In this short post, I want to focus on the greens fees and the mobile app available for Bobby Jones Golf Club
Here is the video for this post on YouTube.
And, when the course opened, I posted an overview of Bobby Jones Golf Club where you will find a little Sarasota golf history, an overview of the project, and a review of some of the holes. Here is a link to that longer video. And, here is a post of a complete review of all 18 holes at Bobby Jones Golf Course with notes from golf course architect, Richard Mandell.
But first, is it Bobby Jones Greens Fee, Green Fees or Greens Fees?
Enjoy.
Bag Drop
One fond memory I have of Bobby Jones Golf Club is pulling up to the bag drop. There was a gent who managed getting golf clubs from cars to golf carts.
He greeted everyone, regardless of your age, from 9-year-olds to 99-year-olds, the same way.
YOUNG MAN
If you heard it once you never forgot it. I hope that guy is happy and healthy somewhere.
Now if you go to Bobby Jones early on a Saturday or a Sunday morning, and you pull up next to the first tee. Roll down your car windows and close your eyes.
If you listen really hard you might still hear…YOUNG MAN.
Troon – Indigo Sports
I should first say that Bobby Jones Golf Club is owned by the City of Sarasota but is now managed and operated by Indigo Sports, a division of Troon. They run the whole show, from the ProShop and Cafe to maintaining the golf course.
Troon is a big company that manages more than 800 golf courses and other facilities all over the world. They know what it will take to keep the golf course and the overall operation running smoothly.
Bobby Jones Greens Fees
So, I’ll go with Bobby Jones Greens Fees for now.
You can book a tee time up to 14 days in advance. The website says the best rates are available from the website or the mobile app. I’ll talk about the app in a moment.
At the moment, January 2024 there are two tiers of rates and both include the use of a golf cart. The morning rate is $99 and after 2 pm, it drops to $89.
I had to call the ProShop to find a 9-hole rate in the afternoon is $64.
For walkers, the rate is $87 and then $77 after 2pm. Walking 9 holes is $57.
City of Sarasota Residents
City residents are entitled to a 40% discount from the posted Bobby Jones greens fees, though you must submit a resident verification form 3 to 5 days before you want to play Bobby Jones.
Residents of the City of Sarasota must provide a valid driver’s license, utility bill, voter registration card or a property appraiser parcel card. You can mail it, send it online or drop it off.
The Bobby Jones greens fees, at least some of them, are fair when compared to other golf options in Sarasota. And maybe even a bargain when you factor in the practice facilities.
In season, Bobby Jones Golf Club is one of only a few golf courses available to visitors. So, I expect the rates to stay high and the golf course to be busy.
That said, the walking fees are excessive and don’t offer or reflect the true cost of a golf cart. Same for the 9-hole rates, but I suspect the rates will adjust once they have a few months of data for Troon to evaluate.
My hope is they offer some type of membership or seasonal pass to Bobby Jones, especially in the summer. We’ll see.
At a minimum, they could offer a loyalty program, and they have an app that could make this very easy.
Mobile App
The app is a digital scorecard, and provides an easy way to book tee times. 
There is no cost for the app and it is exclusive to Bobby Jones Golf Club. I suspect this is a template Troon uses at all the golf courses they manage. The app works well and is a great example of the economies of scale Troon brings to the table, a benefit to all golfers at Bobby Jones.
Book Tee Times
To book a tee time through the Mobile App requires setting up a basic account and then adding a credit card. Nothing is charged to your card until you check-in before your tee time. Pretty standard stuff. I could not see how to book the Walker or 9-hole rates? The cancellation policy is very clearly explained. I did not see any details about cancellations due to weather, rain checks. Nothing is charged until the day you play, so best to call to the ProShop if the weather looks iffy.
GPS Feature
I was impressed with the GPS features and the distance details on all the holes. Even the practice range has GPS for, it looks like 5 spots. I can’t say how accurate the GPS was, but it’s certainly as accurate as any GPS found on a golf cart screen, no doubt the same technology and very useful.
There is a leaderboard feature that could be used for a daily skins game or some other small-stakes game.
The message feature alerted me to the free bucket of balls I earned for downloading the app.
And there is a way to order food and beverages, though it does not offer a complete menu at this time.
I entered my score and was offered a chance to share the results, which I emailed to myself. This could lead to some post-round antics with my playing partners, pretty cool.
Many of the features are better suited for use before or after golf. There is a solid explanation of some golf games; Stableford, match play, skins, etc. And the history of the course, Bobby Jones and Donald Ross was far better than expected in the Contact section.
The objective of the app is to improve the experience at Bobby Jones Golf Club and the app does just that.
Go Play
I hope these details help, and I will try to update the Bobby Jones greens fees as they evolve.
Download the app, go play Bobby Jones and let me know what you think.
Your questions and comments are always welcome. And I do want to know about the Greens Fee v Green Fees v Greens Fees. Thanks
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