On 14 October 2026, Merkenbouwers, the Dutch podcast by VIA Nederland about the people behind brands, released an episode with Sam Heyligers, co-founder of OneTee. Over roughly forty minutes he tells hosts Lucas Noordhoorn (Blis) and Tale Meester (OMD) why it took so long before Dutch golfers could book golf in one app, and how OneTee is changing that. The episode is in Dutch.
Call, email, one account per course
Sam took up golf during the pandemic, when it was one of the few sports still allowed. He loved the game. Getting a tee time was another story. You called the club, or searched each course's own website or booking tool, and created a new account at every club. For a student who could not play every weekend, that was a lot of friction for an expensive sport.
Meanwhile, gyms let you book classes at dozens of locations from a single app. Why not golf?
Book golf in one app, at dynamic prices
That is OneTee in a sentence: one app, one account and one profile to book tee times at different golf courses. A second idea comes from aviation, where Sam worked for two years. Not every tee time is worth the same. A sunny Friday afternoon is busier, and pricier, than a grey Tuesday. Dynamic pricing means you pay less at quiet moments, and courses fill slots that would otherwise stay empty.
Courses benefit too. Without prepayment, no-shows are a real problem in Dutch golf: a booking that never turns up is lost revenue. Joining OneTee is free for golf courses. Read more on our page for golf courses.
Tell the story before the promise
The most candid part of the conversation is about a mistake. The first version of the app had two courses, while the marketing already promised one platform for every course. Sam compares it to a delivery app with two restaurants: if you live in Utrecht, a course in Amsterdam does not help you. The lesson OneTee took from it: share where you are and what you are building, rather than promising what does not exist yet.
Before, during and after the round
Booking is only the start. Sam points to Playtomic, the app padel players use to find each other and book a court together. Golf can work the same way: a tee time holds four players, and if you are on your own or with one friend, OneTee lets you join others. After the round, OneTee wants to be for golfers what Strava is for runners: a place to keep track of where and how you played, and to share it.
Listen to the episode
"Bouwen aan OneTee met co-founder Sam Heyligers" is available on Omny, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Want to book golf without a membership? Download the OneTee app.