Handicap Index Integration

Introducing Handicap Index Tracking for Enhanced Engagement and Growth

The GolfNow Compete app allows golfers to create competitive rounds and track scores easily. This year, one of our key initiatives was to introduce a feature enabling users to register, store, and monitor their Handicap Index within the app.

We saw this as appealing to GolfNow Compete users with a USGA Handicap Index, who are invested in tracking their progress. For those without one, it could serve as motivation, especially for those focused on improving their game.

This feature aligns with our mission to support golfers’ journeys and is expected to increase user engagement and drive revenue growth as more golfers adopt and use the app.

Help Golfers See The Value In The Handicap Index

The Challenge

A key challenge was understanding why only 12% of U.S. golfers have a Handicap Index and designing a feature that appeals to both current and potential users.

Another challenge involved creating an internal panel of active golfer employees for ongoing feedback. This streamlined research recruitment and provided insights from users closely aligned with our audience, allowing us to compare internal feedback with that of external golfers.

My Role

I led UX research efforts with a Senior UX Designer and Senior Product Manager over three months, uncovering key insights to shape the feature's direction.

I developed a research plan with multiple surveys to understand users considering Handicap Index registration, exploring their knowledge gaps, barriers, and strategies to boost engagement. Additionally, I created and managed an internal panel of active golfer employees for ongoing feedback.

Designing A Plan

To kick off the research work for this project, I initiated an intake and brainstorming session with my team and key stakeholders.

In this collaborative session, we delved into multiple strategies to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges our users face when interacting with the handicap index system. Specifically, we focused on how we can identify the pain points golfers encounter when registering for a handicap index, posting and tracking their scores, and understanding the reservations of those who have not yet obtained a handicap index.

It was clear from our discussions that the first critical step in our research process was to establish an internal panel of employees who were active golfers, since we would need the panel to be up and running by the time our first survey was ready to be launched.

Developing a plan for the internal panel from scratch was no easy task! At the outset, I was filled with questions…

“Where is this panel going to live?”

“Which tool am I going to use to build this panel?”

“How am I going to recruit people?'“

“How am I going to motivate people to join, and furthermore - How am I going to advertise the panel?”

After a few sessions of brainstorming and re-watching some of the workshops the research teams did earlier this year at the Qualtrics X4 Summit for inspiration and reference, I designed an initial plan.

My Thought Process

Internal Panel Is A Massive Success

After launching the internal panel survey, crafting a compelling message to motivate employees, and promoting the panel within a week, we successfully recruited 51 golfers. This demonstrated the strong interest and engagement among our staff in contributing valuable feedback to our studies.

Our strategy involved launching the handicap index integration studies to both our internal panel of employees and the external UserZoom panel. By targeting these two distinct groups, we aimed to maximize our response rate and ensure a diverse range of insights. Engaging our internal panel allowed us to gather feedback from employees who are familiar with our brand and products, providing an insider perspective. Meanwhile, the external UserZoom panel offered a broader view, representing a more varied user base.

Focusing on Handicap Index

Now that the internal panel is fully established, it was time to shift our focus to the handicap index feature.

I began by diving into a thorough discovery phase, gathering official external data on handicap index usage in the U.S. to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape of golfers registered with the system. This approach was important to provide our team with a well-rounded view of the existing market and user base. By analyzing trends, demographics, and usage patterns, we aimed to identify key insights that would inform our strategy moving forward.

With this data in hand, our team was be better equipped to identify opportunities and challenges within the market, enabling us to tailor our design, marketing, and product decisions to meet the needs of both existing and potential users.

New Golfer Stats

Crafting the Survey

Now that we have gained a deeper understanding of the handicap index population landscape, is time to start crafting our research study.

Since this was a feature yet to be launched, my stakeholders initial interest was in researching:

  1. For golfers who currently have a handicap index

“What motivates them to post their score?”

“How long have they had their membership for?”

“How often do they renew your membership?”

“Do they only play with other golfers with a handicap index?”

2. For the golfers without a handicap index

“Have they ever considered registering for a handicap index?”

“What prevented them from doing so?”

“What would they need to motivate them to register?”

To address the stakeholders’ questions and gauge their initial interest in this research project, I developed a comprehensive survey.

This survey was designed to gather insights into golfers’ expectations, concerns, community and areas of curiosity regarding handicap index, which would help guide our approach and ensure that the research aligns with their needs and priorities.

Study Details

Tool: UserZoom

Quota: 100 participants (golfers)

Study type: Unmoderated survey

Internal Panel

Results & Analysis

  • Total number of participants: 51

  • 50% of the participants declared to be casual golfers (I play occasionally for leisure)

  • The other 50% of the participants declared to be intermediate golfers (I play regularly and take the sport seriously)

  • 40% affirmed to be registered with a handicap index

  • From the 60% of the participants who affirmed not be registered, only 33% considered registering at some point in the past

UserZoom External Panel

  • Total number of participants: 49

  • 46% of the participants declared to be casual golfers

  • 48% intermediate golfers

  • 4% affirmed to be registered with a handicap index

  • From the 96% of the participants who affirmed not be registered, only 65% considered registering at some point in the past

From the outset, I observed a significant difference in the percentage of golfers with a handicap index between the internal and external panels. This disparity underscored the importance and value of including the internal panel in our study, as it provided unique insights that were crucial for achieving a comprehensive understanding.

Internal Panel

Golfers With a Handicap Index

Motivations To Post Scores

UserZoom Panel

Despite having a larger number of participants in the internal segment, the results reveal that the primary motivations for golfers to post their scores are consistent across both segments. The two main reasons identified—tracking and improving performance, and maintaining an accurate handicap for competitive play—highlighted that these motivations are fundamental drivers for golfers regardless of their affiliation, reinforcing the relevance of these factors in our research.

Community Behavior

The survey results consistently aligned across both segments, indicating a clear pattern within the community of golfers with a handicap. Both segments confirmed that they frequently play in groups, with solo play being rare. Additionally, there was a shared belief among participants that golfers within a group typically have similar handicap indexes or prefer to play with others who have the same or better handicap index. This consistency highlighted the social nature of the sport and the importance of competitive balance within group play.

Insights from our research showed that golfers with a handicap value social play and competitive balance. Both internal and external feedback highlighted the importance of playing with partners who have similar or better handicap indexes, reinforcing the need to track and maintain performance for fair competition.

These findings helped us understand the social and competitive motivations of these golfers. We tailored our communication to emphasize how the handicap index enhances group dynamics and ensures fair play, positioning it as essential for improving performance and staying competitive. This approach is expected to boost feature adoption and drive engagement with our broader golf-related products.

Golfers Without a Handicap Index

Internal Panel

Barriers to Registering a Handicap Index

UserZoom Panel

Despite some divergence in responses between the two segments, the data highlighted a significant barrier preventing golfers from registering for a handicap index: a lack of understanding and awareness about the process and the benefits of the service. Many golfers seemed to be unfamiliar with how to obtain a handicap index, and they didn’t fully understand the advantages it offers for enhancing their game.

Furthermore, the results suggested a potential misconception within the golfing community—that a handicap index is only valuable for those who play the sport at a serious or professional level. This misunderstanding likely contributes to hesitation among casual or recreational golfers, who may not realize that a handicap index can also enrich their playing experience by providing a means to track progress and engage in more balanced competition.

What these golfers need to feel motivated to register an Official Handicap Index

Internal Panel

UserZoom Panel

The data shows that while golfers are interested in registering for a handicap index, the main barrier is the lack of clear information about the registration process and its benefits. This knowledge gap reduces their motivation to take action, indicating that improved education and communication could boost registrations.

These insights shaped the design process by highlighting the need for a more intuitive and informative user experience. The design should prioritize step-by-step guidance on registration and include educational content that explains the benefits of having a handicap index, such as fair competition, tracking progress, and improving gameplay.

Community Behavior

Most participants reported frequently playing in groups and rarely solo. These casual golfers felt they didn’t play often or well enough to invest in a handicap index and were intimidated by it, seeing it as complex or overly serious—a key barrier to adoption.

Since this group is a core target, we prioritized designing a feature that is visually appealing, informative, and engaging to motivate casual golfers to register for a handicap index. This approach aims to build their investment in the sport, gradually introducing them to our other golf products.

To support this, I created an affinity map to give design, product, marketing, and sales teams deeper insights into this segment, aligning strategies to boost engagement and growth.

Rank Order Survey

Building on the insights gained from the initial survey study, which highlighted the factors influencing participants' decisions not to register for a handicap index, our team embarked on a second round of research. This follow-up study aimed to deepen our understanding of the resistance among golfers without a handicap index and to explore the extent of that resistance. To achieve this, we implemented a rank order survey, where participants were asked to articulate and prioritize the reasons behind their decision, allowing us to uncover the complex layers of their decision-making process.

Study Details

Tool: UserZoom

Quota: 61 participants (47 golfers from the UserZoom panel and 14 from the internal panel)

Study type: Unmoderated Rank Order Survey

Many golfers place a high priority on the recreational and enjoyable aspects of the game, revealing a reluctance to formalize their skill level. This pointed to a notable emphasis on the leisure and social dimensions of golf, suggesting that many players prefer a less structured approach to tracking performance, valuing the laid-back nature of the sport over a more formalized system.

Additionally, as observed in the previous study - a significant number of participants expressed uncertainty regarding whether their skill level justifies the use of a handicap index.

The survey also revealed lower-priority concerns among participants. Hesitation due to perceived or actual costs, worries about the complexity of registration, and the belief that it is time-consuming ranked lower in importance.

Research Impact & Next Steps

The research has been pivotal in shaping the development of the Handicap Index feature, offering key insights into golfers' motivations, concerns, and behaviors—especially among those who haven’t registered for a Handicap Index. While there’s clear interest, the primary barriers include a lack of understanding about the process and its benefits, along with feelings of intimidation, particularly among casual golfers who often play with others who also lack a Handicap Index.

These findings have been instrumental in guiding the design team to make the feature more accessible and appealing to a broader audience. Additionally, the research has influenced our marketing and sales strategies, ensuring that messaging resonates with casual golfers. By aligning communication with these insights, we are better positioned to promote the feature effectively, ensuring a well-designed and well-received product.