A "wallet pass" is the same kind of digital item as an airline boarding pass or a concert ticket on a phone. It lives in Apple Wallet on iPhones and Google Wallet on Android phones — two apps that come pre-installed on virtually every modern phone. GolfPass creates one of these passes for each tee-time booking (and for each member you choose to give one to).
If you've ever added a boarding pass to your phone and watched the gate change update on its own, you already understand exactly how a GolfPass pass behaves.
Why there's no app to download
This is the single most important thing to understand, because it's why golfers actually use it.
Apple Wallet and Google Wallet are already on the phone. GolfPass doesn't ask golfers to visit an app store, create an account, or remember a password. They tap one button in an email and the pass is saved. That's it.
The usual reasons people ignore "download our app" — the effort, the storage, the sign-up — simply don't apply here. The result is that a high share of golfers actually add and keep their pass.
Apple vs Google: same job, small differences
You don't choose between Apple and Google — GolfPass produces both from the same booking, and the golfer's phone uses whichever wallet it has. They behave almost identically, with a few differences worth knowing:
| Apple Wallet (iPhone) | Google Wallet (Android) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | The built-in Wallet app | The built-in Google Wallet app |
| Updates | Refreshes quietly in the background | Refreshes over the air |
| Lock-screen near the club | Yes — supports geofenced locations | Limited |
| Check-in code | QR or barcode | QR or barcode |
The practical takeaway: lock-screen "you've arrived" messages are an iPhone feature. Everything else works the same on both. See Geo-location lock-screen messages.
What's on every pass
The front of the pass shows the details that matter for the round:
- The golfer's name
- The course
- The date and tee time
- A scannable code (QR or barcode) for check-in
- Your logo and colours
The exact details come from the reservation in your tee sheet, so they're always specific to that golfer's booking. You control the look — see Branding your pass.
The part that saves you the most time
The real value isn't the pass itself — it's what happens after the golfer adds it. When the booking changes in your tee sheet, the pass on the golfer's phone changes too, automatically. No re-sending, no "ignore the old confirmation" emails, no confusion at the first tee. See Live pass updates.
Reading this is one thing; holding it is another. Send a test pass to your own phone and add it to your wallet — five minutes that make all of this click.
Common questions
Does it cost the golfer anything? No. Adding and holding a wallet pass is free for golfers.
What if the golfer has an older phone? Apple Wallet has been built into iPhones for many years, and Google Wallet covers modern Android phones. The vast majority of golfers can add a pass without any setup.
Can a golfer have more than one pass? Yes — for example, a tee-time pass for an upcoming round and a standing member pass. They sit side by side in the wallet.