How Oslo Golf Lounge Uses Alba Golf Simulator Booking Software to Run an Unstaffed Venue

Before opening Oslo Golf Lounge, co-founder and CEO Christoffer Pihl and the team asked potential customers what they expected from a modern indoor golf venue. Two names came up repeatedly: TrackMan for the simulator technology and Alba for the booking platform.

Today, Oslo Golf Lounge uses Alba to handle bookings, access, pricing, memberships, and bay automation across the unstaffed venue.

We sat down with Christoffer to talk about why they chose Alba, how the golf simulator booking software supports their unstaffed venue, and why SimLock has become especially valuable for controlling simulator access and protecting revenue.

Why Oslo Golf Lounge chose Alba for golf simulator booking software

While developing the concept, the team ran a customer survey to understand what potential customers expected from the venue.

“A lot of the feedback that we got was that you have to use Alba as the booking platform.”

That feedback shaped how the team set up the technology before opening.

The plan was always to do more than just install simulators. Oslo Golf Lounge was built around indoor golf from the start, with the aim of creating a place where people want to play, meet and spend time.

To make that work, the systems needed to support both the customer experience and the venue’s operating model.

How booking and access work at an unstaffed indoor golf venue

A typical Oslo Golf Lounge booking might start while a customer is still at work.

They find an available time, book a bay and receive the access information they need before their session.

Because Oslo Golf Lounge runs without staff on site, booking, payment and access all need to connect smoothly.

As Christoffer explains:

“Everything from the simulators to the booking systems to the vending machines has to function.”

For an unstaffed indoor golf venue, booking software needs to do more than just show available bay times. At Oslo Golf Lounge, Alba ties each booking to the right access, which cuts down on manual work for every visit.

How Oslo Golf Lounge uses pricing and memberships

Demand for indoor golf is rarely distributed evenly throughout the day. Early mornings, weekday afternoons and evenings often see different patterns.

Christoffer notes that the team is trying out new ways to combine time-based pricing with different membership options.

Alba lets the team manage these pricing and membership structures in one place.

This setup makes it easier for the team to keep adjusting pricing and memberships as they learn more about customer demand and how the venue is actually used.

How SimLock helps Oslo Golf Lounge run an unstaffed venue

When asked to choose one Alba feature, Christoffer points to SimLock.

SimLock is Alba’s bay automation tool. It connects simulator access to the booking calendar and keeps a simulator locked when there is no active booking.

For Oslo Golf Lounge, this solves a practical problem that matters even more when the venue is unstaffed.

“This helps us ensure that people actually book when they play and don’t misuse the simulators.”

Without that control, simulators might be used outside a valid booking, which makes it harder to track usage and can lead to missed revenue.

Christoffer also connects SimLock directly to the commercial side of the venue:

“If I were to pick one service that I really like, it’s SimLock. Preventing misuse of the simulators and also increasing my revenue potential.”

Players can also extend their session from the SimLock screen if more time is available. That way, any extra playing time stays linked to the booking.

How Alba helps Oslo Golf Lounge keep growing

For Christoffer, working with Alba is about more than just individual features.

Alongside booking, pricing and simulator access, he points to Alba’s understanding of the golf simulator industry.

“Their knowledge of the golf simulator industry is important for me in terms of growing golf as a business.”

As Oslo Golf Lounge keeps testing pricing, memberships and new ways of running the venue, that industry experience continues to matter.

“We really look forward to continuing our collaboration with Alba and exploring new ways of innovating the simulator industry.”

What can other operators learn from Oslo Golf Lounge?

The Oslo Golf Lounge example shows how useful it can be to match your indoor golf booking software to how the venue actually runs.

For Christoffer, that means running an unstaffed simulator venue where booking, access and simulator control all work together, and pricing and memberships can keep changing as the business grows.

If you are considering a similar setup, our guide to golf simulator booking software covers features and questions worth considering before choosing a system.

Golf simulator booking software beyond the booking calendar

At Oslo Golf Lounge, Alba connects booking, access, pricing, memberships and bay automation around the venue’s unstaffed operating model.

Explore how booking works in Alba

See how automation and SimLock work

See current Alba pricing

Book a demo