Golf Genius has acquired Swing by Swing Golf, owner of the SwingU golf GPS and scorecard app, and the SwingU Coach performance data platform.
SwingU is one of the leading GPS apps used by golfers, and provides worldwide GPS course maps and scorecards, shot tracking, club recommendations, strokes gained statistics, wind speed, elevation, plays-like distances, and SwingU TV – an instruction and training video library to help golfers quickly improve.
“Our tournament management solutions are now in use by well-over 10,000 golf facilities in more than 60 countries, and Golf Genius has become a familiar and respected brand for millions of golfers who have played in millions of Golf Genius-managed events,” comments Mike Zisman, Co-CEO of Golf Genius.
“We are capitalising on this brand equity to build interest and drive adoption for apps like SwingU and Golfshot in the direct-to-consumer channel. Both products are recognised leaders, are highly differentiated, and will be marketed independently. Ben Addoms, former CEO of Golfshot parent Shotzoom and now a senior Golf Genius executive, will lead both business units.”
SwingU adds to the growing portfolio of consumer brands, which include, in addition to Golfshot and now SwingU, Twilight Golf, Waggle and Golf Genius Trip Manager. The company will now also boast the largest customer base of paid subscribers among all suppliers of golf GPS apps.
Swing by Swing also operates SwingU Coach, an easy-to-use ‘strokes gained’ statistics platform. Coaches can invest in this system to leverage data collected and inputted by their players, directly supporting game development.
While Golf Genius is best known for providing cloud-hosted software products and related services directly to golf facilities and associations around the world, the company’s strategy has evolved to include offering a portfolio of category-leading brands marketed directly to golfers and coaches.
Charles Cox, CEO of Swing by Swing Golf, commented: “There are more than half a dozen firms competing in the golf GPS app market, and consolidation is inevitable. Golf Genius has built a very strong position in the B2B golf software market with excellent products and a reputation for providing exceptional customer support. Our team has been acquainted with Golf Genius for many years, and we believe that their culture aligns well with SwingU. Golf Genius will be a great home for our employees, and our customers will be well-served by Golf Genius’ commitment to delivering and supporting superb software products.”