Compare
What it costs to run a 100-player outing
Flat and visible, or a percentage you only see at checkout. The same charity scramble, priced on Perch, GolfStatus, Golf Genius, GolfSync and Golf Event HQ at 50, 100 and 150 players, using each vendor's own public pages as they read on October 6, 2026 (Golf Event HQ on October 16). Every number has a footnote with the page it came from.
The short answer, for a 100-player outing at $150
| Platform | You pay | Golfers pay | Who collects the entries |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Perch | $0, when golfers pay by card through Perch (up to 120) | $4 each, included in the price they see | Card at sign-up, paid out to you |
| GolfStatus | $0 or $299 | A per-registration fee it doesn't publish | GolfStatus, when you run payments through it |
| Golf Genius | No per-event price: $4,275 a year plus $500 onboarding for the tier that takes payments | Not published | That tier only |
| GolfSync | $75 to $750+, by their own pages | $0 | GolfSync |
| Golf Event HQ | $99.99 an event | $0 | You, at check-in or by invoice |
The detail: the worked example at 50, 100 and 150 players · what an outing chair asks · what the golfers get · sources
The worked example
A one-day outing with a $150 entry, collected online. Perch is shown with golfers paying by card through Perch, which runs free up to 120 golfers on any plan, and with Pro month-to-month past 120, because a one-off outing is a one-month need. Card processing is left out of every column: each vendor passes the card processor's fee through on top of what is shown here.
| Who pays what | 50 players | 100 players | 150 players |
|---|---|---|---|
| The PerchFree when golfers pay by card through Perch, up to 120; Pro month-to-month when the field passes 1201 | |||
| You pay (the host) | $0card-paid events up to 120 are free | $0card-paid events up to 120 are free | $249one month of Pro; Free and Plus stop at 120 players |
| Your golfers pay | $200$4 each, in the price they see | $400$4 each, in the price they see | $600$4 each, in the price they see |
| Total | $200 | $400 | $849 |
| GolfStatusNo subscription; a fee on every transaction, plus per-event add-ons2 | |||
| You pay (the host) | $0 or $299$0 upfront if you process payments through GolfStatus; $299 upfront if you don't | $0 or $299same at any field size | $0 or $299same at any field size |
| Your golfers pay | Not publisheda fee on each registration; the rate is not on golfstatus.com | Not publishedgrows with every registration | Not publishedgrows with every registration |
| Total | $0 to $299 + an unpublished per-registration fee | $0 to $299 + an unpublished per-registration fee | $0 to $299 + an unpublished per-registration fee |
| Golf GeniusNot sold per event; a yearly club subscription3 | |||
| One outing | No per-event price is published. Golf Genius sells a yearly subscription that covers every event a club runs that year: TM Premium, the tier that takes online registration and payments, is $4,275 a year plus $500 onboarding. A club running events all year would compare that with Perch Golf Pro at $2,388 a year (Plus is $1,332) plus the $4 golfer fee, which stops for Pro clubs after $1,200 a year. | ||
| GolfSyncPer event; their own pages give three different prices4 | |||
| You pay (the host) | $75 to $750+$395 on their home page; $75 on their formats page; $250–$300, $400 or $750+ on their hosting page | $75 to $750+same at any field size | $75 to $750+same at any field size |
| Your golfers pay | $0GolfSync says nothing is added at checkout | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $75 to $750+as published; free for verified nonprofits on one page | $75 to $750+ | $75 to $750+ |
| Golf Event HQA one-time pass per event; it doesn't take card payments11 | |||
| You pay (the host) | $99.99one Event Pass, one-time | $99.99same at any field size | $99.99same at any field size |
| Your golfers pay | $0no fee, because it takes no payments: you collect at check-in or by invoice | $0you collect the entries yourself | $0you collect the entries yourself |
| Total | $99.99plus collecting every entry yourself | $99.99plus collecting every entry yourself | $99.99plus collecting every entry yourself |
Perch's fee is $4 per paid registration or 5% of the entry, whichever is lower, so at a $150 entry it is $4. It is included in the price golfers see; you can absorb it instead, and then it is yours to pay at the same rate. "Not published" means the vendor's own site does not state the number; "None published" means no such fee is listed. Prices change; check the vendor's site before you decide.
How to read it. On Perch the host pays nothing up to 120 golfers who pay by card through Perch, or one month of Pro past that, and the golfers' cost is a flat $4 a head, already included in the price they see. GolfStatus charges nothing upfront when you run payments through it, but its fee on each registration is not published anywhere on its site, so the golfers' column cannot be filled in. Golf Genius has no per-event price, so it has no number for a single outing; it is a yearly club subscription, and the tier that can take a registration is $4,275 a year plus $500 onboarding. GolfSync is per event, but its own pages disagree on the price, so we show the full range they publish. Golf Event HQ is $99.99 an event and charges golfers nothing, because it doesn't take payments at all: its own guide says it tracks payment status instead of collecting card payments, so the organizer collects every entry at check-in or by invoice and marks it paid.
Two things the table leaves out. Card processing, which every vendor that takes cards passes through. And GolfStatus's $899 Technology Sponsorship, which it asks you to list for sale among your sponsorships and assesses only if it sells; invoicing and discount codes are $199 an event on GolfStatus unless that sponsorship sells.2
What an outing chair asks
Marked only where the vendor's own public pages say so. Where a page is silent we say "not published" rather than guess.
| Capability | Perch | GolfStatus | Golf Genius | GolfSync | Golf Event HQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golfers pay by card when they sign up | ●card at sign-up, paid out to you through Stripe | ●payments processed on its event sites2 | ◐TM Premium only3 | ●"nothing is added at checkout"4 | Not offered"tracks payment status instead of collecting card payments"11 |
| Live scoring from the golfers' phones | ● | ●free scoring app5 | ◐TM Premium only3 | ●Golf Sync XP4 | ●cart-sign QR code, no app; works offline12 |
| Sponsor slots and a sponsor recap afterwards | ●slots on the sign-up page, app and TV; a shareable recap page | ◐sponsor logo placement published; a recap is not5 | ◐"custom sponsor content" at TM Premium; a recap is not published3 | ●sponsor surfaces and a sponsor recap email6 | ◐a sponsor pipeline with packages and logos; a recap is not published12 |
| Silent auction | ●bids in the app, included | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 501(c)(3) donation receipts | ●IRS Publication 1771 wording, issued on the nonprofit's behalf | ◐donations and round-ups published; receipts are not7 | Not published | ●"IRS-compliant tax receipts"8 | Not published |
| Printables: cart signs, tee sheets, scorecards | ● | ●cart signs, labels, alpha lists5 | ●"custom printed materials", both tiers3 | ●print pack PDF, cart signs6 | ●cart signs, pairing sheet, printed results12 |
| Leaderboard on the clubhouse TV | ● | ●"clubhouse TVs"9 | ●TV leaderboards on both tiers; live ones at TM Premium3 | ●"the clubhouse TV"4 | ●live leaderboard "on a clubhouse screen"12 |
| A free app your golfers keep, with their own stats afterwards | ●free forever; every round they play stays with them | ●free app with stats10 | ◐mobile app at TM Premium; player stats not published3 | ◐app is free for groups and leagues; post-event stats not published6 | Not offeredbrowser only, "no app for golfers"12 |
| An estimated handicap for every player, no GHIN needed | ●estimated from the rounds they post | ◐GHIN integration; no estimate published5 | ◐"full integration with GHIN"; no estimate published3 | ◐"WHS net handicap scoring"; no estimate published4 | ◐uses the handicap entered at registration; no estimate published12 |
| Your plan back if it can't score your event | ●that month of your host plan, refunded if you ask within 30 days | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
● published as included · ◐ partial, a higher tier, or only part of it is published · "Not published" means we could not find it on the vendor's public pages on October 6, 2026; it may exist. Perch's column is what ships in the app today. Perch's handicap is an estimate from posted rounds, not an official Handicap Index.
What the golfers get
The part of the decision the other vendors' pages don't talk about.
On Perch, the field leaves with something
The app is free for every golfer, always. They score your outing in the same app they use for Saturday golf, and the round stays in their history with their stats and an estimated handicap. Perch never charges them to play, score or share. On a paid event, Perch's $4 fee is part of the entry they see.
- A paid registration earns the golfer 3 months of Perch Prime: no card, nothing to cancel, it simply ends unless they choose to keep it.
- The $4 fee is already in the price on the sign-up page, never discovered at checkout or on a statement.
- Live leaderboard on their phone and the clubhouse TV, share cards for the group photo, results that follow them home.
- You keep the spread: set the golfer-facing fee yourself and everything above Perch's flat $4 is yours.
Collect through Perch and your outing is free.
Any outing up to 120 golfers who pay by card through Perch, with the $4 fee in the price they see. Your first event also gets every Plus tool free: sponsor slots, auction, receipts, printables and the TV board.
Rather talk first?
Tell us what you run. We reply personally.
Send us your field size and what you pay today, and we'll price your season side by side. Prefer email? hello@perchgolf.com.
Sources and footnotes
Every competitor number on this page was read from the vendor's own public page on October 6, 2026 (Golf Event HQ on October 16, 2026). Prices change; check the vendor's site. GolfStatus, Golf Genius, GolfSync and Golf Event HQ are named only to identify their products; each name belongs to its owner. If we have something wrong, tell us at hello@perchgolf.com and we will fix it.
- Perch. Perch Golf Plus is $111 a month billed annually ($1,332 a year) or $139 month-to-month, fields up to 120 players for any payment, 3 staff seats; Perch Golf Pro is $199 a month billed annually ($2,388 a year) or $249 month-to-month, unlimited field, and no Perch fees after $1,200 in a calendar year. Free hosts up to 120 players when registrations are paid by card through Perch (entries of $10 or more) and up to 40 for cash or free events. The registration fee is $4 per paid registration, capped at 5% of the entry fee, included in the price golfers see (the host can absorb it instead), the same on every tier until a Pro club reaches $1,200 in a year; nothing on free or cash events; no fee on donations. 30-day trial on Plus and Pro; your first event on Perch is free at Plus level. White-label day pass $199 if you want it. Formula: host = $0 up to 120 card-paid golfers, or one month of Pro ($249) once the field passes 120; golfers = players × $4, because 5% of $150 is $7.50 and the lower number applies. Source: perchgolf.com/pricing.
- GolfStatus. Its cost-structure page says a fee is assessed on transactions processed on GolfStatus event websites, that it can be passed on to golfers and sponsors, and that they choose to cover it nearly 90% of the time; the rate is not stated. The same page lists "Live Scoring Only - $299 per event", says that events that choose not to process funds via the event website pay an upfront fee of $299 to use the platform and live scoring, lists "Invoicing and Discount Codes - $199 per event" (included when the Technology Sponsorship is bought or sold), and lists the Technology Sponsorship at $899. The technology-sponsor page says the $899 is assessed only if the sponsorship sells. Its FAQ says the model "includes standard processing fees for credit card and ACH transactions" and that there are no upfront costs. Formula: host = $0 if payments run through GolfStatus, $299 if not; golfers = an unpublished fee × registrations. Sources: golfstatus.com/cost-structure, golfstatus.com/technology-sponsor, golfstatus.com/faqs, fetched October 6, 2026.
- Golf Genius. Its Tournament Management page lists TM Club at $1,425 a year with a $200 one-time onboarding fee and TM Premium at $4,275 a year with a $500 one-time onboarding fee (US and Canada, up to 36 holes). Live scoring, online registration and payments, the mobile app with live scoring, live TV leaderboards and custom sponsor content are listed under TM Premium; TV leaderboards, custom printed materials and full integration with GHIN are listed for both tiers. No per-registration or payment-processing fee is listed. No per-event price is listed, so the table gives no cost for one outing; for a year of events, TM Premium is the tier that takes a registration ($4,275 a year + $500 onboarding in year one); golfers = none published. Some golf associations publish different member pricing for their clubs; the table uses the figures on golfgenius.com. Source: golfgenius.com/products/tm, fetched October 6, 2026.
- GolfSync (golfsync.io). Three prices on three of its own pages, all fetched the same day. Home page and Golf Sync XP demo page: Golf Sync XP "for one flat $395", "$395 per event" for any number of tournaments and any field size, "free for verified nonprofits", and a run-it-for-you service from $900 for a one-tournament event plus $65 for each tournament after, on top of the $395 platform fee. Formats page: "Golf Sync XP is $75 all-in per event." Host-a-golf-tournament page: hosted events are one flat cost, Tier 1 Setup $250–$300, Tier 2 Live (mobile scoring and a big-screen leaderboard) $400, Tier 3 Engage $750+, with "nothing is added at your registrants' or sponsors' checkout" and standard Stripe card-processing fees still applying. Live scoring on every phone and the clubhouse TV, and "WHS net handicap scoring", are on the home and XP demo pages. Formula: host = the range those pages publish; golfers = $0. Sources: golfsync.io, golfsync.io/golf-xp/demo, golfsync.io/formats, golfsync.io/host-a-golf-tournament, fetched October 6, 2026.
- GolfStatus features. Its features page says golfers submit scores via the free GolfStatus mobile app, that sponsors get logo placement on the event website, live scoring app and documents, that organizers can generate pre-formatted documents such as cart signs, labels and alpha lists, and that it has GHIN handicap integrations. Silent auctions, donation receipts and a sponsor recap are not mentioned there. Source: golfstatus.com/features, fetched October 6, 2026.
- GolfSync features. Its formats page lists a print pack PDF, sponsor signage PDF, sponsor recap email, TV cast view, live leaderboard, auto-pairings with cart signs and CSV roster import for Golf Sync XP, and says the app is "free for groups + leagues". Post-event player stats are not mentioned. Source: golfsync.io/formats, fetched October 6, 2026.
- GolfStatus donations. Its tournament-website page describes a donation button, a donation bar and a round-up feature; tax receipts and 501(c)(3) acknowledgments are not mentioned on the pages we read. Source: golfstatus.com/golf-tournament-website, fetched October 6, 2026.
- GolfSync receipts. Its Golf Sync XP demo page lists "Donations, a donor wall and IRS-compliant tax receipts" and a tax EIN on the event page. Source: golfsync.io/golf-xp/demo, fetched October 6, 2026.
- GolfStatus TV leaderboards. Its summary page says scores sync to live digital leaderboards that can be displayed on smartphones, clubhouse TVs and social media. Source: golfstatus.com/llm-info, fetched October 6, 2026.
- Golf Event HQ. Its plans and billing guide lists Free Planning at $0 (build and preview; registration, check-in and live scoring stay locked), an Event Pass at $99.99 one-time that activates registration, the event page, check-in and live scoring for one event, and Golf Club Unlimited at $1,299 a year for every event an organization runs; its AI planner is billed separately in tokens. Its teams and payments guide says it "tracks payment status instead of collecting card payments from golfers": the organizer marks each entry paid externally, paying at check-in or refunded externally, and its registration guide tells golfers the organizer will say how to pay. Formula: host = $99.99 at any field size; golfers = $0 through the platform. Source: golfeventhq.com/docs/plans-and-billing, /docs/teams-and-players and /docs/registration, fetched October 16, 2026.
- Golf Event HQ features. Its live-scoring guide says teams score from a QR code on the cart sign with no app or account and keep scoring offline; its leaderboard guide says the live leaderboard can go on a clubhouse screen and becomes printable final results, with gross and net from the handicap entered at registration; its teams guide covers printed pairings and cart signs; its home page lists a sponsor pipeline with packages, benefits, logos, asset tracking and recorded payments. A sponsor recap, auction, donation receipts and a golfer app are not published. Source: golfeventhq.com/docs/live-scoring, /docs/leaderboards, /docs/teams-and-players and golfeventhq.com, fetched October 16, 2026.
- GolfStatus app. Its app page describes "the free GolfStatus mobile app" with live scoring, round tracking and stats, including advanced stats tracking. Source: golfstatus.com/app, fetched October 6, 2026.
Switching from one platform in particular? See the side-by-side for GolfStatus or Golf Genius, or the full pricing page.