The Playbook | Issue No. 5
Players 1st helps 3,000+ golf clubs boost retention, increase revenue, and deliver unforgettable experiences worldwide. Our real-time feedback tools and predictive insights turn every round into actionable data from private clubs to public gems.
Forget guesswork, our platform reveals exactly what your members and guests think, enabling you to make smarter decisions faster.
Trusted by Troon, Touchstone Golf, and leading resorts across the globe.
Great golf clubs don’t guess, they listen. That’s how loyalty is earned.
The Playbook | Editor’s Note
My Role:
As the Customer Success Manager, I took ownership of our U.S. client base, from daily-fee courses to private clubs. I wasn’t just supporting accounts but shaping our go-to-market strategy, one conversation at a time.
Before We Begin…
When Players 1st first called me, they weren’t lacking tech horsepower. They had a beautiful platform, golfer experience surveys, Net Promoter Scores, and sharp dashboards.
The problem?
In the U.S. market, nobody knew who they were, and course operators weren’t exactly begging for another software subscription. Engagement was low, renewal conversations were uncomfortable, and growth felt like rolling a boulder uphill.
Been there.
The SaaS game doesn’t care how good your product is. It cares whether you solve real problems in ways customers can feel.
In the next few minutes, I’ll explain how we transformed Players 1st’s U.S. strategy from a “nice idea” to a “need-to-have.”
The Challenge
Players 1st had traction in Europe. They knew how to collect player feedback and spit out valuable data.
However, the U.S. golf market operates under different rules.
The real-world pain:
Operators were drowning in tech tools already
They didn’t trust “analytics dashboards,” they trusted cash flow
Survey response rates were embarrassing
Expansion revenue? Never heard of her
They didn’t need better NPS graphs. They needed help turning feedback into fewer cancellations, higher cart fees, and stickier memberships.
In short, they needed to translate “cool tech” into “clear ROI.” Fast.
The Approach
WE didn’t come in swinging buzzwords. We worked like founders in a scramble… fast, scrappy, and obsessed with the next best move.
Here’s what I focused on:
Customer Journey Mapping
I built distinct customer success blueprints for daily-fee, private, and resort courses. Different golfer behaviors and operator goals meant one size would never fit all.
ROI-Driven Dashboards
I reframed the data around what operators cared about:
Cart fee optimization
Member retention rates
Tournament spend per player
The goal was straightforward: every graph had to end with a dollar sign.
Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs)
I hosted strategic QBRs with every primary account, not just “Here’s your data,” but “Here’s how to turn this insight into real-world wins.”
Survey Optimization
Working alongside the courses, we boosted survey response rates through:
Targeted segmentation
Smarter email sequences
On-course signage (think bag tags and cart flyers)
Minor tweaks, big lifts.
Internal Templates
I built onboarding and engagement templates so the global Customer Success team could easily replicate and scale.
Metric | 2023 | 2024 | % Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
Total U.S. Users | 1,000 | 1,500 | +50% |
Retention (6-Month Active Use) | 41% | 61% | +49% |
The Results
Real growth. Real dollars. Real customer love.
Here’s what we saw in 2023-2025:
$100,000+ in net new expansion revenue across my U.S. book of business
105% net revenue retention (yes, you read that correctly → 100% retention)
Survey completion rates doubled in key markets (12% → 28%)
New templates adopted globally by the Players 1st Customer Success team
Most importantly, operators stopped seeing Players 1st as “just another app” and started seeing them as profit partners.
Big difference.
Lessons Learned
If I had to do it again, or if you’re building your golf startup right now, here’s what I’d laser-focus on:
Outcomes > Outputs
Nobody buys a dashboard. They buy a better bottom line.
Tie every feature to dollars, not just data.
One-size-fits-all kills adoption
Customize customer journeys by vertical. Resort courses aren’t daily-fee tracks. Treat ‘em differently.
Frontline conversations beat boardroom plans.
Half of our breakthroughs occurred during casual check-ins, rather than official meetings. Stay close to your users.
Momentum compounds
Early wins include boosting one operator’s survey rate, building credibility, and enabling them to request larger initiatives, such as expanding their entire portfolio.
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The Playbook | Insider Spotlight
Meet Ron Wilson, founder, operator, and the kind of boardroom assassin you want on your side. With decades of scaling SaaS, leading cybersecurity ventures, and driving exits, Ron isn’t just building companies; he’s reimagining what value looks like.
Now at Big Game Golf, he’s teeing up the future of golf and tech.
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