National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) reposted this
Update on Google Book Online Buttons for Golf Courses This week, NGCOA hosted an online meeting with many of the major Golf Management Software (GMS) companies as well as leadership from Google Partnerships. The objective of the meeting and the follow up work is to assist course owners and operators manage a new “Book Online” button on your Google Business Profiles (GBP). I encourage you to review your Goolge listing to see if you have this button. If you do, it’s because you have a business relationship with GolfNow, and they took the liberty of working with Google to get you that button - which directs traffic to your GolfNow page, not your own booking page. This is disconcerting, because your valuable “real estate” on Google was commandeered without notice from GolfNow, and now you have to go through GolfNow to get the link removed. In response, we gathered various GMS companies in our sector, because they are in a position to help get your own Book Online button up and running on your GBP, and work with Google to ensure the button leads golfers to your own booking platform on your site. Please keep in mind that the only way to get this done (or taken down) is through a third party like a GMS company or Online Tee Time Agency; Google does not give the golf course the ability to program the Book Online button specifically. If you do not want the Book Online button to direct traffic to your GolfNow listing, you must contact GolfNow and ask them to take it down. GolfNow published a link (in my comment below) as a place to go to request the link be removed. We also recommend you contact your local GolfNow representative to ensure your wishes are addressed. Google is not charging courses or third parties to get these buttons up and running, to maintain them or for any traffic that comes as a result. You will likely hear soon from your GMS partner about how they can help you get a direct booking link up and running. Give it a bit of time, because they have some due diligence and prep work that needs to be done with Google before they can make this happen - but it’s coming. Google is quickly recognizing the significant increase in activity in the golf space - from a booking and technology perspective - and is eager to work with the industry. They are bullish about golf and are active in helping us deliver what course owners want - direct traffic. NGCOA will remain at the forefront of this, to ensure course owners and operators are represented as the Google journey into golf evolves. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to Ronnie Miles, Senior Director of Advocacy, at [email protected], or comment below. Thank you to everyone who has helped thus far, and to Mike Hendrix for being the first to alert. 💪🏼 National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA)