In 1744 the game of golf was created in Scotland. Today, 450M people consider themselves golf fans, either attending competitions, occasionally playing the game or watch golf on TV.
Golf stands in the 9th position in terms of global sport popularity. In the United States (US) alone, golfs’ complete economic activity totals €227B, an increase of 20% since 2016.
However, golf has also had its challenges and experienced a decline in global activity in the years between the financial crisis and 2020. The coronavirus shutdowns then gave golf a burst of popularity as courses was seen as an oasis for people to get out of their homes.
Now, with membership prices and green fees increasing more than ever, clubs have difficulties in retaining members. Others struggle to attract new golfers because of poor availability of tee times. On top of that, the industry is battling to attract a broader mix of demographics to play.
For most golf operators, the problem lies in poor capacity planning and lack of insights into what drives player satisfaction. Both needs data.
Players 1st is a software company providing a customer experience (CX) and business intelligence (BI) solution designed specifically for golf courses. The company collects data on golf players through surveys and helps golf club operators optimize key revenue drivers via business analytics and benchmarking data.
Players 1st’s USP is for operators to gain insights into players’ experiences, identify pain points, and optimize their operations to boost customer satisfaction, retention, and profitability.
The company believes that Experience Management is all about controlling the customer journey, and if golf club operators put players first, listen to their feedback, and adapt services to their needs they will reward them with loyalty.
Players 1st’s mission is to grow the game of golf by empowering club operators to recruit and retain players. The company’s vision is to have all golf experiences in the world measured through their platform.