News

The Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player, and its groundbreaking app will play a major role in the European Tour’s digital drive and new mobile phone policy at this year’s tournament from 9-12 November.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge app made its debut last year and was lauded by fans and the Tour alike as one of the most comprehensive fan-focused apps ever developed for South African golf.

At this year’s Made in Denmark tournament, the European Tour announced its new mobile phone policy that encourages fans to use their mobile phones at tournaments, but under certain guidelines. Fans can take photographs anywhere on the golf course but must have the phone on silent and the camera flash switched off. The taking of video will be restricted to non-competition areas at a tournament such as the driving range. And there will be designated mobile phone areas where the public can make and receive phone calls during a tournament.

To compliment this, the 2017 Nedbank Golf Challenge app has several new enhancements, the most significant of which is the MasterPass and even more exclusive European Tour content.

The MasterPass is a cashless payment portal within the app that will allow golf fans to purchase anything from tickets, food and beverages, as well as merchandise using the app.

The app will once again feature all the latest tournament news and scores, the full schedule of events during the week of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the popular fan challenges with rewards and prizes offered throughout the tournament, an interactive map for easy navigation around the tournament, and location-based alerts that will keep the public updated on everything from what’s going on and where to find daily specials and promotions. Fans will also be able to take part in an exploration of the golf course whereby they will earn points on each hole and be eligible for daily prizes.

There will be multiple major WiFi hotspots around the Gary Player Country Club and hospitality areas, parts of the Sun City Resort, and at various points on the golf course.

The app has already received a significant endorsement from the European Tour.

“The app was one of the tremendous innovations that we experienced at the 2016 Nedbank Golf Challenge,” said Andy Stubbs, Director, International Policy for the European Tour.

“The app proved a great success with over 11 500 sign-ups and fantastic interaction and engagement throughout the tournament week. The European Tour is working closely with the app development team and is looking to add a number of new dimensions including live scoring, video clips and other items.”