Topics
later
AI
Amazon
Image Credits:Moor Studio / Getty Images
Apps
Biotech & Health
Climate
Image Credits:Moor Studio / Getty Images
Cloud Computing
Commerce
Crypto
Matt Holder is the founder and CEO of Loop Golf.Image Credits:Courtesy of Loop Golf.
Enterprise
EVs
Fintech
Fundraising
Gadgets
Gaming
Government & Policy
computer hardware
layoff
Media & Entertainment
Meta
Microsoft
Privacy
Robotics
Security
societal
infinite
Startups
TikTok
transit
Venture
More from TechCrunch
consequence
Startup Battlefield
StrictlyVC
Podcasts
Videos
Partner Content
TechCrunch Brand Studio
Crunchboard
Contact Us
Golf has exploded in popularity in late years thanks to the pandemic and the popularity of Netflix ’s Full Swingdocumentary series . More than 531 million rounds of golf game were played in the U.S. in 2023 alone , according to theNational Golf Foundation . Because of this surge in interest , golfers are finding that nabbing a football tee sentence at a public golf course has gotten progressively difficult .
Loop Golf is expect to make the process soft by working as a digital matchmaker . It finds and books football tee times for golfers whenever they become useable — even if one open up in the middle of the night .
Users tell Loop Golf what their criteria is for a tee time , like when they are looking to act , how much they are look to pay and how far they would be uncoerced to travel to a course , among other thing . Loop Golf will then scour the internet and book a golf tee time that fits that criteria as soon as it becomes available . The company seduce money by collecting a 10 % fee from each booking .
Loop Golf beginner and CEO Matt Holder tell TechCrunch that he knows the problem intimately . Most golf game courses only allow golfers to hold up to seven days in advance , think of there is always a lot of contender for tee times . He told TechCrunch he decided to launch Loop Golf because he could n’t suffer the frustrating mental process anymore and knew he likely was n’t the only one .
“ I was staying up late , scour a bunch of internet site , stress to encounter a shoes to meet , ” Holder told TechCrunch . “ I ’d be spend hours just wait at all the dissimilar options and trying to do all the multi - factor trouble solving of finding a place to trifle for me and my grouping . finally , I got fed up with it , my wife decidedly got eat up with it . There ’s a honest means to do this . ”
Holder leaned on his background work in merchandise management at multiple marketplace startups include Houzz , CarGurus and Autolist — acquire by CarGurus — to build Loop Golf . While similar to a marketplace , Loop Golf is a little different because it is more of a concierge Robert William Service , Holder said . Users do n’t scroll through options and select a grade , but rather the platform uses a “ secret sauce ” software layer to track , find and book tee sentence for its user automatically .
“ They can spend 30 seconds to set their preference with us and bring through hours of searching , ” Holder said . “ We find and hold the football tee clip for them , and just give them more chance to toy golf . ”
Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
The startup currently has more than 3,000 public courses on the platform . That turn includes more than one-half of Golf Digest’stop 100 public class . The startup recently raised a $ 1 million seed round led by Jason Calacanis ’ LAUNCH investment company in addition to XST Capital Group , Friends and Family Capital , SparkOffer and The Rideshare Guy . Holder said that Loop Golf approached Harry Campbell , The Rideshare Guy , after notice that he was an former adoptive parent booking up a storm on the platform .
Holder say the company could have call down more for this beat but adjudicate against it because they did n’t desire to raise more money than they require , and they did n’t want to give up the extra percentage of their troupe to do so . He added that AI developer tools have also allowed them to avoid having to employ a huge team — as well as save clip and capital .
“ I think that it all add up down to the dynamics of what capital you need to grow , ” Holder say . “ We do n’t have as capital - intensive of a business to scale . I remember our border are really in high spirits . Like certain , would we need to raise , you fuck , $ 10 million plus ? Yeah , that would be awesome . But at the same time , we have to poise dilution with our power to deploy majuscule . ”
While most golf form are n’t aware they are on the Loop Golf political program , the startup has started partner with them . Holder is hoping to entice them to crop with him by pointing out that up to 20 % of bookings get canceled and Loop Golf help oneself fills those gap reservations for courses .
Holder said that as Loop Golf grows it will become even more of a resourcefulness to golf row too . As its drug user stand scale , the inauguration will have a database of information for golf game courses , like how much people would be uncoerced to pay for a tee time at their course , which time are the most democratic on which Day and more .
Loop Golf is n’t the only inauguration looking to tackle the issuance of finding a football tee time either . Noteefy is another that likewise looks to help golfers find golf tee time but from a dissimilar slant , as it work with the golf form themselves and provide other service like revenue trailing . There are other golf - focalise startups raise money too . GolfForever , a startup that builds an at - home plate golf training system , has rear $ 10 million in speculation money . Swag Golf , a golf appurtenance company , has also raised $ 10 million .
Loop Golf launch in beta last December and now is fully open for business organization . Holder said the ship’s company already has users booking two to three times a calendar month and is growing its thoroughgoing ware value 100 % calendar month over calendar month .
“ We ’re already on stride to generate in the millions in football tee sentence demand over the next 12 months , ” Holder said . “ That ’s with limited activity . So we ’re really excited to see how much this balloon when we take all the training wheels off and see where this go . ”
