Project at a glance
- Client: Confidential client
- Industry: Sport / social / golf
- Services: Guide, Partner
- Delivered: Initial product audit, then joined the delivery team for a golf social network covering games, invitations, scoring, ratings and club/course discovery
- Project status: Live
The challenge
Golfers want to play together, but coordinating games across group chats is messy: finding a course, inviting players, chasing RSVPs, capturing scores and keeping competitive rankings rarely live in one tool.
An earlier version of the product needed a hard look. The client needed clarity on what to keep, what to replace, and how to deliver a platform that could handle thousands of clubs and courses, reliable invitations, and a scoring/rating model golfers would trust.
Our approach
We started with an audit of the previous product - reviewing the technology, product gaps and delivery risks - so the team had a clear picture before committing to a replacement.
We then joined the delivery team to help build the new greenfield platform around how golfers actually organise: create a game, invite friends (including via WhatsApp), play, score and compete. The stack centred on Firebase for auth and realtime data, with messaging integrations so invitations and reminders reach players where they already are.
The solution
Working as part of the product team, we helped deliver a React + Firebase golf social network with Express/Cloud Functions APIs, Twilio WhatsApp messaging, Stripe billing and Mapbox-powered course discovery.
- Create and manage games across popular formats, with share codes and in-app invitations
- WhatsApp invitations, RSVPs and reminders for game coordination
- On-course scoring, activity tracking and a platform rating system alongside handicaps
- Searchable club and course catalogue with maps and facility details
The outcome
Golfers can organise games, share scores and compete with friends in a dedicated social network instead of relying on scattered group chats.
- One place to create games, invite friends and track who’s in
- Scoring and competitive ratings that keep rounds meaningful after the 18th hole
- Rich club/course discovery so finding somewhere to play is part of the product
The platform is live and continues to support golfers connecting, competing and getting rounds organised with less friction.
Technology
A cloud-native stack chosen for realtime social features, messaging integrations and a large club/course dataset.
- React & Material UI
- Firebase (Auth, Firestore, Cloud Functions, Hosting)
- Express
- Twilio (WhatsApp), Stripe, Mapbox, GCP
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