GolfSwitch to provide tee-time solutions for Golfspain, Spanish Golf Course Owners and the Spanish Golf Federation
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (May 27, 2008) – GolfSwitch, Inc., the world’s largest online golf reservations network, has been selected as the official, exclusive online tee-time provider for Golfspain and Portal Golf Gestion, SA. This agreement marks the first such partnership between an American online tee-time provider and a European country’s official golf technology supplier.
“GolfSwitch is honored to be selected as Golfspain’s official tee times provider,” said GolfSwitch CEO, Damian Greco. “Just as GolfSwitch has been instrumental in the advancement of golf reservations technology in the United States, Golfspain has similarly pushed the technological envelope in the Spanish golf industry,” Greco continued. “In this and in many other respects, it is truly a natural partnership.”
GolfSwitch will provide online tee-time solutions through a Golfspain-branded tee times portal site (http://teetimes.golfspain.com) and for all the golf course web site within the country running the Golfspain management software. Golfspain provides the platform through which millions of European visitors annually access and book online tee-times and golf packages in Spain. This unique partnership brings together the power of an established online tee time provider from the United States with a country-backed golf management supplier which controls 80% of the marketplace in Spain.
Also partnering with GolfSwitch and Golfspain are the major tourist destination areas within Spain. These include the Costa Del Sol, the islands of Gran Canaria, Costa Brava, and the Alicante region. Golfspain and the regionally based tourism associations will provide the ground-level golf courses needed to book tee-times online and the lodging partners to book golf packages utilizing the GolfSwitch Vacation Packaging Engine. In addition to booking Spanish tee times, visitors will soon be free to access any of Spain’s golf courses and lodging partners for tee-times and golf packages in 6 different languages. The GolfSwitch Network allows golfers to book both rooms and golf in a real-time environment to create their own customized golf package.
Franscisco Fernandez Navarrete’ of Golfspain was enthusiastic about the opportunities created by the joint venture: “The Partnership between Golfspain and GolfSwitch is one that will provide great value for the golf courses in Spain and for consumers to traveling to Spain.
Adding the robust online platform of GolfSwitch to the all ready powerful management suite of golf course software provided by Golfspain seemed like a natural joint venture. It terms of technology, it will allow us to place the Spanish market at the very leading edge.”
Through GolfSwitch technology, golfers can conveniently book their preferred tee times any day, around the clock. The one-network approach to booking tee times eliminates a time-consuming and labor-intensive chore for golf shop and hotel operators. The program is structured such that revenues derived from the portal site will be reinvested in golf marketing campaigns for Golfspain as well as growth of the game initiatives through the countries federation.
About GolfSwitch, Inc.
GolfSwitch was founded in Arizona in 1998 by a team of golf, travel, and technology experts who were frustrated by the inefficiency they saw in the multi-billion dollar golf reservation business. Their vision was to create a global golf network, without software conflicts, that would increase tee times sales for golf courses while enabling profitable relationships between golf courses and resorts and buyers and sellers of tee times and golf vacations.
The foundation of the GolfSwitch network is a standardized communications platform that allows real-time access to over 60 tee sheet software programs, representing 95% of all automated golf courses in the United States and Europe. The patented GolfSwitch technology features one unified system with universal tee sheet compatibility, advanced tee time search and booking capabilities, unlimited distribution channels and comprehensive golf content from around the world.
The network also provides a browser-based booking engine called WebPro that enables any internet web site to book tee times online. Golf course, travel and sports, and newspaper web sites can use WebPro to market and sell tee time reservations to their customers, under their own brand name, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
GolfSwitch’s marketing partners include some of the nation’s top travel companies. Among them are Expedia.com, Hilton Hotels, American Express Travel, TUI Travel PLC of England, the world’s largest travel agency operating in 180 countries, Spirit Airlines and several large U.S. newspaper companies. The company also provides services to major destinations such as Las Vegas, Palm Springs, and Orlando, its hometown area of Scottsdale/Phoenix, as well as Canada’s British Columbia and Prince Edward Island.
For more information visit www.golfswitch.com.
Contact:
GolfSwitch
Mike Glitsos, (480) 429-7280, mglitsos@golfswitch.com
Resort & Golf Marketing
Kevin Frisch, (989) 614-0241, kevin@resortandgolf.com
Dave Richards, (248) 642-6420, dave@resortandgolf.com