Finally, the golf season is here, and many of you have noticed the changes in the app. To make our support's job easier, here are some of the most important and frequently asked questions:
Paywall
Many of you will have noticed that many familiar features in our app have gone behind the paywall. GameBook Ltd employs more than 30 people in Finland and Sweden, with a few more people worldwide. A large number of our employees are, for example, software developers or other top IT experts. This having said, the conversation usually turns to how we have been able to offer the application for free all these years, which is also an excellent question.
After that, the vast majority have also said that a monthly fee of less than a coffee cup or a range token is a fair price for the best product on the market.
The app is free to use
Yes, you can still use GameBook for free. You can still join in games others have created, just like before. You can also join the games made with Tournament Manager. All social features of the app are available, and much more.
Two-week free Gold trial with no commitment
For two weeks, anyone can switch on a Gold Membership from the home screen. We wanted to do this so that everyone could have the best possible user experience before deciding if our product is worth that famous cup of coffee a month.
Free Gold Membership for all Juniors in Finland and Sweden
Once again, all junior golfers in Sweden and Finland will enjoy the Gold features for free this year. All they have to do is activate the handicap section to get their Gold Membership. The Junior Program is created in Sweden in collaboration with the Swedish Golf Federation. But in Finland, we offer this 100% ourselves.
We have received a lot of questions from countries like the UK, Norway, and Spain if we could launch a Junior Program there as well. To do this, we need some support from the local golf federations. We have approached them again and are looking to expand the Junior Programs as soon as possible.
Statistics and a more detailed scorecard
With so many changes, sometimes there are little bumps in the road. Many of you noticed that the more detailed scorecard that used to come from the details button had disappeared. And it had indeed disappeared. But not to worry, it's back in the 10.2.1 release and can now be found behind the stats button. Be sure to update the app to the latest version!
Like and private message
We're big believers in socializing, and that golf is more fun together, even when you're not physically in the same place. We found that giving attention to each other used to take a lot of work. Now it's effortless, as you can give a simple 'like' on the scorecard to let people know you're there.
Trash talk is just as easy with a private message button if you want to say something that may not be for everyone's eyes.
Easier game creation
Over the winter, we've worked hard to make it easier to create a game, whether you have 2, 4, or 40 players. We think we've done a great job, and we've also received a lot of praise from you, the users. Finding previous players is also easy: changing players between groups is effortless, and you can set your favorite game mode as a default, to name a few things worth mentioning.
Advanced games with multiple rounds
The possibility of creating games with multiple rounds is something that people ask a lot about and for a good reason. After all, we have already discussed this subject in the spring. We aimed to launch it in April, but unfortunately, we had to prioritize other things and ensure that the app works quickly and reliably. Now things are looking good, and the feature will be available around May–June.
Finally, so as not to give the wrong impression, most of the feedback we have received has been very positive. Most of our users have accepted this change with great understanding. There has been an open discussion on the golf courses that nothing in this world is free, and it has only been a matter of time before Golf GameBook has to make this change.
However, we have been willing to wait as long as possible to ensure that our product meets the expectations that this change will also place on us and bring with it. Golf GameBook is still in progress, but your support will enable us to have a bright future for the next 16 years that this company already has behind it.
Teemu Ruuska
COO
Golf GameBook
