Play Today merges the world of golf and Web3

Play Today is a Web3-based golf platform that merges the third iteration of the internet with the traditional game play of golf.

The platform has three components, a digital scoring app with an integrated digital wallet, a digital marketplace and what CEO of Play Today, Clive Mayhew calls the world’s first golf metaverse.

He explained, “You play physical golf, score your round and earn digital collectibles for achievements (birdies, eagles, etc) all stored on the blockchain and owned by the player.

“You can then replay your round in our Metaverse, a 3D virtual golf world with golf clubhouses, live golf broadcasts, visit the latest golf innovations, connect with golf brands and fellow golfers.”

Play Today’s metaverse is based around virtual islands and Mayhew said they provide “endless” opportunities for players.

They are also looking at partnership opportunities with golf championships in NSW.

“We are launching with our initial island for Australia’s second largest professional golf tournament the NSW Open Championship,” he explained.

“We will develop many interconnected golf islands for players to explore their favourite brands like never before, connect with fellow golfers in virtual clubhouses, watch and consume great golf content globally.”

Mayhew said this will expand very quickly into larger virtual island experiences as other sports follow a similar model hosting more brands, more sports and more content in the virtual space.

“We believe these exciting, interactive experiences will replace the current generation of static sports-based websites and single-stream sports broadcasting. Sporting clubs, brands, and associations will all be connected within interactive worlds, where consumers owning their personal data can freely explore and participate like never before,” he added.

Impact of Web3              

Mayhew said the company believes that Web3 can change the relationship that people have with golf.

He said, “We believe that Web3 has the ability to radically change our relationship with Golf by offering powerful avenues for earning rewards, building communities, driving connections that transcend geographical boundaries and creating unrivalled and novel experiences for players, clubs and associations.”

Mayhew said he believes in empowerment through data ownership.

“We’re doing just that by building a decentralised ecosystem for the everyday golfer. At Play Today, we’re enabling players to own their golf data and store every moment and memory on chain for generations to come,” he said.

As a player, Mayhew noticed the inefficiency regular scoring had in golf.

“We realised that the first-generation digital scoring apps were sophisticated and efficient tools for tracking our progress and performance but were not conducive to building communities or fostering meaningful connections,” he said.

Mayhew was inspired to create this platform after the pandemic and the major shifts it caused for people in everyday life.

“Amid the chaos and uncertainty of everyday life, for the first time in years, golf was experiencing renewed interest and incredible record-breaking growth. Seasoned golfers were playing more rounds, and golf saw an influx of substantial retention of new golfers,” he said.

“With new players from diverse backgrounds across multiple generations entering the sport, we started to observe a shift in golf. One that retained the fundamental competitive spirit of golf but placed greater emphasis on community and connection in a time of social isolation.”

Mayhew said he said Web3 can enable sports in new and different ways.

“I envisage proactive participants and consumers being collaborators, changing everything we build and how we build things,” he explained.

“Empowerment through data ownership, players owning their golf data, storing every moment and memory on the chain for generations to come changes everything in this industry. These principles will not be negotiable, that’s the challenge and the opportunity.”

The platform launches today.