Mill Valley, CA, January 20, 2022 – Whoosh, Inc, a developer of modern golf operations software for private golf clubs, today announced it has raised $6 million in funding led by Craft Ventures with participation from its initial investor Bienville Capital, as well as Operator Partners, Human Ventures, Alaris Capital and other angel investors. Whoosh helps private golf clubs save up to 20 hours a week and reduce overall revenue loss by streamlining operations, improving staff communication, and enabling better member experiences.
“As most private facilities have encountered a 20% or more increase in annual golf play since 2020, clubs have been forced to dramatically change their operations to meet the elevated demand,” said Whoosh Co-Founder and CEO, Colin Read. “Golf staff have been demanding modern, easy and intuitive solutions to run their operations and legacy solutions have yet to keep up. We are focused on providing solutions that meet the workflows of our partners instead of having them alter their workflows to meet the constraints of legacy software.”
The average club is wasting more than $60,000 a year due to inefficient operations that lead to overstaffing and revenue leakage. To address this, Whoosh’s software was designed with input from more than 150 PGA professionals from leading clubs around the country to build the first ever for-the-industry-by-the-industry solution on the market.
“The private club industry is an over $25B market that has seen little innovation over the past 20 years and is still dominated by on-premise based solutions,” said Arra Malekzadeh, principal, Craft Ventures. “The industry is primed for innovation and we believe Whoosh will be the nexus of its evolution.”
Whoosh launched its cloud-based and iPad focused system in Fall 2021 and is already working with several premier private golf clubs around the country. Solutions include the first tee sheet with an integrated caddie tracking and waitlist solution and modern texting and chat features that help improve both member and staff communications. Key highlights of the product include:
Modernize the tech stack: Whoosh’s cloud-based, tablet-centric software modernizes tech stacks and untethers staff from the Pro Shop desk, enabling them to manage golf operations where the members are – like the first tee.
Streamline operations: By working from one system for all golf related charges, Whoosh eliminates pen and paper and tedious manual entry from club operations. The automated close out feature saves staff up to 2 hours each day.
Improve Communication: Clubs can reduce radio use with modern chat and text capabilities that improve both staff-to-staff and staff-to-member communication. Staff Chat enables internal discussions between workstations, with the ability to direct message. Staff can also communicate with members directly from the Tee Sheet via Member SMS. This enables them to anticipate member needs and provide a better member experience, such as having a round of drinks ready after the final hole.
Focus on hospitality & service: Enhanced member rosters show photos and notes enabling staff to make every member feel like a regular and every guest feel like it is a grand opening.
Whoosh supports both single and multi-course clubs and can accommodate the most complex member policies. Additionally, Whoosh is establishing the most data rich solution to provide clubs with better operations and membership insights.
Whoosh will be debuting its online and app-based member booking system at the 2022 PGA Show at the Orlando Convention Center on January 26-28, 2022.
About Whoosh
Whoosh is developing modern club operations software to help private clubs manage everything from the course to the clubhouse. Built with the input of the world’s best golf facilities, Whoosh streamlines operations, improves member and staff communication, and enables better hospitality and member experiences. With the industry’s first waitlist system and integrated caddie system, Whoosh saves golf clubs up to 20 hours a week in staff time through more efficient workflows. For more information, visit www.whoosh.io.
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