Golf can sometimes be weird. What other adult activity involves sitting next to someone for five hours and exchanging high-fives and conversation, only to shake their hands and never see them again at the end? You may have a regular group of friends to play with or you might prefer to play alone. If you don’t have a group to play with, golf can be an isolating experience. That’s where Fairgame comes in, an online community that wants to connect like minded golfers across the globe.
Entrepreneur founded the company Eric Mayville, Hodinkee The following are some of the most common questions asked by those who seek to understand how to pronounce their name. Ben Clymer Pro golfer Adam ScottFairgame, an app available for download on the App Store or Google Play is free. Imagine it as a clubhouse online where freelance journalists, skaters who are trying out the sport, or even restaurant veterans can organize a golf day. “Fairgame is here to inspire a connection between people that wouldn’t know each other otherwise,” says Clymer, whose media property Hodinkee is famous for democratizing the world of collector watches. Golf is also undergoing the same process of reacclimatization, as can be seen by the recent influx of 20-somethings who have taken up the game and the new brands that are breaking away from the plain khakis & polo norm.
Fairgame
Fairgame
Country clubs are traditionally the ones that have created social circles in golf. But if you don’t have the money to join one or aren’t interested in sharing cigars over a chat about the Dow, you’re left being paired up with strangers by the starter at your local course, which can be luck of the draw.
Fairgame’s solution to that is called Open Rounds, a feature that allows you to be your own starter. After creating a profile that is similar to any social media platform, you can list a golf course on the app and invite others to join. If you’re not sure if you will get along with someone, you can join an existing teetime. Once on the course, you can record your scores in the app, and it’ll generate a handicap, essentially a number to gauge your skill level, as you accrue enough rounds.
Although stroke play is a popular format, you can also choose to play match play, nassau or skins and nines. For Andrew Haynes, the brand’s creative director, the whole point of that is providing golfers more options, and not being wedded to the antiquated concept that stroke play is the “right” way to play. “When I first started playing golf, I was very intimidated by stroke play, especially if you’re not playing well. But I know I can play skins against Ben and have a chance.”
Fairgame
Finding the right balance between honoring golf’s traditions and providing a fresh perspective is how Fairgame hopes to build its community. Clymer believes it’s not just about the games on the app, but the content, aesthetic and messaging as well. “The output that you see from Fairgame on Instagram, on the app itself, a lot of that comes from somebody who has a really thoughtful but also really friendly taste,” he says, referring to his business partner Andrew Haynes. “Yes, there is real thought and real consideration given, but it’s not pretentious. And I think it’s really easy to confuse the two. Building a brand that is class agnostic, gender agnostic and race agnostic is really difficult.”
In time, the team hopes to have a majority of content created by users, as the app becomes a social media platform that allows golfers and their gear to be showcased, along with vintage finds or bucket list locations. Adam Scott was one of those who downloaded the app. Burberry Once upon a Time and is now an Ambassador for Uniqlo. Scott was something of a debonair when he first arrived on tour, but these days he’s showing there are more layers underneath, co-designing an apparel collection with Uniqlo and collaborating with equipment company Miura on a set of limited edition irons.
Fairgame
“A lot of what you see in the app comes from his mind, and I think that is what makes it so special,” says Clymer. He’s also a frequent co-host of the Fairgame Podcast, one of the brand’s key intellectual properties that preceded the app itself. In the past, guests have included broadcast journalism, former professional football players, active pro golfers, and experienced photographers. In that sense, it’s essentially a survey of the Fairgame community.
Everything comes back to Fairgame’s central mission, which is to be a curator of community and a facilitator of connections. Many golf apps exist, but are more focused on improving the game. Fairgame, which launched in Ireland last month, plans to expand into other countries this fall. Asia is next on the agenda. “I’ve never been a member at a private club, and I think it’s really cool to be able to land in a new city and know that there are gonna be some people that share your same interests,” says Haynes. You might make a new friend for life if you are able to get along. That’s the whole point of golf, right?
