A geo-location message makes a golfer's pass appear on their lock screen when they're near your club — a friendly "Welcome to Pine Valley, check in at the pro shop" right as they pull into the car park. They tap it, the pass opens, and they're ready for check-in. You set these up on the Geofenced notifications page.
How it works
You define a location (a point on the map) and the message to show. When a golfer carrying your pass gets close, their phone surfaces the pass on the lock screen with your message. iPhone decides exactly how near "close" is — Apple Wallet handles the proximity automatically, so there's no radius to dial in. No notification to open, no app to launch — the pass is just there, exactly when it's useful.
Setting one up
- Go to Geofenced notifications and add a location.
- Find the spot. Search for your club or drop a pin on the map.
- Choose the audience — all passes, tee-time passes, player passes, or a targeted segment.
- Write the lock-screen message, using merge tags for a personal touch (see below).
Personalising the message
Lock-screen messages support merge tags that fill in per golfer:
{name}— the golfer's full name{first_name}— their first name{player_id}— their player/member identifier{tier}— their membership tier{course}— the course name
For example, "Welcome back, {first_name}! Check in at the pro shop."
Important limits to know
This is an Apple Wallet feature. It works on iPhones with location services enabled. Golfers on Android, or iPhone users who've turned location off, won't see the lock-screen message — so treat it as a lovely bonus for the golfers it reaches, not your only way to greet people.
Apple Wallet supports up to 10 locations per pass. That's plenty to cover the clubhouse, the driving range, and a second course or a sister club.
Picking the spot
Drop the pin on the entrance or car park rather than the centre of the course — that's where golfers arrive with their phone in hand. Apple decides the trigger distance, so you don't tune a radius; just place the pin where you want the greeting to land. Add separate locations for the clubhouse, range, or a sister club if you want a message at each.
Where this fits
Geofenced messages are about the moment of arrival. For timed messages around the round, use automatic reminders; for one-off announcements, use a push notification. Many clubs use all three together.