SAGA awards Albatros Handicap Tender
The South African Golf Association (SAGA) and Women’s Golf South Africa (WGSA) has awarded Albatros Golf Solutions (Albatros) the Central Handicap Server tender, it was announced today.
The Central Handicap File Server will act as a repository for scores recorded by amateur golfers at golf courses affiliated to provincial unions who are members of the SAGA and WGSA. The server will be programmed to calculate current handicaps and make this information available to golf clubs and players.
“After nearly four months of evaluation the SAGA and WGSA concluded that Albatros’ submission was the best fit for amateur golf,” said Enver Hassen, President of the SAGA. “We intend going live with the Central Handicap Server from 1 February 2010,” explained Hassen.
“We are indeed honoured to be awarded the tender,” said Volker Schorp, Managing Director of Albatros.
Albatros is a German company that has specialised in golf IT since 1986. It is based in Karlsruhe, Germany. “In June last year we opened an office in South Africa,” said Schorp.
“Albatros and its partners currently provides the interface in various parts and formats in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and the operation for a central handicap file server in Russia and now South Africa,” pointed out Gareth Beesley, Executive Manager of Albatros in South Africa. Other countries in which Albatros operates are France, Italy, Benelux (The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg), Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkey.
“The WGSA and SAGA were looking, through the tender process, to work with a company that had experience in the provision of services through a central handicap server. Albatros not only displayed this but also provided added benefits that will assist us in developing business opportunities to our mutual benefit,” said Erica Lefson, WGSA President.
Hassen pointed out that further detail on the roll out of the services envisaged, through its partnership with Albatros, will be provided in due course. “We plan to hold workshops with stakeholders over the coming weeks in which the detail regarding roll out to clubs will be concluded and thereafter communicated.”