As a guy who for decades has been deeply entrenched in the art and science of operating and marketing golf courses, country clubs and resorts, I’ve sat in on countless pitches about business-enhancing and life-changing mousetraps.
We’re talking about good, bad and indifferent innovations. Only infrequently did they undeniably help golfers and golf operators alike with ease of use.
Then, along came ZIGIT. My elevated posture would make an orthopedist proud.
“Tell me more,” I exclaimed
Elsbeth Hurry, CEO of ZIGIT, retorted: “Finally, automated retail has come to golf.”
And, man, is ZIGIT en fuego.
A mobile app platform that conveniently uses smartphones to sell and buy alcoholic beverages, ZIGIT is scheduled to roll out across five golf clubs in the Tampa, Florida area.
TPC Tampa Bay (owned by Heritage Golf Group), Meadow Oaks Golf and Country Club, The Eagles Golf Club, The Club at Cheval and another nearby club are adding the proprietary technology to sell ice-cold can and bottle beer and mixed cocktails through attractive, stand-alone ZIGIT-enabled dispensing stations during golfers’ journeys. At the touch of a smartphone, purchase eligibility is validated through ID authentication and facial recognition, and drinks are dispensed typically within 30 seconds.
Transforming convenience in conformance with regulations, ZIGIT is meaningfully increasing golfer satisfaction and alcohol sales at golf courses, country clubs and resorts nationwide.
“These Tampa-area courses love the self-serve solution that gets golfers the drinks they want when and where they want them,” said Hurry. “Golfers are no longer waiting on beverage carts to get drinks, and they’re buying even more at the 19th hole and from beverage carts thanks to ZIGIT’s presence.”
To enjoy ZIGIT, golfers first complete a 90-second, one-time enrollment on the app that includes ID authentication and collection of biometric markers to verify they are of legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages. They then simply scan a QR code, select their desired drinks and take a quick selfie to confirm their identity. The platform quickly processes their preferred payment (from enrollment) and dispenses beverages all within 30 seconds.
All biometric and payment data is securely processed through users’ smartphones, not through any hardware, meaning all sensitive information is kept safe.
Locations of dispensing station include outdoor restrooms / comfort stations along the course, at the first tee and the turn, and on driving ranges. Dispensing stations only need a flat surface, run on a standard electric outlet without the need for Wi-Fi, and sturdily hold up against tough weather. There is little to no maintenance required (stocking takes less than 10 minutes, mainly after-hours) and they can hold up to 680 drinks.
For golf courses owners and operators, ZIGIT’s modern and purposeful technology:
- Provides golfers with immediate, gratuity-free access to the alcoholic beverages they love
- Generates meaningful, incremental revenue at higher margins
- Requires less overhead and staffing headaches
- Upholds compliance controls, including ID and individual verification, and drink limits per day, per user
- Tracks real-time inventory
- Reduces alcohol inventory shrinkage that often reaches 30%
- Speeds pace of play
Profits are also tied to selling at least one more drink (a 20% lift) to golfers each round, as well as packaging drinks at dispensing stations for all golf outing and tournament participants.
Cool. Very cool.
