Tasmanian golfers create digital platform, Green Fees Australia, to replace honesty boxes

Consistently encountering the same problem every time he went to play golf with his mates, Karl Clark came up with a digital solution that’s now catching on like wildfire. DETAILS >>

Every weekend when he would enjoy a round of golf with his mates, Karl Clark would encounter the same problem.

“We were always running into the issue of not having the correct change with us when we went to pay our green fees,” he said. “Most clubs have just an honesty box on the wall.”

So Mr Clark and two of his golfing buddies, Brooke Lewis and Simon Muller, put their heads together to come up with a solution. They soon had a brainwave.

“We came up with the idea of having a web-based app that would allow you to just pay with your credit card over your mobile phone or mobile device,” Mr Clark said.

“And from that point onwards, we’ve had it developed and got it out to a few clubs.

Karl Clark, Brooke Lewis and Simon Muller have come up with a website where you can pay your green fees for public golf courses online instead of paying cash at the course. Picture Nikki Davis-Jones

“A lot of people aren’t carrying cash anymore so it helps all those people – especially the younger generation. And they seem to be the ones that play golf casually, too, (and) they might not be members of a club.

“And then on the club side of things, they capture payments they might otherwise miss with people just walking on.”

The Hobart trio’s tech start-up is called Green Fees Australia and has signed up 31 golf clubs across Australia since its inception 18 months ago, boasting 830 active users.

Golfers pay a minor surcharge when using the service, while participating clubs have the choice of either giving 10 per cent of a green fee to the platform or paying a fixed amount each month.

Mr Clark said he and his business partners were keen to expand the platform further and sign up new clubs.

Among the Tasmanian clubs that have joined forces with Green Fees Australia are the Kingston Beach Golf Club, New Town Bay Golf Club, and Pittwater Golf Club.