NBC Sports, Rory McIlroy Establish GolfPass, a Digital Membership Platform for Golf Fans

NBC Sports Group and global golf superstar Rory McIlroy announced the launch of GolfPass, a new digital membership delivering comprehensive benefits tailored to the modern golfer’s lifestyle. GolfPass is a direct to-consumer subscription program, which offers opportunities to play more golf, comprehensive tools to improve any golfer’s game; high-quality video content; and enhanced shopping and travel experiences. GolfPass is the product of two years of development and collaboration between Rory McIlroy and NBC Sports Group. The announcement was made by McIlroy, GolfPass founder, and Mike McCarley, president, GOLF, NBC Sports.

McCarley says that the golf channel, since its launch nearly 25 years ago by Arnold Palmer, has built a business based on the lifestyle of golf. And the direct-to-consumer GolfPass membership is designed to enrich that lifestyle with things like monthly free rounds of golf via GolfNow and more than 4,000 on-demand instructional videos.

McCarley sees five keys to the GolfPass. The first two are actually playing and instruction, mentioned above, but there is also shopping as TaylorMade is a launch partner (members get a dozen free golfballs and discounts), original content from the Golf Channel archives and travel through Golf Advisor.

“It’s like a Yelp or Trip Advisor that has ratings and reviews of golf courses around the world,” says McCarley. “We have nearly a million reviews and a lot of travel-related information geared towards a golfer.”

McIlroy says golf is unique in that the people who watch it on TV are also the ones that play the game, making the sport a good fit for something like GolfPass.

“You make the game more accessible for people and make it easier to play,” says McIlroy. “People are going to go on it and watch content but you can also learn about the game, improve your golf, and play more golf.”

“Rory is the perfect partner for GolfPass, not only because he’s an approachable, genuine and global ambassador for golf – much in the same way Mr. Palmer was – he’s also eager to modernize how golfers engage with the sport in their daily lives, whether watching a screen or with a club in their hand,” adds McCarley.

Adds McIlroy: “I think Arnold would be very proud of what we’re trying to do here today. I don’t think any other business or any other organization in golf do more to grow the game than The Golf Channel. They’ve broadcast the game on a global stage, and that’s why I’m so excited to partner with them.”

McCarley says that the fastest growing demographics group is young girls and things like the PGA Junior Leagues, where kids play on a team much like they would in little league, gives a kid a really good introduction to the sport, much like they would in another team sport.

“And then you look at things like TopGolf and Drive Shack and simulator golf, and you’re starting to see a real groundswell of other ways for young people who may or may not have been engaged in the game of golf to get involved in golf,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be the first tee at 8:00 a.m. in a pair of spikes. It can be 8:00 p.m. at TopGolf in a pair of flip-flops, and if you have a golf club in your hand, you’re hitting a ball, that’s a golf experience.”

Connecting Golfer to Their Passion
GolfPass perks and benefits span five pillars – Play, Learn, Watch, Travel, and Shop – which are the most frequent ways golfers engage with the sport. For $9.99 per month or $99 per year, a GolfPass membership is unmatched and is available today, with upcoming launches tailored for the U.K., Ireland and Australia:

• PLAY: GolfPass members receive a free round of golf each month, good at a choice of 7,000 GolfNow partner golf courses in 26 countries around the world, including Royal Portrush Golf Club, site of The Open this year in Northern Ireland, and top resorts like Harbour Town at Sea Pines Resort, TPC Deere Run, home of the PGA TOUR’s John Deere Classic, or Pasatiempo Golf Club. Members receive 25% in savings when registering to compete on the GOLF Am Tour, which annually hosts 800 local, regional and national amateur tournaments in the U.S., Canada and, soon, Australia. Additionally, GolfPass+ ($199 per year) members receive additional benefits on GolfNow, including waived booking fees, cancellation protection, and 25% extra rewards points.
• LEARN: At launch, GolfPass members will have access to more than 4,000 on-demand instruction videos featuring many of the world’s elite coaches, including Sean Foley (Justin Rose) and Cameron McCormick (Jordan Spieth), as well as McIlroy’s coach, Michael Bannon with their GolfPass Original series, Lessons with a Champion Golfer. GolfPass instructional content includes tips from golf legends, including Paul Azinger, Nick Faldo, Gary Player, Annika Sorenstam, and more. And GolfPass provides access to Revolution GOLF’s award-winning roster of coaches: Foley, McCormick, Martin Chuck, Chris Como, Martin Hall, and Andrew Rice. Other GolfPass benefits include special pricing and early access to Revolution Golf Schools, and golf-specific fitness and training programs, including Core Golf with Don Saladino.
• WATCH: Showcasing a video library totaling more than 1,000 hours this year, GolfPass is home to exclusive GolfPass Originals, as well as GOLF Channel’s robust video archive, which spans historic competitions, insight from golf’s biggest names and award-winning franchises like Emmy-nominated Feherty, Emmy-award winning GOLF Films and more. Exclusive GolfPass Originals at launch include My Roots: Rory McIlroy, My Daily Routine, and Toughest Tracks, with an expanding slate rolling out throughout the year.
• TRAVEL – GolfPass members receive unlimited $100 travel credits at a selection of top resorts, including Sea Island in Georgia, The Biltmore in Miami and Bali Hai Golf Club in Las Vegas. Members receive unlimited $100 credits for all GOLF Advisor Getaways, which are scheduled at spectacular resorts, including Streamsong Resort in Florida, Turning Stone Resort & Casino in New York and Baha Mar Casino & Hotel in the Bahamas. And members receive insider travel information and custom itineraries built from GOLF Advisor experiences at more than 10,000 golf destinations around the world.
• SHOP: Annual GolfPass members receive a free dozen TaylorMade golf balls. GolfPass members can shop more than 45 brands and take advantage of exclusive member pricing on clubs, apparel, accessories, digital instructional tools, and training aids — including free shipping. TaylorMade, as an official GolfPass partner, will provide member pricing across their best-in-class equipment and golf ball portfolio, preferred access to new product releases and exclusive, Rory McIlroy limited-edition products.

“GolfPass is truly an exciting new platform and community for golfers. We are proud to be a launch partner and look forward to integrating our TaylorMade brand and presenting our best-in-class products to GolfPass members in the years to come,” says David Abeles, president and CEO, TaylorMade Golf Company.

Exclusive Content from Rory McIlroy
McIlroy’s role as GolfPass’s founder was highlighted last night when he introducedGolfPass on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and continues today with scheduled appearances on NBC’s Today, CNBC’s Squawk Box, GOLF’s Morning Drive; NBCSN’s Men in Blazers; McIlroy will start sporting the GolfPass logo on his golf bag at next week’s Genesis Open. Additionally, McIlroy’s contributions include co-hosting an exclusive GolfPass podcast with television host, radio personality and Emmy award-winning producer Carson Daly (The Voice, Today), as well as kicking off four GolfPass Originals and continually providing exclusive content:

My Roots: Rory McIlroy: McIlroy shares his own story – openly and honestly – from his humble beginnings to his meteoric rise to world No. 1, four-time major champion and FedExCup Champion. My Roots: Rory McIlroy is the first six-chapter installment of this GolfPass Originals interview series, which will capture the journeys of a wide spectrum of leaders from across the golf landscape.

My Daily Routine: McIlroy kicks off this GolfPass Original series where top golfers, athletes, entertainers, and acclaimed business professionals explain what they do each day to keep them sharp – including “life hack” tips spanning from their morning rituals to how they wind down at night.

Lessons with a Champion Golfer: In the first season of this GolfPass Original instructional series, members learn directly from McIlroy and his lifetime instructor, Michael Bannon, as they share drills and tips used throughout McIlroy’s career. This 12 part series features premium-quality instruction and utilizes top technology, including a Swing 360 camera, specialty graphics, Toptracer and Trackman stats.

Toughest Tracks: Travel the globe with top golfers, analysts, and celebrities to find out how they navigate some of the hardest holes in golf. In the first episode, McIlroy walks the newly designed 7th hole and several others at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, site of The Open this year.

A native of Northern Ireland, McIlroy, 29, turned professional in 2007 and has become one of the most popular golfers in the world because of his approachability with fans and candor with media. A four-time major championship winner, McIlroy also has earned 23 career victories, including 14 on the PGA TOUR. He held the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking for 95 weeks and is one of only four players to win three majors by the age of 25 (Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth), which include The Open (2014), U.S. Open (2011) and the PGA Championship (2012, 2014). He has represented Europe on five Ryder Cup teams and won the PGA TOUR’s prestigious FedExCup in 2016.