NCGA On Your Phone
The Internet home of the NCGA has gone mobile.
Smart phone users visiting ncga.org now are directed to an alternate version of the website. This version is specially-designed for the phone and allows users access to three of the most popular features of www.ncga.org as well as a fourth choice that links to the regular version of the website.
Visitors are able to utilize the course directory, create point-to-point directions from the newly-renovated course directory, look up past rulings from an FAQ section on the rules and post a score. Golfers can now fulfill their posting responsibilities after a round right from the parking lot using a smart phone.
Smart-phone users visiting www.ncga.orgwill automatically be re-directed to the new mobile site. For users wanting to bookmark the new site, the URL is mobile.ncga.org (no www in front of the address). There are four choices: Post a Score, Course Directory, Rules of Golf FAQ and an exit to the regular version of www.ncga.org.
For iPhone users only, an icon can be added to your home screen that will take you directly to the new site. Open the new mobile site and tap +. Then tap “Add to home screen.” Once you do this, the NCGA icon will automatically display. Again, this only works for the iPhone.
Look for more additions in the future.
My only question is how do I use it? Do I go the the normal web site @ ncga.org to get to it or is there another address I can put into my favorites folder? This is great if I can get it on my Palm Treo 700wx.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:57 amSteve – We have had some small issues with Treos and our re-direct (when you visit http://www.ncga.org you should be automatically re-directed to the mobile site). In the meantime, visit mobile.ncga.org and you will be able to utilize the mobile-phone site. We should have a fix up for Treos to automatically direct them to the mobile site within a day or so.
April 21st, 2008 at 4:50 pmSorry, I do not understand HOW to get NCGA onto my iPhone.
April 21st, 2008 at 5:40 pmCraig – If you have a smart phone such as a Palm Treo or iPhone, then the mobile-phone enabled website will display for you instead of the regular ncga.org. This will allow you to visit popular parts of the website, such as the course directory or score posting screen, in an efficient manner (though you can still access the regular website on your smart phone if you need to).
April 21st, 2008 at 7:58 pmI have the same question. I have an iPhone and it was connected but nothing directed me to mobile.ncga.org. How does this icon end up on my iPhone if it doesn’t automatically direct me to that mobile site?
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:16 amTom – When you visit ncga.org from your iPhone, you will automatically be directed to the mobile site. From there, you can create an icon to place on your phone that will allow you to visit the mobile site just by touching that icon you created.
Thanks,
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:33 amGuys,
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:55 pmThis is excellent, I’ve been searching courses and look forward to posting a card soon.
Great development!
Cheers
Olly
How do you create an icon for the iPhone? I went to the mobile web and could not find it.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:30 amMike – From the iPhone manual:
—Adding Safari Web Clips to the Home Screen
You can add Web Clips for your favorite websites to the Home screen for fast access. Web Clips appear as icons, which you can arrange however you want on the Home screen.
Open the page and tap +. Then tap “Add to home screen.”—
Once you do this, the NCGA icon will automatically display. This only works for the iPhone.
Thanks,
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:41 amThe new mobile site is very cool – thanks!
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:53 pmI was wondering if it would be possible for you to add a link to the handicap lookup by name or NCGA# on the mobile site? Also the handicap calculator would be useful.
Adrienne – Glad you like the site.
We are leery of adding too much to the mobile site to keep it loading fast. Both of your suggestions are excellent and we will look into it, but in the meantime, you can still access these features through the regular NCGA.org which is the fourth link on the mobile site.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:28 pmThis is excellent. Worked perfectly with my iphone. Thanks!
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:40 pmYou should mention that you DO NOT preface the mobile site w/ www – otherwise you go to a juniors site.
April 24th, 2008 at 11:05 amKurt – You don’t need the “www” if you go directly to the mobile site (mobile.ncga.org), but the re-direct is in place so that if you go to http://www.ncga.org from a smart phone, you are automatically taken to the new mobile site.
Thanks,
April 24th, 2008 at 11:08 amGreat site. Works wonderfully on my iPhone. Much needed and greatly appreciated.
April 25th, 2008 at 9:51 amI just put the icon on my iphone. Very cool. Excellent upgrade!
April 25th, 2008 at 2:15 pmPlease allow the ability to look up an index. There are multiple times when playing that someone needs to look up their index, especially after the first of the month.
April 27th, 2008 at 8:00 pmplease add the ability to look up an index. this is needed multiple times a year especially after the first of the month.
April 27th, 2008 at 8:04 pmDo you have an API so I can update and pull scores for my club automatically? Thanks
April 28th, 2008 at 1:31 amSteve – We are looking into adding that feature. We have received numerous requests and it is a good idea.
Alex – We do have an API, but I’m not sure that we can release it. Please contact me directly for more information sseward@ncga.org
Thanks,
April 28th, 2008 at 8:36 amSteve,
I’d like to suggest that you add a link on the mobile site that would enble you to get to the full site. Modern Mobile Browsers like those on the iPhone and the new Firefox Mobile work just fine and have enough screen resolution and capability to use just about every feature of the main site. I agree that having the player handicap look up would be the next best thing to add.
April 28th, 2008 at 8:58 amChris – If you look at the 4th choice on the mobile site, it allows you to go to the regular site.
Thanks,
April 28th, 2008 at 9:00 amWhen I try to post a score, I’m presented with a list of course choices. I highlight one of the choices, but I’m presented with a yahoo map of the course, some course information, but it is not apparent how I select a particular tee to actually post a score.
I am on a BlackBerry Pearl from Verizon.
April 29th, 2008 at 1:01 pmBill – We are not there yet. We haven’t designed it to populate the score posting screen with the rating information yet – that is to come. Right now, the course directory is there as a reference.
Thanks,
April 29th, 2008 at 1:23 pmSo now we can post scores from our driveway, from the grocery store, from the jacuzzi. What is the time frame to post the mobile way?
April 30th, 2008 at 4:26 pmDenny – No time frame, though you should make a habit of posting soon after you play to ensure your scoring record is up-to-date.
Thanks,
April 30th, 2008 at 4:28 pmmobile.ncga.org works just fine but http://www.ncga.org produces a message “scripting alert: handler could not be removed.” and then I then get the regular site. Phone is HTC 8925 running pocket windows 6.1 and browser is internet explorer.
May 5th, 2008 at 7:23 pmmobile.ncga.org works just fine but http://www.ncga.org yields an error message “scripting error: handler could not be removed” and then opens the regular site. pocket windows 6.1/HTC 8925. Thanks.
May 5th, 2008 at 7:24 pmWith iPhone, the Post a Score screen cannot be re-sized to be able to read it. Plus it comes up with several warnings/errors, although at the bottom of the screen you can see the posting screen. Just can’t resize
June 18th, 2008 at 11:50 amDave – It appears we have addressed these issues. Please let us know if you continue to have problems. Thanks.
June 19th, 2008 at 7:28 pmI know you’ve heard this but index look-up via mobile site would be great. If I go to the main site from my iPhone and try to look-up an index, it redirects to the mobile site that does not have a look-up option, loopy. Perhaps disabling the automatic redirect from the look-up on the main site would solve the problem until the feature is added to the mobile site.
May 31st, 2009 at 5:51 pmDavid – We have added this feature. Thanks for posting.
June 1st, 2009 at 1:23 pmWill there be an icon for Blackberry Phones anytime soon ?
July 23rd, 2009 at 7:47 amRon – We will work on developing that. Thanks
July 24th, 2009 at 9:20 am