ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 25, 2012) – Golf Channel has launched its first-ever mobile instructional application that features the network’s extensive library of instructional expertise and a combination of features that has not been available to consumers on a handheld device until now.
Golf Channel Academy, available for Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch) offers the industry’s most innovative approach to help people learn to play golf or improve their existing game. And a new feature scheduled to launch in February will allow app users for the first time to tap into the expertise of a dedicated, certified instructor anywhere, anytime on their personal devices.
"From the day our co-founder Arnold Palmer flipped the switch to launch Golf Channel, instruction has played a major role,” said Mike Lowe, senior director of business strategy for GolfChannel.com. “We feel very fortunate to have 18 years of instructional content at our disposal to create a product that's truly good for the golfer and their golf game. The Golf Channel Academy app is a perfect example of how we can leverage our access to and relationships with the best players and instructors in the world.”
With those 18 years of resources from television’s fastest-growing network at its disposal, the Golf Channel Academy app is uniquely positioned to help users through exclusive access to currently more than 600 proprietary instructional videos covering all aspects of golf and featuring some of the most respected players and teachers in the game today. Some of the instructors who have lent their expertise to Golf Channel viewers over the years include Hall-of-Famers Nick Faldo, Raymond Floyd, Johnny Miller, Greg Norman and Annika Sorenstam, and renowned instructors like Michael Breed, Martin Hall and Hank Haney.
The Golf Channel Academy app offers simple navigation. Users can search the app video library by topic, tag and instructor. The search can further refine results by bookmarking videos to create custom playlists, depending on the area of need. Users also have the option to download videos directly to their iOS devices and watch them anywhere, anytime. This option is especially useful in limited Wi-Fi or cellular locations, such as a driving range or golf course.
The Golf Channel Academy app also features SwingFix technology, which allows golfers to capture their swings on video and use advanced mark-up tools to identify areas of improvement.
Coming soon, Golf Channel Academy will offer the ability for golfers to take lessons from SwingFix instructors directly from their iOS devices. This feature is not offered by any other instructional app in the marketplace and will allow users opportunities to purchase a customized lesson from a choice of more than 50 PGA and LPGA certified teaching professionals who are eager to help through swing analytics and a secure, personal messaging platform between the user and instructor.
