All players to use GPS-based course management system with its fully integrated tournament application at Cristie Kerr-hosted tournament
October 11, 2005 – Austin, TX – UpLink Corporation announces that all players will use its GPS-based course management system, including Vision Perfect’s tournament application which is completely integrated into the UpLink System, at the UpLink Birdies for Breast Cancer Charity Golf Classic, to be held October 22, 2005 at the Reunion Resort & Club in Orlando, Florida.
Players using UpLink’s technology during the tournament will include Cristie Kerr and other top names in women’s golf, such as Beth Daniel, Natalie Gulbis, Candy Hanneman, Emilee Klein, Kelli Kuehne, Brittany Lincicome, Meg Mallon, and Morgan Pressel, as well as members of the current Stanley Cup Champions Tampa Bay Lightning team including Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards and other former NHL All-Stars. The tournament will generate awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer.
"We believe that UpLink’s system will take this year’s tournament to a new level, significantly enhancing play for our golfers and improving their experience," comments Cristie Kerr, LPGA champion and tournament host. "We’re so pleased that UpLink chose not only to support a great cause by sponsoring our tournament, but also by working hands-on to help us run the event using their GPS system and to ensure that all players have a great experience."
Similar to professional caddies, UpLink’s GPS Caddies will provide golfers with essential distance measurement capabilities and detailed hole views during the tournament. "It is favorable timing that the all the golfers including the LPGA members will be using the UpLink system since this tournament follows right on the heels of the recent announcement by the United States Golf Association (USGA) to amend its Rules of Golf to allow the use of GPS-based systems," comments Glenn A. Pierce Jr., CEO of UpLink.
Additionally, golfers will enjoy the ability of the UpLink system to have them:
– view full-color graphics to each hole including the locations of the pin, hazards and other golf cars,
– enter scores electronically,
– view live tournament leaderboards on their GPS caddies and screens across the course,
– order food and beverages, and
– send and receive messages with the clubhouse.
"UpLink’s solutions are ideal for running charity golf tournaments, such as this one. In addition to enhancing tournament play, UpLink’s system significantly reduces tournament management and set-up time on the back-end," comments Blake Ponuick, chief marketing officer of UpLink.
"Moreover, tournaments using UpLink can provide better options to their sponsors, including the ability to advertise on each golfer’s GPS Caddy," continues Ponuick. Organizations supporting the UpLink Birdies for Breast Cancer Charity Golf Classic will sponsor individual holes and have their advertisements programmed to display at given locations and in a variety of formats, made possible with UpLink’s proprietary AdSmartâ?¢ program and AdLinkâ?¢ software.
UpLink’s technology is already installed at both courses at The Ginn Company-owned and operated Reunion Resort & Club, the venue for this year’s UpLink Birdies for Breast Cancer Charity Golf Classic. In addition, UpLink is installed on other Ginn properties including River Towne CG in S.C. and Patriots Point Links on Charleston Harbor in S.C. All funds raised at this event will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute.
About UpLink
Headquartered in Austin, Texas with regional offices throughout the United States, UpLink Corporation has the industry’s fastest growing base of GPS-based course management systems with more than 150 installations. UpLink’s solutions help courses increase revenue, reduce costs, manage risk and attract and retain customers. An industry pioneer, UpLink’s founders developed the patent that enables GPS on golf courses and UpLink owns the exclusive rights to the patents that permit advertising and sponsorships on all GPS systems used at golf facilities, considered the largest single untapped source of revenue available to courses today.
UpLink is a member of Club Car’s Solutions Networkâ?¢, an alliance of leading providers of value-added products and services offered to Club Car customers. For more information on UpLink, email info@UpLinkgolf.com or call 1-877-787-5465.
About Birdies for Breast Cancer
Cristie Kerr founded Birdies for Breast Cancer, Inc., a Florida-based not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003. Having been deeply affected by her mother’s painful struggle to recovery, Cristie wanted to do whatever she could to fight the disease. Birdies for Breast Cancer was formed for the purpose of supporting breast cancer research. Cristie donates $50 for every birdie she makes in competition. For more information on Birdies for Breast Cancer and this year’s tournament, please contact Christine Lay, Event Manager, at 212.719.3891 or via email at claydo@verizon.net.To learn more about how you can join Cristie and help support breast cancer research, please visit www.birdiesforbreastcancer.com. Fact Sheet: UpLink Birdies for Breast Cancer Golf Classic
Event: UpLink Birdies for Breast Cancer Charity Golf Classic
Location: Reunion Resort and Club in Orlando Florida
Date: October 22, 2005. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Event Goal: The event will raise money for the breast cancer research programs with Evelyn Lauder’s Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute
Event History: Previous events in Miami and Philadelphia raised over $100,000 for breast cancer research
Attendees: LPGA Tour members Beth Daniel, Natalie Gulbis, Candy Hanneman, Emilee Klein, Kelli Kuehne, Brittany Lincicome, Meg Mallon, amateur player Morgan Pressel and NHL players including Stanley Cup Champions, Tampa Bay Lightning team members Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards
Title Sponsor: UpLink Corporation
Corporate Sponsors: Chrysler-Jeep, Allen Partners, Energy Capital Partners, Aviator Sports, Lacoste, Panera Bread, Anheuser-Busch, American Airlines
Entertainment: Live open-air performance by the Spin Doctors and Huey Lewis and The News
Golfing: Golf foursomes start at $5,000
Event contact: Christine Lay, Event Manager, 212-719-3831, claydo@verizon.net or www.birdiesforbreastcancer.com
About Cristie Kerr: A member of the LPGA Tour since 1997, Cristie has risen to the top of the game and has earned six victories over her career. Cristie is having a phenomenal year in 2005, with two wins, at Michelob ULTRA at Kingsmill and Wendy’s Championship for Children; and eight top-3 finishes. She is currently #2 on the official money list, has achieved back-to-back $1 million seasons and recently passed $5 million in career earnings. Most recently, Cristie was the top points-earner to make her third Solheim Cup team, where she posted 2 wins to help the US take back the Cup from Europe by winning 15.5 to 12.5 at this bi-annual match-play event.
About Birdies for Breast Cancer: Cristie Kerr founded Birdies for Breast Cancer, Inc., a Florida-based not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003. Having been deeply affected by her mother’s painful struggle to recovery, Cristie wanted to do whatever she could to fight the disease. Birdies for Breast Cancer was formed for the purpose of supporting breast cancer research. Cristie donates $50 for every birdie she makes in competition. To learn more about how you can join Cristie and help support breast cancer research, please visit www.birdiesforbreastcancer.com.
About the Breast Cancer Research Foundation: The Breast Cancer Research Foundation was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder as an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and genetic research. The Foundation supports scientists at leading medical centers worldwide whose research is focused on achieving prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime. In October 2005, $22 million will be awarded to 110 researchers across the U.S. and in Canada, Europe, Latin America, and Israel. A minimum of 85 cents of each dollar donated to the Foundation goes directly to breast cancer research and awareness programs. For more information, visit www.bcrfcure.org or call 1.866.FIND.A.CURE.
About the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute: Since 1989, the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute has been Florida’s, and one of the nation’s, leading cancer treatment centers. As part of the 17-hospital Florida Hospital network, the Cancer Institute is committed to conducting advanced cancer research and clinical trials while providing the highest standards of patient care. FHCI has the largest cancer research program in Central Florida, and works with world-renowned cancer scientists to take medicine from the lab bench to the bedside. FHCI treats more cancer patients than any other health system in Florida and offers more than 150 clinical trials annually – including groundbreaking breast cancer trials. Funds raised through this event will support new and ongoing breast cancer research at FHCI. More information about the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute Breast Care Program can be found at www.floridahospital.com/breastcancer.
Fact Sheet: UpLink Corporation
Incorporated: Privately held company incorporated in 1998
Head Office: Austin, Texas
Employees: Approximately 40 employees
Market: UpLink markets its solutions to the owners and managers of golf courses, golf resorts, private golf clubs and golf management companies throughout North America.
Customer installations: More than 150 courses across the United States and Canada. Key customers include Troon Golf, Hyatt Hotels, Westin Hotels, Billy Casper Golf, and Disney.
Key customer benefits: UpLink’s solutions are designed to impact profitability at golf facilities by generating more revenue, increasing business efficiencies, attracting and retaining more customers and minimizing risk.
Products: UpLink develops and markets a golf course management solution. This solution integrates Global Positioning System (GPS) and wireless technologies with software applications and car-mounted interactive display caddies. Key attributes of this solution include:
– Clubhouse management computer with full course graphic display for managing and monitoring of all course activities:
o data management and reporting
o pace of play monitoring
o messaging to golfers on the course for pace of play, food and beverage or emergencies
– Graphic and digital display caddies installed on golf cars to enhance the golfer game and experience:
o graphical display of each hole
o distance display to the pin, hazards and other golf cars on the course
o electronic scoring
o two way communication with clubhouse to send and receive messages for emergencies and food and beverage ordering
– Optional modules:
o IQLink: Car control and diagnostic application that enables golf courses to remotely monitor individual car diagnostics to optimize usage, minimize risk by controlling car speed or stopping cars from entering hazardous areas and prevent theft by locking down cars when not in use.
o Tournament management. UpLink’s course management system completely integrates with a leading tournament application by Vision Perfect.
o Advertising management. UpLink’s proprietary program that enables advertising on the GPS caddies.
Club Car partnership: UpLink began a sales, marketing and development agreement with Club Car in 2001 to jointly develop and market UpLink’s GS course management system. Club Car is the number one supplier of golf cars with a 48% market share and is a $600 plus million wholly-owned subsidiary of Ingersoll-Rand.
Vision Perfect partnership: UpLink parts with Vision Perfect to fully integrate its tournament management application into UpLink’s GPS-based course management solution
Patents: An industry pioneer, UpLink’s founders developed the patent that enables GPS on golf courses and UpLink owns the exclusive rights to the patents that permit advertising and sponsorships on all GPS systems used at golf facilities
Management team:
– Glenn A. Pierce, Jr., chief executive officer and president
– Blake Ponuick, chief marketing officer
– Rodney Bond, vice president, finance and administration
– Conrad McHugh, vice president and chief operating officer
– Clayton Reed, executive vice president, sales and marketing
– David Mullinix, vice president of engineering
Contact:
Barry Rumac
512-637-4886
brumac@uplinkgolf.com