Baron Corporation, through its trading division Smart Golf and Leisure, has been awarded the contract to supply all 380 Irish Golf Clubs with an Internet based Central Handicapping System by the Golf Union of Ireland in conjunction with the Irish Ladies Golf Union.
All 240,000 golf club members will be issued with a smart card, which will store the player’s handicap details. Baron will develop the software to establish and maintain the central database as well as the software interface to allow automatic update of the database from the club’s handicap management system after each club competition.
Extensive reporting facilities will be available to Golfing Union officials, club officials and club members based on a secure password system. A WAP enabled web site will also allow access via mobile phones. The system will be piloted in September 2000 with a rollout target of April 200l.
Says Rollo McClure, treasurer of the GUI, “The Union looks forward to working with Smart Golf and Leisure in introducing the system that will provide Union officials and member clubs with secure online access to the handicap details of all Irish golfers.”
Teresa Thompson, secretary of the Irish Ladies Golfing Union agrees. “The Irish Ladies Golf Union will work closely with the Golfing Union of Ireland to ensure that the central handicapping system will be implemented in all affiliated clubs,” she says.
Charles O’Neill, managing director of Smart Golf and Leisure states, “The system will be the first in Europe to cater for both men’s and ladies golfing unions with regards to centralised handicapping. Also, as each of the 240,000 members of Irish golf clubs will be issued with a smart card, Smart Golf and Leisure is in a position to offer clubs products that use smart card technology, such as Competition Entry, Scores Entry, Epos for bar and restaurant, Access Control systems and Internet terminal access. All Irish clubs will also be provided with their own web sites and be offered tee reservation facilities using Baron Corporation’s Golf Agent; Europe’s premier Internet tee reservation system.
“Inter club open competitions are very popular in Ireland and with over 250,000 tee times available each year; Golf Agent will provide a convenient, time-saving and efficient way for Irish Club members to book their tee times in open competitions. As Ireland has some of the best golfing facilities in Europe, it will also open up other available tee times to the international market.”