Bangolf Arena to get monopoly for WMF championships?
05 May 2009 at 17:14 | Published by: JJM | Views: 11584 | News search
In the near future, Bangolf Arena may become the obligatory scorekeeping software for all international championships of WMF. The board of WMF is planning to add scorekeeping system details into the agreement between WMF and future organizers of major tournaments.
Bangolf Arena is currently the most widely used online results program in minigolf world (using traditional paper scorekeeping, and publishing the round scores after each player group finishes playing a round). The system is currently tested with mobile devices, to publish live results hole after hole.
WMF board wants to ensure the quality of results service in major tournaments. Also money is a factor in this issue: by giving monopoly position to one scorekeeping software, it would be easier for WMF to get income from advertising integrated into the scorekeeping system.
Live results on Internet (after each group finishes playing a round) were first used at 2001 Nations Cup and World Championships in Vaasa, Finland. The system was programmed by Mikael Fred, a member of Botnia Minigolf Club in Vaasa. Italian tournament organizers asked for a right to use the program after the 2001 championships, but the program was never released or sold to Italians. The software of Vaasa 2001 championships was never used for any purpose after World Championships 2001.
Electronic scorekeeping and live results hole by hole were first used at Finnish minigolf competitions during the winter season 2007 – 2008, and then at Nations Cup and European Championships 2008 in Tampere, Finland. The system was programmed by Esa Borg, member of Manse Ratagolf minigolf club in Tampere. This system is nowadays updated by Tommi Lantta of Finnish Minigolf Federation, who fine-tuned the program for Nordic Championships 2009. The Finnish system will be used at Odense World Championships 2009, and also at Lamego Seniors’ Nations Cup & European Championships 2009. » memorandum of WMF board meeting 27-29 March 2009
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