Time’ is the key word as the sport of golf’s governing bodies battle to find ways to retain current golfers and to engage new participants. In today’s frantic modern lifestyle the pressures on available leisure time are increasing and an average 4-5 hour round of golf is not sustainable to many aspiring golfers who have so many other leisure pursuits to choose from which do not place such demands on their time.
The eGull ‘Play and Pay by the Hole’ Application aims to resolve that ‘time pressure’ issue by enabling golfers to fit in as many holes as their schedule will permit on any given day. This will also help golf clubs to generate revenue from tee times which are frequently vacant such as midweek periods and late evenings when daylight prevents the completion of full rounds.
Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “The European Tour is delighted to confirm our Strategic Partnership with eGulI SAS and their innovative ‘Play and Pay by the Hole’ App, an exciting development which is highly relevant to the future of golf.
“There is a narrative for change currently in the game, a global appetite to try new ideas and a desire to make golf quicker and more exciting. It is the reason we have championed revolutionary concepts such as GolfSixes in addition to the Belgian Knockout and The Shot Clock Masters, both of which will make their debuts on our International Schedule this year.
“The 72-hole tournament will always be the pinnacle of our game but that does not mean it should be the whole of our game – there is, and should always be, scope for innovation, which makes the partnership with eGull SAS a perfect fit for us.
“We will promote and support this important initiative and we encourage golf clubs to embrace the opportunity to fill historically quiet tee-time slots and allow golfers of all abilities the opportunity to play a few holes when their time and schedule allows.”
Olivier Dhotel, Co-founder and CEO of eGull SAS, said: “We are extremely excited to announce our partnership with the European Tour who have a vested interest in growing the game of golf and who will be vital partners for eGull ‘Play and Pay by the Hole’ as we endeavour to retain existing and attract more participants to the game.
“I believe our product is perfectly suited not only to seasoned golfers but also to beginners of all ages who ordinarily would not have many opportunities to play on golf courses. There are many thousands of active golfers who rarely make the transition from the driving range or mini golf facilities to actually playing on a golf course. Occasional golfers are often too nervous to commit to playing a full 9 or 18-hole round on a golf course or simply cannot afford the time.”
The ingenuity of the eGull ‘Play and Pay by the Hole’ Application is all about creating flexibility for golfers and golf courses to best maximise their available ‘Time’. eGull is a FREE software download for golf courses and a FREE App for golfers who use either iOS or Android mobile devices. eGull has developed a sophisticated algorithm to track precisely the number of holes played (it can differentiate between a golfer playing or walking a hole) by a golfer at any golf course in the world even if the golfer skips from one hole to another or chooses to walk or ride back to the clubhouse from anywhere on the course.
It is very simple to use. Once a golfer has downloaded the App and opened his/her account they select a course from the eGull database, inquire about tee time, check in at the club, receive a 4-digit code to input into their App and activate GPS tracking, play as many holes as they wish and once their round has ended, their account will be automatically charged for the actual number of holes played. The golf course has the revenue deposited directly into their account.
It is important to understand that participating golf courses maintain complete control of the inventory of tee time offerings to eGull users. They decide which tee times they wish to offer, which holes are available for play, what fee to charge per hole and in addition will be able to track, in real time, the actual movements of players on the course. Golf courses do not have to reconcile anything with the user after he has started playing as they will be paid directly by the eGull auto banking system which collects golfer’s fees following completion of their round.
eGull will officially launch in the US at the 2018 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, FL January 23, (booth #579). eGull will also take part – on Thursday 25th between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. at the Orange County Convention Center – in the Education Session “Time is Priceless. Learn how to grow the Game and Revenues one hole at a time”, with Pascal Stolz, CEO at eGull, Inc., Manuel Biota, CEO at Blue Green and Tim Hunt, Head of Marketing at European Tour.
Golf clubs in the US interested in offering eGull Pay at their courses can visit http://www.egull.golf/ or contact Bob Visotcky, eGull Chief Revenue Officer, at Bob@egull.golf Golf Clubs in the UK can contact Chris Myers, Country Manager UK, at chris@egull.co Golf Clubs in France can contact Piguy Sport at +33 1 53561212.
eGull http://www.egull.golf
European Tour www.europeantour.com