Unless you live south of the Equator, spring is here and that means it’s time to dust the driver and hit your first 330 yard shot of 2008. The problem is, where do you find that perfect course for straightening out the Mulligan blues? Golf.com and Action Engine
put their swings together and launched an ad-supported mobile application that lets golf enthusiasts search and access course data from their mobile phone.
Golf.com Course Finder, from Sports Illustrated Digital Group, is a free downloadable mobile application that delivers personalized golf course content. The search engine allows users to find a friendly lynx based on name, location, course type, course amenities, costs and number of holes. Once the application finds a match, contact information is displayed so a tee time can be arranged. Golfers can store the last five searches they conduct for quick reference and easy reuse. About the only thing this application doesn’t do is rate how cute the drink-cart girls are.
“GOLF.com is the most trusted name in the sport for golfers and fans seeking the most informative, timely and award-winning take on breaking news, scores, instruction, equipment and travel. Through this partnership our unique and highly used golf course database will now be available to golfers any time, anywhere,” said Kenneth Fuchs, Vice President and GM, SI Digital.
The GOLF.com application is available today with support for 28 phones running the Microsoft Windows Mobile platform. Windows Mobile is the exclusive launch advertiser for the new service. To download the application consumers can either text “GOLF” to 58585 to receive a text message with a link to download GOLF.com Course Finder or simply go to http://www.golf.actionengine.com/provision on your phone’s mobile browser and follow the instructions provided.
Good article john. Nice touch on the cart girls comment. Will it tell me where to avoid playing with G.P.?
Ned
Comment by Nathan Nasty — March 27, 2008 @ 4:35 am
“simply” go to golf.actionengine.com/provision on your mobile browser? I’m sorry but no one will remember that monstrosity. Here is an idea, why don’t the good people at golf.com instead use their mobile domain name golf.mobi? They own it, so please use it. If anyone from Golf is reading this, please take this message to someone in your organization who can do something about this and use the best web address, golf.mobi, for your mobile content.
Comment by Paul G — March 28, 2008 @ 4:38 pm
Why must they make it so difficult to find golf courses on a mobile phone?
For example go to http://www.bunkers.mobi That site is “under Par” and setting the pace for the mobile Golfing industry, it was even the site of week for http://www.mtld.mobi last week! And it works on every mobile 2.0 phone!
You really dont need an application to download a golf course locater! And I believe Golf.com owns Golf.mobi SO why don’t they just use Golf.mobi and save alot of steps and make it more friendly for the enduser for every phone?
-Ben
Comment by Benjamin — March 28, 2008 @ 9:25 pm
It isn’t just the sexism here that’s a lot of old balls. Someone there needs to study usability…try useit.com… because a handicapped multi step process to get to an application that will then fail on some phones is a loser.
For a hole in one go to http://bunkers.mobi where you get it all straightaway on any phone. In one go without a caddy to haul around all the instructions for you.
Comment by Francis — March 29, 2008 @ 6:39 am
It isn’t just the sexism here that’s out of date. Someone there needs to study usability…try http://useit.com… because a handicapped multi step process to get to an application that will then fail on some phones is a loser.
For a hole in one go to http://bunkers.mobi where you get it all straightaway on any phone. In one go without a caddy to haul around all the instructions for you.
Comment by Bounce — March 30, 2008 @ 12:24 am