Cadee Carrys Golf Into the Tech World
In a way, golf is the anti-tech pastime. Even as we become more wired wherever we go, golf is all about wide open spaces, beautiful days, and Mother Nature. People take their golf games very seriously, and work relentlessly to fine-tune their skills. But even with all of the competition that’s a part of golf, being able to escape our cluttered world for the green pastures of 18 holes is very appealing. Cadee, a recent graduate of the 500 Startups incubator and funding program, is hoping to bring some of the online world to golf’s stunning greenery.
Much like an actual caddie (someone who generally carries a golf bag and advises golfers with tips on how to approach each hole), Cadee is a companion. Golfers can keep track of their scores by connecting through Facebook or email, and can enter the scores manually. They can also take a picture of their scorecard with a smartphone camera and send the score to Cadee (although that service still requires an invite). Cadee offers detailed analytics of the scorecard, which lets users see in detail what parts of their game can improve. By connecting through Facebook, golfers can see their friends’ scores. There’s an option to set up an online tournament with friends, too, making it easy to match scores up against others within specific groups.
Along with analyzing individual golf games and setting up a portfolio, Cadee can be used to find courses in the area, since users can give Cadee their location. Cadee recommends specific courses based on the skill level of the golfer, among other things, and courses can partner with Cadee to push out their information and offer deals and discounts to golfers. Golfers can also rate courses and share the ratings on Facebook. Cadee keeps track of the most played and highest rated courses in different regions. While part of golf’s appeal is its isolation from the wired world of ours, it’s nice to have an online companion to keep track of everything once the 18 holes have been played. Cadee makes a game beloved for its simplicity just a little bit simpler.
