Apr 24, 2025
When an AI Agent Joined the Team: Salgados Golf Club’s 90‑Day Experiment
Vitaly Rimmer
CEO
“Golfers today book from every time zone; they expect answers before your clubhouse lights are on.”
Imagine adding a reservations officer who speaks 50‑plus languages, never sleeps and never breaks your brand voice. In January we did just that, plugging Svaito’s AI Agent into Salgados Golf Club’s email and tee sheet. Three months later we’d sent 1,684 branded emails, booked 1,878 rounds and freed up 552 staff hours—proof that smart automation doesn’t replace hospitality, it elevates it.
Why AI Matters for Golf Clubs
Like many of you navigating the competitive golf landscape, I know first‑hand the effort required to deliver truly exceptional experiences. Course conditioning, welcoming facilities and, too often, a tidal wave of emails and booking tweaks force teams into a constant juggle. Every hour in the inbox is an hour not spent elevating the golfer journey.
AI is becoming the next competitive edge in golf‑club operations—not to replace the human touch, but to amplify it. When routine tasks run autonomously, staff regain the bandwidth to surprise and delight on the ground. That conviction shaped Svaito.
About Salgados Golf Club
Set between the Atlantic Ocean and a protected nature reserve, Salgados Golf Club in Portugal’s Algarve is famed for its coastal layout and extensive lagoon system. The 18‑hole, par‑72 course welcomes a truly international clientele - where multilingual service isn’t a luxury, it is a necessity.
The Challenge
Here’s what Salgados was up against:
2,000+ emails every month in more than six different languages.
Seasonal peaks pushed reply times beyond the immediate turn-around time Salgados strived for.
Potentially missed upsell revenue on buggies, rental sets, lessons and F&B.
The always non‑negotiable requirement to preserve their existing software stack and brand identity.
The Svaito Solution — AI in Action
Svaito plugs directly into Salgados’ tee sheet and email channels without disturbing existing workflows. The AI Agent:
Automates the entire booking journey from first enquiry through confirmation, 24 / 7.
Communicates in 50‑plus languages while echoing Salgados’ unique brand voice.
Identifies context‑aware upsells for buggies, rental sets, lessons, F&B and more.
Filters spam and phishing so staff see only genuine booking requests.
Protects data end‑to‑end through GDPR‑ready EU hosting, TLS mail transport and role‑based controls.
Tangible Results After 90 Days
KPI | Result | Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|
📨 Enquiries processed | 5,024 | incoming requests parsed and actioned autonomously. | |
🚫 Spam threads filtered | 1,378 | distractions hidden, leaving a 100% golf-focused inbox. | |
✉️ Emails sent | 1,684 | on-brand, information-rich replies delivered 24 / 7. | |
⛳ Rounds booked | 1,878 | bookings completed and upsells suggested in real time. | |
⏱ Admin hours saved | 552 hrs (≈ 40 hrs/week) | redeployed from email to experience enhancement. | |
⚡ Avg. reply time | < 1 hour | Response speed cut by 95 %, backlog erased. | |
“Doing this (emails, bookings, confirmations) without Svaito would take much longer.”
— Reception Manager, Salgados GC
“Svaito is pro-active hospitality. It’s like having an extra team member working around the clock, ensuring every enquiry is processed promptly and accurately, without missing opportunities for guests or the business.”
— Jon Schauder, Troon Executive, Salgados GC
Key Benefits at a Glance
Benefit | How It Helps Your Club | |
|---|---|---|
Automated Booking Experience | Real‑time availability checks, instant confirmations and accurate replies. | |
Full Integration & Control | API tie‑in to tee sheet and email, plus fully customised workflows. | |
Consistent Brand Identity | Every communication looks and sounds like you, not a generic bot. | |
Multi‑Channel & Multi‑Language | Engage golfers via email, chat, WhatsApp—in 50+ languages, around the clock. | |
Proactive Upselling | Built‑in prompts lift buggy, rental and ancillary sales without extra staff effort. | |
Quick & Secure Setup | Go live in under 30 days; GDPR‑compliant from day one. | |
What Salgados GC Teaches Us About Where AI Is Headed
Salgados’ 552-hour win is only the start. The same AI Agent that cleared the inbox is already unlocking three new frontiers:
Always-on, any-channel booking. WhatsApp, Messenger and voice slots will enable golfers to book however—and whenever—they like.
Predictive yield. By learning Salgados’ historical tee-sheet patterns, the Agent will soon suggest optimal prices hours ahead, filling quiet slots without cannibalising other play.
Intelligent upsell automation—on and off the course. From buggy rentals and post-round tapas to accommodation, spa treatments and airport transfers, inventory-aware prompts will surface the right offer at the right moment, automatically boosting per-round and per-trip spend.
Clubs that embrace golf‑specific automation today will out‑serve, out‑sell and out‑scale tomorrow’s late adopters.
Ready to Explore AI‑Driven Golf‑Club Automation?
If your team has a lot of admin and could use more revenue, Svaito’s AI Agent can help. Schedule a discovery call to see a live demo and receive a personalised business‑case projection.
Tags: golf club automation • AI agent • reduce email backlog • booking automation • AI in golf operations
