GolfOkay Knowledge Vault

aggregator_apis

3 min read

Aggregator APIs

Third-party platforms that connect to multiple golf courses and expose a unified API for booking.

Key Platforms

Golfsavers:

  • 500+ courses across Asia
  • Proven API with real-time availability
  • Established player in Thailand market

GolfThai:

  • 300+ Thai courses
  • 22 years of local experience
  • Strong relationships with course operators

Why Use Aggregators

Instant inventory: Access 200-500 courses from day 1 without individual negotiations

No individual integrations: One API call instead of building 300+ separate course integrations

Real-time availability: See open tee times immediately, no manual checking

Standardized format: Consistent booking flow across all courses, regardless of their internal systems

Tradeoffs

Cost: Pay commission to aggregator on top of course commission (typical: 3-5% to aggregator)

Less control: Can’t negotiate custom pricing or terms directly with courses

Coverage gaps: Still miss 50-55% of market (courses not on any aggregator platform)

Rate parity: May not have access to best rates (courses often reserve lowest prices for direct bookings)

GolfOkay Strategy

Phase 1 (Month 0-3): Use aggregators for immediate launch. Connect Golfsavers + GolfThai APIs. Get 300-400 courses live on day 1.

Phase 2 (Month 4-9): Build direct relationships with high-volume courses. Negotiate better rates by bypassing aggregator layer.

Phase 3 (Month 10+): Offer white-label booking tools to manual-only courses. Exchange technology for direct inventory access.

Integration Architecture

Customer inquiry
   ↓
Platform checks: Aggregator API first
   ↓
   If available: Real-time booking via API
   If not: Route to [[manual_desk]]
   ↓
Confirmation + [[e_vouchers|e-voucher]] generation

Workflow:

  1. Customer requests course X on date Y
  2. Platform queries Golfsavers API: “Available?”
  3. If yes: Show price, instant booking, generate e-voucher
  4. If no: Check GolfThai API
  5. If both fail: Manual desk calls course directly

Fallback ratio: Target 65-70% API-automated, 30-35% manual desk by Month 6

Economics

Aggregator commission example:

  • Course green fee: ฿2,000
  • Platform commission from aggregator: 12% = ฿240
  • Aggregator takes 3-5%: ฿60-100
  • Net to platform: ฿140-180

Direct relationship comparison:

  • Same green fee: ฿2,000
  • Direct platform commission: 15% = ฿300
  • No aggregator cut
  • Net to platform: ฿300

Break-even: If a course generates >10 bookings/month via platform, worth building direct relationship (saves ~฿1,200-1,600/month vs aggregator fees)

API Integration Complexity

Easy: Golfsavers, GolfThai (RESTful APIs, documented, stable)

Medium: Direct course systems (Golfmanager, Lightspeed) – each has different API specs

Hard: Legacy course systems (no API, need manual desk)

Development time:

  • Golfsavers integration: 1-2 weeks
  • GolfThai integration: 1-2 weeks
  • Custom course API: 3-5 days each
  • Manual desk workflow: Ongoing operations cost

See Also

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