Around the Green

TGA Partners with Find A Game

DALLAS—The Texas Golf Association recently announced a strategic partnership with “Find a Game,” a web and smartphone application designed to help golf clubs eliminate threesomes and increase play with customized invitations to golfers who opt in. Find a Game is the first service enabling golf facilities to arrange games, attract more players and address the issue of partially filled tee times.
 
The innovative service is free for consumers. Using artificial intelligence, the service allows golfers to utilize contact lists and coordinate games within established groups or make new golf friends in their area who share similar skill levels. Public courses and private clubs, however, pay to use the app’s functions to drive more rounds at their facility and enhance private club members’ experiences. With the partnership, TGA Member Clubs receive discounts on the paid features. Additionally, individual TGA Members receive free upgrades to Find a Game’s premium version, which includes a unique Private Club Exchange feature.
 
“Find a Game has two functions golfers love,” said Lee Blaylock, the company's Founder and CEO.  “The first saves golfers time filling out a foursome by sharing your availability to play with a buddy list you set up, or receiving invitations from approved clubs the golfer likes to play. A separate function helps golfers get on private courses of interest, mirroring how golfers do it today by calling their pro, friends or friend of friends. With Find a Game, all of this becomes much faster, simpler and free.”
 
Set to launch in early February after extensive trials, the Find a Game app will be available on Apple and Android devices. Public and private golf facilities also benefit from the app’s technology. Public courses can promote themselves and increase rounds played by inviting golfers to fill partial or empty tee times with golfers who opt in, based on both skill, and who you know in common, for social relevancy.
 
Find a Game is the first service enabling course operators to invite golfers to fill out specific tee times to improve course profitability, Blaylock said. Using players’ handicaps and social relevancy, courses may send emails, or mobile notifications, to golfers who opt in. Find a Game is collaborating with EZLinks Golf, a PGA Tour affiliated company and leading electronic tee sheet provider, to further automate the entire process.
 
“We’re eliminating twosomes and threesomes,” Blaylock said. “Golfers often have trouble finding a full game with their friends when they want to play.  This is a powerful and course friendly tool to help clubs arrange games for golfers to increase daily play. Find a Game is the easiest way for golfers to find games on courses they want to play.”
 
The service also helps private clubs personalize and enhance members’ experiences. Find a Game assists clubs with member recruitment, utilization and retention by leveraging distinct personal relationships.
 
TGA Executive Director Rob Addington said he recognized the value of Find a Game for golfers and golf facilities and is excited to offer the technology as a benefit for TGA Members and Member Clubs. 
 
“The TGA works to serve the entire golf community in Texas, from private clubs to municipal courses and elite championship players to beginners,” Addington said. “Find a Game puts technology in play that facilitates connecting these diverse groups. This new service is a nice extra benefit for TGA Members. Regardless of whether a golfer keeps a handicap, he or she is most likely always looking for places to play and friends to play with. Find a Game helps with both.”
 
Several industry leaders have experienced the Find a Game app and had glowing comments about it. Cameron McCormick, the 2015 PGA of America’s Teacher of the Year, David McLay Kidd, architect of Bandon Dunes and Steve Hatch, Director of Golf at Horseshoe Bay Resort, were among those who have used the service.
 
“Find a Game is the best I’ve seen to help you find a game with your mates,” said McCormick, the longtime teacher to two-time major champion Jordan Spieth.
 
Dominion Golf Group, Century Golf, American Golf, OB Sports and the TPC Network are among the first adopters of Find a Game.   
 
“Find a Game is the most innovative solution for course operators to eliminate threesomes and run a more profitable club,” said Steven Held, the CEO of Dominion Golf Group. “The integration with EZLinks tee sheet to fully automate the service makes it even more compelling.”
 
For more information about the Find a Game, click here. For more information about becoming a TGA Member, click here.