The Annual Golf Club Software Report 2026 · Part 4 of 4
The toolkit
A checklist, 12 questions for any supplier, the contract clauses to check, a timeline and an email to send. Print it, or get it as a Word document.
Tool 1
Buyer’s checklist
Print these pages for your next committee meeting, or get them as a Word document you can edit.
- We know every system we use, what it costs and when each contract ends
- We have asked staff and members what works and what doesn’t
- We have decided whether we want one system, connected specialists or a mix
- Every shortlisted supplier has the 12 questions, and we have the answers in writing
- We have spoken to at least 2 clubs like ours that use each shortlisted system
- We have seen the system working with our own kind of data, not only a demonstration
- We know how the system connects to the World Handicap System
- We have checked the contract for data return, notice period and price changes
- We have agreed who leads the project and how members will be told
- We have allowed most of a year from first review to running smoothly
Tool 2
12 questions for any supplier
Write each supplier’s name at the top and note its answer, or the page where it publishes one. Questions 1 to 5 are the 5 tests.
| Number | Question | Supplier: | Supplier: | Supplier: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Do you publish your API documentation? Where? | |||
| 2 | How does a partner get access, and how long does approval take? | |||
| 3 | Is there a charge for API access, for us or for the partner? | |||
| 4 | Do you offer webhooks, so other systems are told of changes straight away? | |||
| 5 | Can partners make and change bookings, or only read them? | |||
| 6 | Which systems do you already connect to, and which clubs use those connections? | |||
| 7 | How do you connect to the World Handicap System in our nation? | |||
| 8 | Where can members book and pay, and does the app work on iPhone and Android? | |||
| 9 | Can we export all our data, at any time, in a standard format, at no charge? | |||
| 10 | What happens to our data, and in what format, if we leave? | |||
| 11 | Who will set the system up, train our staff and support us after go-live? | |||
| 12 | Can you work with AI assistants, and how is that permission controlled? |
Tool 3
Contract clauses to check
- Data return
- At the end of the contract the supplier returns all our data, at our choice, in a standard format, within an agreed time.
- Export at any time
- We can export our data whenever we wish, not only when we leave.
- API access
- Access for our chosen partners continues for the whole contract and through the notice period.
- Notice and renewal
- The notice period and any automatic renewal are clear.
- Price changes
- How and when prices can change is set out.
- Sub-processors
- We are told which other companies handle our members’ data.
Tool 4
Switching timeline
| Stage | Allow | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Review | 1 month | List what you have, what it costs and what you need |
| Shortlist and questions | 1 to 2 months | Send the 12 questions, see demonstrations, speak to clubs |
| Decision | 1 month | Committee or board decision; contract checked |
| Set-up and data move | 2 to 3 months | Data moved, connections made, staff trained |
| Running in | 1 to 2 months | Old and new side by side for membership and billing where possible; members told |
Managers in the 2025 survey said putting in a new system typically takes 7 to 8 months. Start well before your contract ends.
Tool 5
An email to send your suppliers
Subject: 12 questions about [system] for [club name]
Dear [name],
[Club name] is reviewing its club software ahead of our contract renewal in [month and year]. Before we decide anything, the committee is asking every supplier the same 12 questions, below. Could you answer each one in writing by [date]? Where the answer is in your published documentation, a link is fine.
- Do you publish your API documentation? Where?
- How does a partner get access, and how long does approval take?
- Is there a charge for API access, for us or for the partner?
- Do you offer webhooks, so other systems are told of changes straight away?
- Can partners make and change bookings, or only read them?
- Which systems do you already connect to, and which clubs use those connections?
- How do you connect to the World Handicap System in our nation?
- Where can members book and pay, and does the app work on iPhone and Android?
- Can we export all our data, at any time, in a standard format, at no charge?
- What happens to our data, and in what format, if we leave?
- Who will set the system up, train our staff and support us after go-live?
- Can you work with AI assistants, and how is that permission controlled?
Thank you. We will treat your answers in confidence.
[Your name], [role], [club name]
Get the toolkit as a Word document
All 5 tools in one document you can edit and share with your committee. Download it straight away.
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Want a second pair of eyes?
A Club Growth Review looks at your website, enquiries and systems with you. It is a good place to start.