I used to blog about my love of golf and my investment in Golfnow.com all the time. I so love internet yield management businesses . It was my Golfnow investment, despite it’s revenue and profitability focused model, that got me knee deep in web 2.0 thinking . Brett and Frank let me build out their web 2.0 community after I bugged them enough.
It is an amazing site built by Frank Halpin and Brett Darrow. They are still in charge.
I worked so freaking hard after I invested that it’s hard to just stop calling Brett anymore (Frank stopped taking my calls back in 2006 and Brett now actually loops me through Comcast customer service). There is so much growth ahead for this amazing yield management tool, that even Comcast can’t wreck it (I kid the cable behemoth).
We had Amy Banse on Wallstrip back in 2007. She runs Comcast Interactive. She’s a smart cookie. Although we have never met I had asked Lindsay and the team to subliminally play a GolfNow mantra in the background during the shoot. It worked…bigtime! It may be why the media bigshots are shying away from the interview segments on Wallstrip of late – they know I have other companies to sell . You can hide, but you can’t run!
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Posted on July 24th, 2008 | Category: Golf, GolfNow | Comments Off
I am having a good day. I am taking the family to see Bee Movie which I am sure will suck, but it’s opening night/afternoon and I want an Icee.
Max has basketball practice and it’s also the opening home game for the Phoenix Suns. It has been a long summer without basketball here and although I am boycotting the league (over the Stoudemire toss) and cancelled my Sun’s season tickets (travel too much), I still will be going to games…for the kids .
BUT, I just realized I need some tickets…
To pull off tickets this year will require ultimate networking gamesmanship. Facebook is for weenies and posers when you need the real shit like Sun’s tickets.
That’s why while everyone is yacking about Facebook and now Google’s Open Social blah blah blah, you should remember that a friendly round of golf with some connected people is the way to get shit done.
Just so happens that I was golfing at Bandon Dunes with the head of Sun’s tickets. Random but relevant. Stay with me. He could give a rat’s ass about Facebook and Wallstrip and my personal blog and Techmeme. He does remember my sweet 74 that pocketed him $400 bucks (sorry Mike , not Acebucks).
Now get this…I picked up the phone AND CALLED HIM. Very 1990.
Guess who’s got 4 tickets in the second row….
PS – Note to nerds…golf is done outside. You talk to people. No linking or tagging.
All great things come to an end as did my trip to Bandon Dunes. I was hitting the new Ping G10’s and it is by far the sweetest driver I have ever hit. Waiting with the group of 52 at Portland’s airport on our way back to Phoenix and other cities.
Probably will be my last year as I have now had 8 days over two years of near perfect weather in the notoriously miserable Orgeon coastline. The odds are nearly impossible and so next year I will be setting up a Cabo trip for a group of buddies and blog friends. If you are interested, let me know. I think early October for the best weather.
I forgot today was the first day of FOX Business…yawnereeeeno. Here is the only review you need today courtesy of The Fly:
I must say, the Fox business channel is fucktarded. I mean, they don’t even have a meaningful scrolling ticker. They have numerous asshats, talking complete gibberish. And, they do not have a presence on the NYSE.
In short: they suck.
Tax hell behind me, I may start blogging again tomorrow. In the meantime, Wallstrip turns ONE tomorrow and you have all made this such a great year for watching and reading. Thanks so much.
I named some posssible winners and bought them – Citrix, INFA and ADBE which all did great this week. BUT, the comments had the big winners and that’s way cool. My friend Ross nailed Cognos (COGN), up 15 percent this week, but the big winner was BEAS.
Here’s classic FLY introducng his choices into my comments and my reply:
FLY – Fuck you guys – Icahn says buy BEAS. You buy BEAS, else get clipped outside your favorite bakery.
Howard - Hows motorola coming for that old fart – He should be focused on Pfizer/viagra for the sake of his old shriveling
weenie.
I was wrong by just trying to be a smartass, but FLY was serious and had a good idea of a company already in play. I should have looked a little further as BEAS got a huge bid this week from Oracle and even had the ‘balls’ to turn it down.
Software will stay hot as per my post and kudos to The Fly on both Beas and CRM (Wallstripped ).
Sick weather…must be global warming, just the good kind. Sunny, no wind and seventy dregrees. Here I am with Buddy and founder of Buddy Media, Mike Lazerow who will vouvch for my 74. It won us $600 bucks as well and not those facebook dollars. Will try and collect it in Canadian dollars actually and will be buying China Futures with it.
Also a perfect day in the markets for me which is always nice when you are away. I am liking the action in some oldies bt goodies that I have owned a long time…ERTS (my new fave), SLW, SGMS and GPRO. ESRX and BBBB are making me happy these days as well. SLW is the only stock that has not been Wallstripped . My fave Wallstrip of this batch is Scientific Games (SGMS):
One of my biggest stock position’s was back at all-time highs today – Rick’s Cabaret (RICK). No girls in Oregon so you would think RICK’s should be expanding here soon.
Disclosure- Long SLW, SGMS, ERTS, RICK, ESRX, GPRO and BBBB
Golfnow.com is a very locally focused business, but Hawaii changes the game now as it is ‘The’ travel golf destination and we have the top courses and their inventory. Mexico too actually.
It was a big week for many of our portfolio companies.
At GolfNow , the Hawaii and Mexico integration has been awesome. You can click on the map for tee times all over Hawaii or go to TeeTimesHawaii directly. We now have the largest inventory of courses and inventory to choose from in those areas.
We also have a big tee time partner in the UK. Today’s Golfer is a huge magazine in the golf crazed UK and they have licensed our software to sell tee times to those tea drinking people. There are over 900 courses to come on board. To put it in perspective, California is our biggest market today with 400 courses so obviously a great opportunity. Congrats guys.
Most importantly for bloggers and potential income through affiliations, SmartLink Feeds are now all viral, JavaScript and Flash widgets . They are currently supporting and weekly updating 8 feeds so go check them out and spread the word. Make a little money as well from the best of lists.
With Hawaii fully digested into the GolfNow system, make sure you book all your vacation tee times there through GolfNow for the best rates.
We have also blasted into Atlanta and Washington DC with over 20 great courses in each city using our middleware. The golfers are loving it as always. Time, we need more time.
By next summer, New York and Toronto golfers will be enjoying GolfNow’s simple tee time solution. Yields…it’s all about the yields.
Disclosure – Investor in GolfNow
Posted on August 1st, 2007 | Category: Golf, GolfNow | Comments Off
. Brett and Frank let me build out their web 2.0 community after I bugged them enough.
