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Course Finder - User Guide

Overview

The Course Finder helps you discover, explore, and save golf courses for your rounds. Whether you're looking for your home course, exploring new courses nearby, or planning a golf trip, the Course Finder provides comprehensive course information, scorecards, and partner promotions all in one place.

📍 Accessing the Course Finder

Navigation:

  • Mobile: Open the hamburger menu and tap "My Courses" or "Find Courses"
  • Desktop: Click "Courses" in the main header menu

Course Finder Pages:

  • My Courses (/courses) - The courses you have saved (not a directory of every course)
  • Find a Course (/courses/find) - Unified search & nearby discovery ⭐ recommended
  • Course Details (/courses/details/[courseId]) - Detailed course information

Older links such as /courses/finder simply redirect to /courses/find.

⭐ Find a Course (/courses/find) — Unified Page

The Find a Course page combines name search, city/zip search, and "near me" into a single, smarter experience.

One search bar — three input modes. Type your search and press Enter (there is no Search button):

  • A course name (e.g. "Pebble Beach") → searches course names
  • A city + state (e.g. "Denver, CO") → results around that location
  • A 5-digit zip (e.g. "85260") → results around that zip

⚠️ Always include the state. A bare city name like "Denver" is treated as a course name search, not a location search — so you'll get courses with "Denver" in their name instead of courses in Denver. Use "City, ST" or a 5-digit zip code to search a place.

Buttons below the search bar:

  • Find Near Me — uses GPS to find courses around your current location
  • My Courses — shortcut back to your saved courses

Filter drawer (slider icon):

  • Within X miles (slider, 3–50 mi)
  • Only show rated courses (toggle)
  • Sort by Distance, Name, or Rating
  • State dropdown — narrows the results you already have

Multi-course facilities (e.g., Kennedy Golf Course's three 9-hole loops) trigger a selection modal so you can pick which combinations to save. Already-saved combinations stay visible in the list with a "Saved" pill.

To save additional combinations later: click the small "+" icon next to the Saved badge on the card. The modal reopens with already-saved combinations marked, letting you pick the remaining ones.

🔍 Finding Golf Courses

Method 1: Search by Name

Steps:

  1. Go to the Find a Course page (/courses/find)
  2. Enter the course name in the search bar
    • Full name: "Pebble Beach Golf Links"
    • Partial name: "Pebble" or "Beach"
  3. Press Enter
  4. Browse results

Search Tips:

  • ✅ Use partial names for faster results
  • ✅ Try different spellings if you don't find it
  • ✅ Search is case-insensitive
  • ⚠️ This mode matches the course name only — a city on its own won't find the courses in that city (use "City, ST" or a zip code for that)

Example Searches:

  • "Torrey Pines" → Finds Torrey Pines Golf Course
  • "Augusta" → Finds Augusta National Golf Club
  • "St Andrews" → Finds Old Course at St Andrews
  • "TPC Sawgrass" → Finds THE PLAYERS Stadium Course

Method 2: Find Nearby Courses (GPS or City/Zip Code)

What is nearby search? Uses your device's GPS or a city/zip code search to show golf courses within driving distance, sorted by proximity.

Option A: Use Your GPS Location

  1. Go to Find a Course (/courses/find)
  2. Tap "Find Near Me"
  3. Allow location access when prompted
  4. See courses sorted by distance (closest first)
  5. Adjust the search radius in the filter drawer (3–50 miles)

Option B: Search by City or Zip Code

  1. Go to Find a Course (/courses/find)
  2. Enter a city & state (e.g., "Scottsdale, AZ") or a zip code (e.g., "85260")
  3. Press Enter
  4. See courses near that location, sorted by distance
  5. Great for planning golf trips to other cities!

Location Permissions:

  • First time: Browser/app will ask for location permission (Find Near Me only)
  • Allow: Enables GPS-based course discovery
  • Deny: You can still search by "City, ST" or zip code

Nearby Features:

  • 📍 Shows distance from your current or searched location (e.g., "2.3 miles away")
  • ⭐ Shows partner courses with special offers

Use Cases:

  • Finding courses while traveling
  • Discovering new courses near home
  • Last-minute tee time searches
  • Exploring courses in unfamiliar areas
  • Planning golf trips to other cities (search "City, ST" or a zip code)

🏌️ Course Details

What You'll See on Course Detail Pages

Basic Information:

  • 📌 Course name and location
  • 📞 Contact information (phone, website)
  • 📍 Address and directions link
  • 🎯 Course type (Public/Private/Resort)
  • ⭐ Partner badge (if applicable)

Course Numbers: A single summary row showing Holes, Rating/Slope and Yards.

Scorecard: The per-tee detail — yardage, par and stroke index for every hole — lives on its own Scorecard page. Tap the Scorecard button on the course details page to open it.

Course Ratings:

  • Course Rating: Expected score for scratch golfer
  • Slope Rating: Course difficulty (113 = average, higher = harder)
  • Separate ratings for each tee

⭐ Premium Features on the Course Details Page

These buttons and sections require a premium subscription:

  • New Round (shown as "Play Here Again" if you've played here recently)
  • View Rounds — your rounds at this course
  • Course Preview — the satellite hole-by-hole maps
  • My Course Stats — your scoring history at this course
  • My Caddie — your notes and strategy for this course

Without premium you'll see an upgrade prompt instead.

⭐ My Courses

Saving a Course

Why save a course?

  • Quick access when creating rounds
  • Build your personal course list
  • Saving a partner course reveals its offers

How to save a course:

  1. Find the course on the Find a Course page (/courses/find)
  2. Tap Save on the course card
  3. The course now appears in My Courses (/courses)

Saved courses show a "Saved" pill so you can tell at a glance what's already in your list.

Managing My Courses

Pinning:

  • You can pin up to 3 saved courses to the top of the list
  • Try to pin a fourth and you'll be told you've hit the limit — unpin one first

Home Course:

  • Your home course sits in its own amber card above the saved list, so it's always the first thing you see
  • Set it from your profile

🎮 Creating Rounds at Courses

Quick Round Creation

From Course Details Page (premium):

  1. View any course details
  2. Tap the "New Round" button (it reads "Play Here Again" if you've played here recently)
  3. Round creation starts with:
    • Course pre-selected
    • Scorecards loaded
    • Tees available for selection
  4. Complete round setup:
    • Choose tee
    • Select date/time
    • Add buddies (optional)
    • Enable side games (optional)
  5. Start your round!

From My Courses:

  1. Go to My Courses (/courses)
  2. Tap a saved course card to open its details
  3. Tap "New Round"
  4. Follow round creation flow

Course Scorecards in Rounds

When creating a round at a course:

  • ✅ Hole-by-hole pars are pre-filled
  • ✅ Yardages are set based on selected tee
  • ✅ Handicap stroke allocation is applied
  • ✅ NET scoring is automatically calculated
  • ✅ No manual scorecard entry needed!

🏆 Partner Course Benefits

What are Partner Courses?

Partner courses are golf courses that offer exclusive promotions, discounts, and benefits to Buddies on the Green users. Look for the Partner Badge on course listings.

Partner Badge Indicators:

  • 🏷️ Green "Partner" badge on the course card
  • A "Save to reveal offers" hint on partner courses you haven't saved yet
  • QR code for in-person redemption
  • Exclusive app user rates

Types of Partner Offers

Common Promotions:

  • 💰 Discounted green fees (e.g., "$10 off 18 holes")
  • 🍔 Food & beverage discounts ("Free appetizer with round")
  • 🛒 Pro shop discounts ("15% off merchandise")
  • 🏌️ Range balls included with round
  • 🎁 Special packages (twilight rates, tournament discounts)

How Offers Work:

  1. Find a partner course on the Find a Course page — its card reads "Save to reveal offers"
  2. Tap Save to add it to My Courses
  3. The offer opens in a pop-up as soon as the course is saved
  4. Read the offer details and terms
  5. Save it to "My Offers" for later
  6. Redeem at the course (see redemption section)

Redeeming Partner Offers

Option 1: QR Code Redemption

  1. Save offer to "My Offers"
  2. When at the course, open the offer
  3. Show QR code to pro shop staff
  4. Staff scans code to apply discount
  5. Enjoy your savings!

Option 2: Show App

  1. Open the offer in "My Offers" on your phone
  2. Show it to the pro shop staff
  3. Mention "Buddies on the Green" discount
  4. Staff applies offer manually

Option 3: Online Booking

  • Some partners offer online booking codes
  • Use promo code at checkout on course website
  • Discount applied automatically

Important Notes:

  • ⚠️ Some offers require advance booking
  • ⚠️ Offers may have blackout dates (holidays, weekends)
  • ⚠️ One offer per person per visit (unless stated otherwise)
  • ⚠️ Offers subject to availability
  • ⚠️ Check expiration dates

See My Saved Offers for managing your saved promotions.

🗺️ Course Maps & Directions

Getting Directions to a Course

Steps:

  1. View course details
  2. Tap "Get Directions" button
  3. Your device opens preferred map app:
    • Apple Maps (iOS)
    • Google Maps (Android/Web)
    • Waze (if installed)
  4. Follow turn-by-turn directions

Address Information:

  • Full street address displayed
  • Tap address to copy
  • Tap phone number to call
  • Tap website to visit course page

Course Maps

What's Available:

  • 📍 Location pin on map
  • 🗺️ Satellite view (when available)
  • 🏌️ Course layout (select courses)
  • 📏 Distance from your location

📊 My Course Stats

My Course Stats is a premium section on the course details page showing your record at that course.

To view it:

  1. Go to course details
  2. Open the "My Course Stats" section
  3. See:
    • Rounds — how many you've played there
    • Avg Score
    • Best score
    • When you last played
    • Buddies who have played there

🌟 Course Reviews & Ratings (Coming Soon)

Future features will include:

  • User-submitted course reviews
  • Star ratings (1-5 stars)
  • Photos from players
  • Course conditions reports
  • Pace of play feedback
  • Value for money ratings
  • Sort courses by highest rated

❓ Common Questions

"Why can't I find my local course?"

Possible Reasons:

  • The course isn't listed by our course data provider
  • Course recently opened
  • Course name has changed
  • Searching with incorrect spelling

Solutions:

  1. Try a shorter partial name, or an alternative spelling
  2. Search by location instead — "City, ST" or a 5-digit zip code
  3. Use Find Near Me if you're at or near the course

"Where does the course information come from?"

Courses aren't stored in our own database — they're looked up live from a third-party golf course data provider whenever you search. That's why results and scorecard detail can vary from course to course.

"Do I need to be at the course to search nearby?"

No! The Find a Course page gives you two ways to search a location:

  • Find Near Me: Uses your current device location
  • "City, ST" or zip code: Type any city & state or zip code to search that area

This makes it easy to plan golf trips in advance - just type your destination and discover courses there.

"What's the difference between course rating and slope rating?"

Course Rating:

  • Expected score for a scratch golfer (0 handicap)
  • Example: Course Rating of 72.5 means scratch golfer expected to shoot 72.5
  • Higher rating = harder course for scratch players

Slope Rating:

  • Measures difficulty for bogey golfers (18-20 handicap)
  • Scale: 55 to 155 (113 = average difficulty)
  • Higher slope = course plays harder for higher handicappers
  • Used to calculate course handicap

Example:

  • Pebble Beach from Championship Tees: Rating 75.5, Slope 145
    • Very difficult for all skill levels
  • Local municipal course: Rating 68.0, Slope 115
    • Easier course for everyone

"Why do some courses have multiple scorecards?"

Courses offer different tees for different skill levels:

  • Championship/Black: Longest, hardest (pros and low handicaps)
  • Blue: Advanced players (single-digit handicaps)
  • White: Average male players (10-20 handicap)
  • Gold/Yellow: Senior/shorter hitters
  • Red: Women's tees

You choose which tee to play from when creating your round - this affects:

  • Total yardage
  • Course rating
  • Slope rating
  • Your course handicap calculation

🛠️ Troubleshooting

"Nearby courses not loading"

If using Find Near Me:

  1. Check that location permissions are enabled
  2. GPS enabled on device
  3. Internet connection active
  4. Try refreshing the page

Alternative:

  • Type a "City, ST" or zip code into the search bar instead
  • Use search by course name instead

"Course details page shows 'Not Found'"

Possible Causes:

  • Course no longer listed by the course data provider (closed)
  • Invalid course ID in URL
  • Temporary loading issue

Solution:

  • Search for course again by name
  • Check if course is still open/operating
  • Contact support if persistent

"Partner offers not appearing"

Check:

  1. Course is marked as Partner (green badge)
  2. You've saved the course — the offer appears in a pop-up when you save
  3. Offers may have expired
  4. Offers may be seasonal
  5. Check "My Saved Offers" tab

Note: Not all courses have active offers at all times.

"Can't save a course"

Possible Issues:

  • Not logged in (requires account)
  • Network connection issue
  • Course is already saved to My Courses

Solution:

  • Ensure you're logged in
  • Check internet connection
  • Refresh page and try again

📱 Mobile-Specific Features

GPS Accuracy Tips

For Best Results:

  • Enable "High Accuracy" location mode
  • Use outdoors with clear sky view
  • Allow location while using app
  • Keep location services enabled

Battery Considerations:

  • GPS can drain battery faster
  • Consider disabling when not actively searching
  • Use search by name for better battery life

Offline Course Information

What Works Offline:

  • ❌ Course search (requires internet)
  • ❌ Nearby courses (requires GPS + internet)
  • ✅ Recently viewed courses (cached)
  • ✅ My Courses list (cached)
  • ✅ Scorecards for saved courses

Planning Ahead:

  • View courses before losing connection
  • Save courses to My Courses for offline access
  • Open scorecards before rounds

🎯 Pro Tips

Finding the Best Value Courses

Strategies:

  1. Look for the green Partner badge - those courses have offers to reveal when you save them
  2. Check off-peak times - Many courses offer twilight rates
  3. Compare course ratings - Find highly-rated courses at lower price points

Building Your Course Bucket List

How to Use My Courses:

  • Save dream courses (Pebble Beach, Augusta National replica courses)
  • Track courses you want to try
  • Pin your top 3 so they stay at the top of the list

Planning Golf Trips

Steps:

  1. Go to Find a Course (/courses/find)
  2. Enter your destination as "City, ST" or a zip code (e.g., "Myrtle Beach, SC")
  3. Browse courses near that location, sorted by distance
  4. Save the courses you like to My Courses
  5. Compare ratings and check partner offers for discounts
  6. Create rounds in advance with buddies

Exploring New Local Courses

Monthly Challenge:

  1. Set goal to play X new courses per month
  2. Use Find Near Me to find options
  3. Sort by distance to find closest new courses
  4. Track which courses you've played
  5. Build your local course knowledge

📞 Need Help?

Can't find what you're looking for?