear: traditional golf courses are one of the worst examples to follow in 2025.
They’re not designed to maximize sales. They’re built to avoid uncomfortable conversations and give everyone something — even if it means sacrificing clarity and profit. It’s a “yes to everything” model that leads to a bloated, confusing offer sheet.
You’re not running a 1970s country club. You’re building a modern, lean, tech-powered business.
Why Fewer Options Outperform More
We’ve seen it time and time again: the more membership choices you give, the less people commit. You overwhelm the customer, introduce friction, and make the buying process harder than it needs to be.
And worse, you don’t create any meaningful difference between the tiers. It’s a bunch of watered-down options, and none of them feel premium. That’s why Birrdi consistently recommends a single membership tier — or at most, two with radically different benefits.
From our article on Why Less is More:
“When there’s just one path forward, customers don’t hesitate — they convert. They don’t second-guess whether they chose the ‘right’ tier. They simply become a member.”
One membership tier builds a loyal base. It simplifies marketing. It removes the need to explain micro-differences. And most importantly, it scales.
What About Members-Only Models?
Here’s another trap: trying to go full members-only. It sounds attractive at first — predictable revenue, loyal customers, exclusivity.
But as we covered in this article, it comes with major downsides:
Churn skyrockets when the weather improves
Casual players are locked out
You rely on a tiny percentage of your market
You still end up competing on price with other facilities
The more sustainable path? Per-hour pricing + one killer membership option for frequent players. This gives you the best of both worlds: you make money from casual traffic, while still giving loyal customers a reason to commit.
The Model That Actually Works
If you want to grow revenue fast and build a healthy, sustainable golf simulator business, keep your membership structure simple and intentional. Just two tiers — no fluff, no confusion:
$10–$20/month Players Pass – Designed to convert your 1–2x/month walk-ins into 3–4x/month regulars. At $10/month, you can offer $5 off per hour. At $20/month, you can bump that to $10 off per hour. It’s a low-commitment, high-impact way to drive repeat business and fill hours that would’ve otherwise gone unused.
$300–$500/month Premium Membership – Built for your most loyal players. You decide how it’s structured: unlimited off-peak access, deep hourly discounts, 24/7 entry, guest passes, and priority booking — all optional and customizable. Using Birrdi’s Credit feature, you can set the exact number of credits, booking limits, access times, and discount rules to match your business goals. You don’t have to include free hours — but it should feel like a premium, all-access experience.
Hourly play is still your core revenue driver. These two tiers simply give your players a reason to visit more often, stay loyal, and keep your bays full — without overcomplicating your business.
Final Thought: Simplify, Separate, Sell
Your job isn’t to say yes to every possible golfer. Your job is to design a system that pulls people in and moves them upward. That only happens when:
You keep pricing simple
You create wide, meaningful value gaps
You make the upgrade path clear and aspirational
Two tiers. One goal: maximize every dollar your customers are willing to spend — and make them feel good about it.