Member Golf Courses Will Offer 24/7 Convenience for Inbound Travelers and Local Golfers, While Reaping Benefits of Proven Marketing Partner
ORLANDO, Fla. (Nov. 16, 2010) – Golf Channel today announced that its industry-leading tee-time business,GolfNow.com, will expand further internationally in 2011 with top golf destinations Ireland and the United Kingdom leading the way.
GolfNow, currently working with more than 2,400 partner golf courses that have booked more than 4 million rounds in the United States and Canada in 2010 so far, will make its Ireland and U.K. service available to both inbound travelers from North America, as well as golfers within their own borders. With an initial focus on golf courses in Ireland and Northern Ireland, Golf Channel plans to integrate and promote the top courses in these destinations to its vast on-air and online audience.
To manage the new initiative, Golf Channel has identified a new strategic partner in the Ireland and U.K. market, Carr Golf Travel. A worldwide leader in golf travel, Carr Golf has been welcoming golfers to Ireland and Scotland for more than 60 years. Carr’s primary responsibilities will include developing relationships with golf courses to activate them on the GolfNow platform, while working with those courses to deliver pricing and offers that resonate with consumers.
In addition, Golf Channel also has executed a strategic interface agreement with BRS Golf, the U.K.’s number-one tee sheet provider, in an effort to make the entry into the European market as efficient as possible for participating courses. BRS Golf has more than 460 golf clubs currently using its management system.
“We couldn’t have added a more reputable, golf-focused company like Carr Golf to help launch GolfNow in this new arena,” said Gene Pizzolato, chief operating officer, Golf Channel New Media Ventures. “And with BRS, we’ve picked the right technology partner to accelerate our success by providing us with the ability to directly connect to the tee-time inventory of over 460 of Europe’s best golf courses.
“We’re excited about GolfNow’s entry into Ireland and the U.K. as a great start to build momentum internationally, and to let the industry know that our presence there is just the first in a series of steps to expand even further around the world.”
“As the regional market leader in golf course management and golf travel, Carr Golf is excited about the impact this will have on the entire golf sector,” said Marty Carr, chief executive officer for Carr Golf. “It also fits in perfectly with our strategy for driving revenue and complements current consumer trends.”
“This is a great opportunity for the Irish Golf Industry to benefit from the marketing power of the Golf Channel,” said Dr. Brian Smith, director of BRS Golf. “We recommend customers that want to increase revenue to give us a try. Both systems will be fully integrated, so there will be no double bookings and no management overhead. Golf courses will be in complete control of which tee times are available to be sold.”
GolfNow.com is the Internet’s largest and most comprehensive online tee time booking service, offering access to more than 2,400 golf courses in 45 U.S. States and Canada. Through easy-to-implement solutions, GolfNow.comhelps golf courses sell more rounds, increase revenues and, in turn, helps grow the game.
About GolfNow.com
Golf Channel’s GolfNow.com is managed and operated by GolfChannel.com, which ranks as a top golf destination on the Internet. Golfnow.com is the Internet’s largest and most comprehensive online tee time booking service, offering users the ability to book tee times at more than 2,400 courses nationwide at any time of day. The tee time service is part of Golf Channel’s inventive online platform, a combination of sites designed to be the ultimate one-stop personal golf concierge service to help the recreational player enjoy every aspect of golf from getting the most up-to-the-minute golf news from around the world to help with how to play, where to play and what to play. Golf Channel’s digital platform also serves golfers in the areas of travel and events – highlighted by the Golf Channel Am Tour, the largest amateur tour in the country with more than 800 tournaments in 60+ local chapters nationwide, providing casual players with a professionally-run golf tournament experience and access to play at some of the greatest and most challenging courses in their hometowns – and access to GolfChannel.com’s features and breaking news, a library of more than 2,500 instructional online videos, extensive product reviews, and tips from the most-trusted equipment experts.
Contact:
Dan Higgins, Golf Channel Public Relations, 407-355-4018, dhiggins@golfchannel.com
Jeremy Friedman, Golf Channel Public Relations, 407-355-4058, jfriedman@golfchannel.com
