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Messages & Group Chat

Chat with your golf buddies through direct messages and group chats. Coordinate tee times, share experiences, and stay connected.

Overview

The messaging system supports both direct messages (1-on-1) and group chats (up to 20 members). Everything is real-time, with typing indicators on both. Group chats add reactions, replies and polls — direct messages keep it to straight conversation.

Key Features:

  • Direct messages with any buddy
  • Group chats for coordinating rounds and events
  • Polls in group chats for voting on tee times and course selection
  • Emoji reactions on group chat messages
  • Pinned messages to keep important info visible
  • Message replies for threaded conversations in group chats
  • Typing indicators, plus read receipts in group chats
  • Edit, delete or copy your own messages
  • Mute a group chat you want to keep but quieten
  • Push notifications for new messages

Accessing Messages

Navigation:

  • Mobile: Open the menu (hamburger icon) > Messages in the Buddies section
  • Desktop: Open the menu > Messages
  • A Messages icon also sits in the top bar at all times, on both mobile and desktop
  • URL: /messages
  • Unread message count shown as a badge on the Messages icon and menu item

Access & Premium

FeatureFree UsersPremium Users
View messages sectionYesYes
View direct messagesRead-onlyFull access
Send direct messagesUpgrade requiredYes
View group chats (if member)YesYes
Send in group chats (if member)YesYes
Vote on pollsYesYes
Create group chatsUpgrade requiredYes

Note: If your premium subscription lapses, you can still view your message history in read-only mode. Free users invited to group chats have full send/receive access within those groups.

Direct Messages

Starting a Conversation

  1. Open the buddy's card or profile
  2. Tap the message option
  3. Type your message and send

There's no buddy picker on the Messages page itself — direct messages always start from a buddy. The two buttons in the Messages header are New Group, for starting a group chat, and My Buddies, which takes you to your Buddies page to find the golfer you're after.

Messaging Features

  • Real-Time: Messages appear instantly for both users
  • Unread Highlighting: Incoming messages you haven't read yet are highlighted. Direct messages don't show read receipts — those are a group chat feature
  • Typing Indicators: See when your buddy is typing a response
  • Online Status: Green dot shows when a buddy is currently active

Note: Reactions, replies and polls are group chat features. Direct messages don't have them.

Group Chats

Creating a Group

  1. Go to Messages
  2. Tap New Group
  3. Name your group (e.g., "Saturday Foursome", "Golf Trip 2026")
  4. Add buddies as members (up to 20)
  5. Optionally add a description and group photo
  6. Tap Create

Group Management

The group creator can:

  • Remove members
  • Promote members to admin
  • Delete the group

Admins can:

  • Edit group name, description, and photo
  • Pin messages

All members can:

  • Send messages
  • Add buddies to the group, as long as member invites are allowed (they are by default)
  • React to messages
  • Reply to messages
  • Vote on polls
  • View pinned messages
  • Mute the group

Group Settings

  • Allow member invites — let any member add buddies to the group. On by default; switch it off to keep invites with the admins
  • Allow polls — control whether members can start polls in the group
  • Mute — silence notifications for this group without leaving it

Polls (Group Chats)

Polls make it easy to coordinate with your group. Create custom polls or use golf-specific templates. Polls live in group chats only — direct messages don't have them.

Creating a Poll

  1. Open a group chat
  2. Tap the poll icon
  3. Choose a template or create a custom poll:
    • Tee Time Poll — Propose times and let the group vote
    • Course Selection — Vote on which course to play
    • Custom Poll — Create any question with custom options
  4. Set any options you need:
    • Multiple choices — let members pick more than one option
    • Anonymous voting — hide who voted for what
    • Deadline — set a date and time when voting closes
  5. Members vote directly in the chat

Voting

  • Tap an option to vote, and tap it again to take your vote back
  • The poll creator can close a poll early, before any deadline

Reactions & Replies (Group Chats)

Reactions and replies are group chat features — direct messages don't have them.

Emoji Reactions

  • Hover over a message (desktop) or tap it (mobile)
  • Select from golf-themed and standard emoji reactions
  • Each reaction shows the emoji and a count of how many people picked it — names aren't shown

Message Replies

  • Tap the reply icon on any message to start a threaded reply
  • Replies appear linked to the original message for context

Message Actions

  • Edit your own message for about 5 minutes after you send it
  • Delete your own message
  • Copy the text of any message
  • Messages are capped at 2,000 characters

Pinned Messages

Keep important information visible at the top of the group chat.

  • Admins can pin up to 3 messages per group
  • Great for pinning tee times, course details, or important announcements
  • Tap the pinned messages banner to view all pins

Notifications

You'll receive push notifications for:

  • New direct messages
  • New messages in your group chats
  • When you're added to a group

Managing Notifications:

  • Push notifications are one master switch, under Profile > Edit Profile > Push Notifications. There's no message-only setting — it's all push alerts or none
  • To quieten a single group without turning everything off, mute that group in its settings

Common Questions

Q: Can I message someone who isn't my buddy? A: No. You can only send direct messages to accepted buddies. Send a buddy request first.

Q: How many people can be in a group chat? A: Up to 20 members per group.

Q: Can I leave a group chat? A: Yes — open the group settings and tap "Leave Group." The one exception is the golfer who created the group: creators can't leave their own group, they can only delete it.

Q: What happens if I delete a group? A: The group is soft-deleted. Members are notified and the group is removed after 30 days.

Q: Do free users get messaging? A: Free users can view direct message history (read-only) and fully participate in group chats they've been invited to. Sending direct messages and creating groups requires Premium.

Q: Can I search my messages? A: You can filter conversations by All, Direct or Groups on the messages page, and the search bar finds conversations by name or by buddy name. Searching the text inside your messages isn't supported.

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