Apps are ‘fastest trend in history’

There has been a huge growth in the number of golf clubs that offer downloadable apps for smartphones in the last few months, according to new data.

It is thought that the industry has grown by more than 1,000 per cent in the past six months, making it one of the fastest trends in golf club history and comparable with both the rapid growth of clubs’ websites and their more recent take up of social media.

Pwllheli Golf Club in Wales is thought to be the first British golf club to have an app – which it put onto Google’s Android market in late 2011. The app offered features such as the club’s fixture list, a tee booking facility and a course planner, which proved popular with members.

By October 2012, it is believed that less than 20 clubs had developed their own app. However, six months on, more than 200 British golf clubs either have an app or are in the process of getting one developed.

Explaining the driver behind the trend, Declan Hayes, the digital marketing manager at Eagle, the company which launched its app to golf clubs in January and by February had more than 70 orders and another 180 enquiries, said: “Because both smartphones and tablet computers are used to download apps, because users carry their smartphones with them almost 24/7 and because they are now much faster to use for browsing and much more convenient for communicating by voice, email and text, so club managers have recognised they need to enable their club to adapt to this major change in consumer behaviour and lifestyles.

“Members want to be able to check what’s on at their clubs and when, and what could be easier than touching the app on your smartphone to go into the club’s fixtures and diary? And instead of the printed diaries which soon get out of date, they trust their smartphone’s app because it’s being kept up to date by the club, online.

“When it comes to arranging the next round of the club knock out, it’s much easier to go into your club app to find other members’ contact details, touch the number you want and call, email or text them. For clubs wanting to market themselves inexpensively, the app is a perfect showcase with a course guide feature. That and the sheer penetration and convenience is why we’re seeing this incredible trend.”

Declan added that while prestigious clubs such as Druids Glen, Coombe Hill and The Shire have all signed up to the Eagle app since the start of 2013, he’s been impressed by the levels of interest being shown by local clubs. “They represent what I see as the vast majority of typical members’ golf clubs, and they’re the ones whose managers really ‘get it’ when it comes to enabling their clubs to adapt to the powerful new communications’ technologies and the changing habits and lifestyles of their members,” he said.

Mark Kemp, a director at Dynamics Golf, also detailed why growth has taken off so quickly in recent weeks. “More than 61 per cent of golfers now own a smartphone and that figure is rising fast,” he said. “The trend in mobile usage is growing at a pace unlike anything we have seen before.

“As a result, a number of clubs have taken up our app in the last few months, including Worplesdon, Woodhall Spa and Mid Yorkshire, to name just a few.

“One of our clients, a golf academy, has had just under 5,000 downloads of their app since it was created four months ago. That’s more than most golf clubs have email addresses on their databases, which they’ve been building for years.

“What’s been a driver is that the mobile app market is moving fast to keep pace with smartphone users, and native app development is no longer for big companies with extensive budgets. Golf clubs can now have a great native mobile app while keeping within tight budgets.

“The apps are popular with golfers but they can be revenue generators for clubs too. Fynn Valley Golf Club, for example, are testing the food ordering feature so members can order and pay for food before they even arrive at the club. Also, Colne Valley and Whitehill golf clubs are making great use of our GPS and QR coupons features.”

Golf club apps typically cost about £600 to £950 for the first year, and can be downloaded for free from the major app stores.