Aug
9
Extract from Business Times - 09 Aug 2008
New interactive system lets you do this real-time for courses in and around Singapore, reports JUSTINE MOSS
WEBSITES dedicated to the golfing world have been around since the dawn of the Internet Age, and products and services aimed at the e-savvy golfer range from online retailers flogging the latest hi-tech equipment and apparel to golf tournament staging, and those offering golf vacations and sought-after tee times at exclusive courses. There’s a huge market out there for busy golfers who want access to this and more via the click of a mouse.
One slice of the Internet golfing pie involves booking tee times at a number of well-known public and exclusive golf courses around the world. While detractors may argue that it is easier to pick up the phone, online booking allows golfers to book out of hours - plus there’s usually valuable information on these sites showing availability, pricing, course and weather conditions.
The newest system on the block is Clickateeonline.com, an interactive, real-time online golf reservation system which went live three weeks ago. The idea for developing this portal stemmed from founder David Goh’s own experience with limited access to golf courses. ‘Most of us started out driving to Malaysia to play golf simply because most of the local golf clubs are off-limits if you are not a member,’ he says. ‘But when you visit these local golf clubs, you find that the courses are not full every day. If the clubs can allow some access to visitors, they’ll be able to get an added revenue stream and use it to improve the club facilities and services for its members.’
Mr Goh adds: ‘The way for the game of golf to continue to grow in Singapore is to increase the utilisation of golf courses. We can’t afford to build more public courses amid the scarcity of land. Yet, none have been able to do so without infringing on the privileges of club members. Through the latest web technology, we have found a way for members and non-members to co-exist.’
What differentiates this portal from other websites in Asia is its real-time facility, according to Mr Goh. He says that other golf websites in Asia involve filling out an online form, emailing it off and then waiting for a confirmed booking. ‘Why would I bother to do that? I may as well pick up the phone and get immediate confirmation,’ he says.
‘With Clickateeonline, everything is real-time and your booking is confirmed straightaway. An email is sent giving you confirmation details and an ID.’ He adds: ‘Some of the US websites have been planned in a very linear fashion. When we planned this we wanted something very easy for golfers.’
There are currently 13 courses in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand available on the website and these include Keppel Club, Sembawang and Jurong Country Clubs, Legends and Starhill in Johor and Lam Luk Ka Country Club in Bangkok. Mr Goh is hoping to grow this to 80 by the end of the year.
‘We’ve created a target list,’ he says. ‘In Indonesia you’re really just talking about Bintan and Batam, and we’re not going into Jakarta or Surabaya yet. We’ll probably go as far south as Perth and probably go into China as well.’
Regions outside Asia might also be an option in the future, says Mr Goh. ‘This is borderless - it’s a matter of time, resources and response. The US is probably a bit saturated but we think we still have a better product as to what’s out there, and with the right funding we might even expand there.’
Using this golf reservations system is free and it’s relatively simple to navigate. You don’t have to be a member or register to use the website, and once you make a booking, you receive an email with confirmation of your booking plus a login ID and password.
After deciding on when and where you want to play, you click on that timeslot which reveals the number of flights available and how many golfers can play at that time. The price and what it includes is shown in local currency, and might typically include playing 18 holes, buggy, lunch and caddy. Most of the courses have a cancellation policy of about three days, and Clickateeonline will send golfers a reminder about their booking.
Other features of the portal include a quick overview of golf courses, a detailed course description with hole-by-hole photos and tips on how to play. ‘My Game’ allows golfers to view, edit or cancel their online bookings. There’s also ‘My Score’ - a personal score repository that let golfers submit their hole-by-hole scores online - and ‘My Stats’, an interactive chart that plots golfers’ performance over time, with callouts of specific scorecards and score breakdowns.
An additional feature for the future is a community-style add-on, which Mr Goh says he may call ‘the tee-room’, where golfers can upload a picture of themselves and post something on the notice board saying they’re playing a particular course on a certain day and time to see whether other golfers would like to join them.
Loftec has already started working on Phase 2, which promises many more nifty features for golfers. Adds Mr Goh: ‘We want to build an entire golf ‘ecosystem’ around Clickateeonline.com.’
May
14
How exactly do you calculate your handicap (index)?
Filed Under Decoding the USGA Handicap System | Leave a Comment
Most of you might already know the answer, but perhaps, there are others like me who think we know the answer but don’t really know. So let me share with you what I found out along the way.
First, the definition:
A “Handicap Index” is the USGA’s service mark used to indicate a measurement of a player’s potential ability on a course of standard playing difficulty. It is expressed as a number taken to one decimal place.
Now that you know the definition, let’s go through the USGA handicap formula:
Step 1: Determine the number of handicap differentials to use (see “Ever wonder what the Course Rating and Slope Rating represent” on “handicap differentials”). Under USGA handicap system, you need to submit at least five scores before the handicap index may be calculated. Some local clubs/association may demand more scores to be submitted because the accuracy of the handicap index is directly proportional to the number of acceptable scores submitted. For illustration purpose, let’s use 20 scores.
Step 2: Calculate your handicap differentials ((adjusted gross score - course rating) x 113 / slope rating)
Step 3: Average the number of handicap differentials being used. You do not average ALL the handicap differentials submitted. If you submitted 20 scores, you will only average the 10 lowest handicap differentials.
Step 4: Multiply the average by 0.96 (this factor is known as the Bonus for Excellence. It is the incentive for players to improve their golf games)
Step 5: Delete all number after the tenths’ digit. Do not round to the nearest tenth.
Example:
Total of 10 lowest handicap differentials (from the most recent 20 scores submitted) = 154.8
Average = 15.48
Multiply by 0.96 = 14.861
Delete all digits after tenths = 14.8
This is your handicap index … 14.8
Noticed how the formula only picks your 10 lowest handicap differentials from 20 scores submitted? So the next time you play a terrible game, don’t forget to submit your score. Submission of scores is mandatory and if it is an anomaly, rest assured that it will not be taken into account in calculating your handicap index.
In addition to the above, there is a provision under USGA Handicap System to reduce the Handicap Index calculated by the above method if the player posted exceptional tournament scores. We’ll save that for later.
Enjoy your game!
David
(reference: USGA Handicap System 2008-2011)
May
1
Welcome Keppel Club
Filed Under Golf Courses | Leave a Comment
www.clickateeonline.com/keppel
We continue to grow our portfolio of golf clubs. Keppel Club is the second club to come on board in April.
Just 10 minutes away from the heart of the city, Keppel Club has been home to an appealing range of facilities for both the young and old for over a century. Its natural beauty provides golfers with an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Given their proximity and good club facilities, their participation is going to be a big hit among the golfers in Singapore. I’m going to personally try out the course with some golfers I ‘met’ in Facebook on Friday.
May
1
Welcome Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore
Filed Under Golf Courses | Leave a Comment
www.clickateeonline.com/sentosa
If Legends Golf & Country Club was the ignition for our business, Sentosa Golf Club was the engine that propelled us forward when we launched their real-time booking site on April 17th. We couldn’t have found a better club to endorse our product.
Undisputedly Singapore’s most exclusive and beautiful golf club; Sentosa Golf Club is the home to not one but two of the most scenic yet challenging golf courses in the region - Serapong and Tanjong. Serapong is the venue for Asia’s richest National Golf tournament Barclays Singapore Open. The completion of a year long multi-million renovation project has also resulted in state-of-the-art meeting and conferencing facilities and top class dining options. No where else can golf and business mix so eloquently, putting Sentosa Golf Club truly in a class of its own.
The inkling of this partnership marks a key milestone in the growth of clickateeonline.
Apr
24
Welcome Legends Golf & Country Resort
Filed Under Golf Courses | Leave a Comment
www.clickateeonline.com/legends
The Legends Golf & Country Resort was the first golf club that commissioned us to create a real-time booking site for them in January 2008.
Located in beautiful Sedenak, Johor, an easy 40-minute drive from the 2nd causeway via the North-South highway, the resort is easily accessible yet remote enough from the hustle and bustle of city life. It It features a Par 72, 18-hole Jack Nicklaus championship course which is highly rated for its quality, including the number one golf course in Johor by The Business Times and the Top Three golf course in Asia by Asian Golf Monthly.