Lincoln-based GolfStatus, a mobile app that connects golfers, courses and advertisers through a variety of features, recently released a fully redeveloped, redesigned and rebranded iOS application in time for the spring and summer golf season.
An Android update is in the works.
“We’re rolling out features every day,” said GolfStatus Vice President Ryan Cooper. “Updates are coming on both platforms pretty regularly.”
The mobile app release is the first of several planned rollouts. Cooper said that other products for courses, coaches and golf industry professionals are being developed that interface with the mobile application. Updated web-based course management software is also in the works.
GolfStatus offers players a long list of features including hole-by-hole GPS, in-app scoring, round histories, player statistics, a competitive leaderboard, the opportunity to win free rewards, a variety of practical features and social media integration for easy sharing of scorecards and moments including photos to Facebook and Twitter.
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The web-based course management software allows courses, brands and sponsors to reach golfers through in-app rewards, sweepstakes, and prizes offered in real-time when a user has a memorable experience on the course. Use of the app drives more rounds, revenue and engagement.
“Essentially, what we’re doing is we’re capturing the best moments that golfers have in their careers and we’re allowing for brands and the course in particular to meaningfully engage with golfers in those moments,” said Cooper. “It’s fun for friends but it’s fun for national competition as well. There’s a lot of depth to the software offering that we have.”
At a time when the number of golf courses is on the rise but the number of golfers is on the decline, GolfStatus helps golf clubs around the country succeed at fundamental business principles such as growing their number of engaged, satisfied customers, ensuring an efficient use of resources and generating healthy revenue streams.
National Golf Foundation statistics provided by GolfStatus’s digital magazine show that the number of courses in the United States has risen 24% since 1990 but golfer participation has dropped from a peak of 30.6 million golfers in 2003 to 24.1 million.
“What the industry has been lacking is an experience that complements a golfer’s time on the course in a way that’s as meaningful and personal as the game itself is to the golfer,” explains GolfStatus President Zach Peed. “Golf is a very personal sport, and tomorrow’s golfers demand a mobile application that’s just as personal and tooled to their individual needs.”
Cooper said that GolfStatus is averaging more than 100-200 downloads a day but the true measure of an app’s impact is its user retention rate. Peed and Cooper are focused on their retention numbers and say that number is up in the range of Facebook’s user retention rates.
“Downloads are just one statistic, but after someone downloads your app, they need to stick around and use it to actually add value,” said Cooper. “Our retention rate is very strong and that’s because we deliver a product that actually has a useful application for a golfer and the golf course.”
As the 2017 golfing season continues and GolfStatus prepares for future rollouts, the company is working directly with courses around the country in an effort to team up with sponsors and widen their mobile reach through meaningful engagements with golfers.
GolfStatus-equipped courses will also soon be able to streamline tournament management and other time-consuming operational functions through the course management dashboard.
The app will also soon offer live scoring and gaming features, as well as a coaching dashboard for high school and collegiate teams.
“The 2017 season will be our most evolutionary one yet,” says Peed. “Our aim is to continue to empower courses and brands to capitalize on our rewards platform while adding value to our user experience with features that make the game more personal, more engaging, and more fun for golfers.”
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Christine McGuigan is the Associate Editor of Silicon Prairie News.
