Desert Willow Golf Resort
THE CHALLENGE: MEETING MODERN GOLFER EXPECTATIONS
As a premier golf management company overseeing dozens of prestigious properties nationwide, KemperSports recognized the need to evolve their tee time management approach to meet unprecedented demand and modern golfer expectations. At Desert Willow Golf Resort, these challenges were particularly acute:
Manual Processes Consuming Staff Time: The Director of Golf previously managed a spreadsheet called ‘The Tee Sheet Wishlist,’ which required a significant amount of time and coordination — including phone tag with guests and delayed email responses.
Limited Solutions for Full Tee Sheets: Our front-line staff didn’t have a great solution when guests inquired about full tee sheets, other than to suggest checking online for updates. This created frustration for both our team and our guests, and raised concerns about the potential impact on guest loyalty.
Operational Inefficiency: Valuable staff time was diverted to administrative tasks rather than enhancing guest experiences during their visits.
THE SOLUTION: FLEXIBLE TECHNOLOGY TO CAPTURE AND ACTIVATE DEMAND
To meet record-setting demand, Desert Willow seamlessly integrated Noteefy’s virtual waitlist platform directly into their website—giving golfers a proactive and effortless way to engage when tee sheets were full. By eliminating manual processes and fragmented communications, Desert Willow transformed a common point of frustration into a streamlined, customer-friendly experience. A
lmost immediately, Desert Willow reduced inbound call volume by 5%, freeing up staff to focus on on-site guest service and driving more online booking conversions.
With highly customizable features—such as tailored notification groups, which the Desert Willow team helped fine-tune—allowed the resort to adapt the platform to its specific operational needs.
MULTI-DIMENSIONAL BENEFITS
Enhanced First Impressions and Guest Interactions
“We see the demand technology as a win across the board for our various loyalty and cardholder programs. It’s also become a valuable tool for improving first impressions—especially during phone calls when guests can’t find an available tee time. Rather than repeatedly saying we’re fully booked, we’re able to guide them to the waitlist as a proactive alternative.” The General Manager adds: “Even if they don’t secure a spot this visit, it creates a positive touchpoint and allows us to capture their information for future engagement. On our end, it also helps us fill last-minute cancellations—sometimes within the hour.”
Operational Transformation
The implementation fundamentally changed how staff approached their daily responsibilities: “Noteefy has empowered our team to focus on delivering excellent guest service instead of spending valuable time searching for available tee times. It’s strengthened our ‘online only’ booking model by offering a practical solution for high-demand periods where phone reservations are no longer feasible.” The impact on staff confidence has been particularly notable: “As a result, our staff feel more confident navigating tough conversations around access and availability with guests.”
Staff Empowerment and Guest-Centered Focus
“Our staff have become far less reactive to individual tee time requests, allowing them to stay more present and engaged with the guests in front of them. Instead of trying to recall who asked to play on which day, time, or course, they can focus on delivering a more personal and attentive experience.”
Guest Satisfaction Metrics
“Our top priority is always guest satisfaction, and we’re proud to see our metrics consistently trending upward. We believe that making it easier for guests to secure tee times has been a key factor in driving this positive momentum.”
Derek notes: “One way we have seen measurable feedback is through our guest surveys. If the terms Noteefy or automation technology make it to a guest survey then it is definitely making a positive impact.”
Adoption Timeline and Feedback
Even if guests aren’t successful finding a time, they understand we’ve made a big step to remove friction points from the booking process.”
“We see the demand technology as a win across the board for our various loyalty and cardholder programs. It’s also become a valuable tool for improving first impressions—especially during phone calls when guests can’t find an available tee time. Rather than repeatedly saying we’re fully booked, we’re able to guide them to the waitlist as a proactive alternative.”
