Every now and then, a task crosses your desk that you think will be one thing, but turns out to be something else entirely.
That’s what happened when I was assigned to write this article on the GPS app known as GolfN. I thought it would be easy: a quick review of a simple GPS app. I would download it, use it a few times and let you know what I liked and didn’t like.
Oh, what a naive boy I was barely five weeks ago.
What I have learned is that the GolfN app can to be a simple GPS/score app that stores extremely basic statistics data from the user. However, if you really want to dive up to your eyebrows, the GolfN can be something else entirely.
It all depends on what you want from it and how much time, energy and money you want to invest. That investment, friends, can range from nothing at all to a lot of all three.
Oh yes, you will want to read this.
GolfN: Gamifying your golf game
Let’s start with the absolute basics. GolfN is a free download for both iOS and Android. It’s a free and easy-to-use GPS and scorecard app. Based on your data, it will track free kicks and putts on the green (and where you missed), as well as putts and penalty kicks.
It features 40,000 courses mapped worldwide and can be integrated with the GHIN handicap system for posting results. If you’re so inclined, there’s also a social aspect with a Facebook-style community within the app.
If that’s all you want, that’s all you’ll get. And it’s free to download and use.
But this is where GolfN gets interesting.
“The main concept is to give up the basic functionality that everyone else is paying for,” GolfN founder Jared Phillips tells MyGolfSpy. “Then let’s make it more like golf credit card rewards. The more you play, the more you engage in the app, the more points you can earn for the things you really care about.”
What we’re talking about is app-based gamification. Every time you play golf and use the app, you can earn points. Those points can be used in redeeming GolfN app points for things like LAB and Bettinardi irons, Miura and Srixon irons, Cleveland wedges, COBRA iron woods and even Stewart electric carts.
“If I can earn points for a new Miura wedge or a set of irons, I’ll go for it,” says Phillips. “What’s better than getting new Miura irons? Not paying money for new Miura irons.”
So yeah, that’s interesting. So are sweepstakes for experiences, products and events. There is also a Pro Shop where you can buy things at MSRP.
But the GolfN app is about to get fascinating.
There are membership levels, and then there are membership levels
You can earn points with free version of GolfN, but if you want to earn points faster, you’ll need to purchase a membership.
Aha, so there’s a catch.
Well, yes, of course there is. Why do you think there wouldn’t be one?
“We have thousands of users who don’t pay us a dime and probably never will,” Phillips explains. “But if you want to go higher, you can get a membership.”
The Phillips credit card analogy shared earlier is really spot on. You can get an entry-level American Express Delta SkyMiles Blue card with no annual fee and earn Delta miles. Or you can get a Delta SkyMiles Reserve card that costs $650 a year, earn more miles, get upgrades, reach the highest SkyMiles status faster, and get access to Delta lounges. If you fly a lot, it might make sense.
“Why would you choose to do this?” says Phillips. “Because the points and benefits are better. That’s why.”
A higher GolfN membership level earns you more points faster. If you’re using the free version and want to earn enough points for a set of Miura irons, you’ll want to start young and plan to play a lot of golf. To speed it up, you can buy monthly or yearly memberships (25 percent off the monthly price). An annual White membership gives you a 4.6x points multiplier (meaning a round earns 4.6x more points. The monthly version is only 2.7x). Silver gives you an 11x multiplier (6.3x if monthly) while Gold gives you a 54x multiplier (only 19x if monthly).
If you really want to go crazy, get a Diamond membership. You have to apply to be a Diamond, but it carries a 275x points multiplier. However, if you buy it every month, it’s only a 106x multiplier.
How much do these membership levels cost? Well, that’s where we transcend the fascination and enter the world of WTF???
Wait, it costs HOW much???
Say you want a White membership. If you go month to month, it will cost you $25 every 30 days. If you choose the annual option to earn more points, it’s $18.75 per month. Silver is $50 per month, or just $37.49 if you sign up for the entire year.
Gold is where we set ourselves apart playahs from ordinary participants. It’s either $200 per month or $1,799 for a full year, which comes out to $149.99 per month.
Diamond? I think you better sit down.
It’s $899 a month. A full year costs $8,099, which is $674.92 per month.
WTF???
I had to ask Phillips if he was serious and if anyone actually bought Gold or Diamond Memberships. He assured me that yes, he was and yes, quite a few do.
“About 60 percent of our users are under the age of 35, so they get things like in-game power-ups and gamification,” he explains. “They’re digital powerhouses. It’s easy to understand if you put it in the context of gaming.”
It took me a while to wrap my head around why anyone in their right mind would pay $899 for a month of GolfN. Believe it or not, I came up with a scenario – just one, mind you – that might actually make sense.
Let’s say me really want a set of custom built Miura KM-700 irons. They do with $400 iron those new McLaren sticks they look like a bargain. With upgraded Nippon Pro Modus 105 shafts, medium-sized SuperStroke Revl white grips, and a fancy ferrule, we’re asking $3,150 for a seven-piece set.
If I know I’ll be playing a lot of golf over the next 60 days, it actually works to buy two Diamond months for $1,800 to earn the 96,000 points you need to get them. At that point, you’ll actually be getting them for over $1,300 off retail.
However, I’m not sure I’d want to present that spending plan to the House Ways and Means Committee. A set of custom Srixon ZXi5 handcuffs (55,960 points) or a custom LAB Link 2.2 gauge (27,500 points) could allow me to keep my place in the big bed.
How fast can you earn points? Seven rounds of golf with a Gold Membership can get you around 47,000 points, so it can add up very quickly.
Does GolfN really make money doing this?
Yes, they make some money from memberships, but there are some things behind the scenes of crypto/non-fungible tokens (NFTs). However, this angle is not forward-facing and does not affect daily use.
You can also buy equipment with cash GolfN Pro Shop. Phillips is established as a wholesale customer for GolfN’s OEM partners, who will ship product directly to the GolfN user.
“We don’t fit in with green grass or e-comm,” he says. “We’re kind of in the middle. Our first big partner was Dunlop USA, with Srixon and Cleveland. They opened us up to risk and we’re now one of their biggest customers.
“It took the better part of a year to get Miura on board. Within the first two weeks, we sold $26,000 worth of clubs.”
If this sounds a bit like a Mill River plan, it is. A Mill River Golf deal is where members pay an annual fee or purchase. In return, they can buy things at cost plus a small markup, perhaps 10 percent over wholesale. It is restricted to members only.
In today’s world, information also has value. Phillips says the average GolfN the user registers over 75 times per month. There is a daily Press Your Luck spin activity to earn points or merchandise, and you can earn points for signing up at places like Golftec, Topgolf, ranges or simulators in your area. Honestly, there’s so much going on in the GolfN app that you have to come back regularly just to figure out what the hell is going on.
“Most apps, you only log in when you’re playing golf,” Phillips says. “We get a million views a month from people just going through the app to see what’s going on. Our partners love that because it’s a way for them to actually see people actively looking at their products.”
So is GolfN for you?
Boy, that’s a loaded question.
After using the app for a little over a month, I still have some questions, but I can draw some conclusions.
First, it’s a pretty good GPS app. It’s free, easy to use, and takes wind and weather into account for “like” distances. These are three things that I value. Second, I’m starting to get the gamification part as I’ve always been a slave to points. I have the Delta Reserve card, stay at Marriotts, and rent cars with National, all in the name of earning freebies. Give me a target and I’ll stare at sunuvabitch until I get the status.
Finally, how GolfN gains more users, I can see how it could be of value to OEMs. Data makes the world go round, and all those little ones and zeroes are the driving force.
Remember when Google bought Nest Labs, maker of the Nest thermostat, for $3.2 billion 12 years ago? Do you really think it was because Nest had a really cool thermostat? Or maybe, just maybe, was it something to do with data and knowing your preferences and habits as Google built its Smart Home empire?
So after all that, I get the GolfN app. A kind. It’s a game you pay to play, and you can pay as much or as little as you want. However, if you want to earn much faster, you will have to pay more faster.
If, however, you refuse to pay Arcco his $17/month, I’d love to hear what you have to say about a $150/month GolfN Gold membership.
On the other hand, if you see me hacking it around Breakfast Hill with a new set of Miura KM-700s later this year, you’ll know how I got them.
