If you run a golf course in Canada, you've probably sat through a few too many sales demos. Every software company says they're the best. Every pitch deck looks the same. And you're still wondering which one actually fits a Canadian operation.
Here's an honest look at what's out there — what each tool does well, where it falls short, and which one makes sense depending on what your course actually needs. No affiliate links, no paid placements. Just a straight breakdown.
The Big Categories
Golf course software falls into two buckets, and most people mix them up:
Operations software runs your course. Tee sheet, POS, memberships, website. It's the back office — the thing that keeps the machine functioning day to day.
Revenue software grows what you make from each round. AI-powered player intelligence, upselling, voice agents, automated engagement. It takes the players your ops software booked and sells them more — food, drinks, gear, lessons.
Most courses have the first one and are missing the second. That's why the F&B breaks even, the pro shop sells to the same regulars, and nobody books lessons until the front desk remembers to mention them.
The Players (Pun Intended)
Lightspeed Golf
Montreal-based. Probably the most common choice for Canadian courses right now, and for good reason. Their tee sheet is solid, the POS is modern (they're a POS company at heart — they acquired Chronogolf), and they handle the whole operations stack well.
What they do right: Clean interface, good reporting, handles memberships and leagues. Being Canadian means they get our tax setup, bilingual support, and local payment processing without headaches.
Where they come up short: Zero AI. No upselling capability. No voice agent. Their customer tracking is basic — it stores player data but doesn't actively sell to them. If you're looking for someone to help grow F&B or pro shop revenue, that's not what Lightspeed does.
Pricing: Starts around $325/mo CAD. Scales up with POS hardware and additional modules.
foreUP
US-based, but used by plenty of Canadian courses. Strong tee sheet, built-in POS, and they throw in a website builder too. We did a full comparison here if you want the details.
What they do right: Everything in one place. If you're starting from scratch and want tee times, registers, and a website handled by one vendor, foreUP keeps it simple.
Where they come up short: Same gap as Lightspeed — no AI, no upselling, no voice agent. Their customer tracking is entry-level. And being US-based means occasional friction with Canadian tax rules and payment processing.
Pricing: Starts around $120 USD/mo. Goes up from there depending on the package.
Tee-On
Canadian company out of Ontario with around 200-250 courses. They've been in the game for years and know the Canadian market well. Strong with semi-private and public courses.
What they do right: Tee sheet management built for how Canadian courses actually operate. Good customer support with Canadian business hours. They understand seasonality, weather days, and the specific quirks of running a course in Ontario or BC.
Where they come up short: The technology feels a generation behind Lightspeed and foreUP. Interface isn't as modern. No AI capabilities. Marketing tools are minimal. They're reliable, but they're not pushing the envelope.
Pricing: Custom quotes. Expect mid-range pricing — comparable to foreUP.
GolfNow
The 800-pound gorilla. GolfNow is less "software" and more "marketplace" — they fill your empty tee times by listing you alongside thousands of other courses. Think of them as the Expedia of golf.
What they do right: If you have empty tee times mid-week, GolfNow fills them. Their reach is massive. For courses that need butts in carts, the marketplace model works.
Where they come up short: They take a cut — usually around 20% commission or they take a tee time per day as payment. You're training your customers to be deal shoppers at the same time who compare you against every course in the area. It's a race to the bottom on price. And like everyone else — no AI, no upselling, no player engagement tools.
Pricing: Commission-based. Free to list, but they take a bite of every booking or a daily tee time.
Jonas Club Software / Club Prophet
If you run a private club with full membership management, Jonas and Club Prophet are the legacy heavyweights. They handle the complex stuff — member billing, reciprocal agreements, handicap management, dining minimums.
What they do right: Deep membership features that public course software doesn't touch. Integrations with golf associations. Built for the country club workflow.
Where they come up short: Expensive, complex, and the interfaces look like they were designed in 2008. Not for public or semi-private courses. And once again — no AI, no active selling, no revenue growth tools.
Pricing: Enterprise pricing. You're calling for a quote and signing an annual contract.
SimpleUP Golf
Full disclosure — this is us. But here's why we belong on this list: we're the only one doing AI-driven revenue growth for golf courses. Everyone else manages your operations — SimpleUP Golf grows what you make from each round.
What we do: Voice AI (Amy) answers every call and has real conversations — not phone trees. Mid-round text conversations sell F&B and pro shop gear during play. AI-powered player intelligence that learns from every interaction — automated engagement, review management, and revenue analytics across every channel.
The key difference: Our AI has actual conversations with your players. Not button menus. Not scripted responses. Real back-and-forth, like texting with a person who knows their name and remembers their usual order. It's a personal concierge for every player.
What we don't do: Tee sheets and POS. We work alongside whatever you're already running — Lightspeed, foreUP, Tee-On, GolfNow. No rip and replace.
The operator angle: You don't set up anything. No dashboards to configure, no rules to write. We learn how your course runs and the AI handles the rest. Most golf course operators aren't tech people — and that's totally fine. You keep running your course the way you always have.
Numbers: $32/player spend increase. F&B attachment rate from 24% to 39%. Pro shop buy rate from 16% to 31%.
Pricing: Webchat $299/mo, Voice AI $699/mo, Full Combo $1,299/mo. Transparent — no custom quotes, no annual contracts required.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Lightspeed | foreUP | Tee-On | SimpleUP Golf |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Sheet | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — |
| POS | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — |
| Voice AI | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Mid-Round Upselling | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Player Intelligence | Basic | Basic | Minimal | ✅ AI-Powered |
| Canadian Company | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Nothing to Configure | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Price (starting) | ~$325 CAD | ~$120 USD | Custom | $299 CAD |
So What Do You Actually Need?
If you need a tee sheet and POS from scratch, look at Lightspeed (if you want Canadian roots and a modern interface) or foreUP (if budget is the priority). Tee-On is worth a call if you're in Ontario and value local support.
If you already have ops software and you're frustrated that F&B breaks even, the pro shop is quiet, and missed calls are going to voicemail — that's the gap SimpleUP Golf fills. We're not replacing your tee sheet. We're adding the revenue layer that's missing.
The smart play? Run both. An ops tool for the back office and SimpleUP Golf for revenue growth. Lightspeed + SimpleUP Golf is a powerful combination for Canadian courses — one handles the operations, the other turns every round into more money.
Whatever you pick, verify it actually fits how your course operates — not how the sales rep says it should operate. The best software is the one your team will actually use.
Got questions? Talk to Amy for an instant demo — we're happy to give you a straight answer, even when that means recommending someone else. Or check what SimpleUP Golf actually does and what it costs. For the deep dives on how SimpleUP enhances specific platforms, see our posts on GolfNow, Lightspeed, CourseRev, and AI-powered dynamic pricing.
