About the client
Our client is a single-person startup based in the UK.
Key outcomes
We developed a fantasy golf league mobile app for a UK startup, resulting in:
Organic user growth
Achieved 300+ word-of-mouth downloads shortly after launch on the App Store
Positive user experience
Early adopters praised the app’s clean design and intuitive navigation
Strong foundation for growth
Positive feedback and early insights are guiding future feature development and improvements
Business challenge
Our client set out to create a fantasy golf mobile application to deliver an engaging and competitive experience for golf enthusiasts.
The concept was to combine elements of fantasy sports with the intricacies of golf tournaments, allowing users to build fantasy teams, track real-time scores, and compete with friends based on the performance of professional golfers.
The client prepared a thorough and detailed request for proposal (RFP), outlining the full scope, features, and user flows of the desired application and reached out to 11 development firms through Clutch.
But many vendors seemed overwhelmed by the detailed documentation or unwilling to engage at that level.
That’s where GoodCore stepped in. We actively engaged with the RFP and conducted multiple exploratory meetings to clarify requirements before offering a tailored mobile app development proposal.
The solution
Project goals
The project entailed the following requirements:
- Develop a native iOS mobile application with features such as a variety of league competitions, integrated messaging, live scoring updates, and leaderboards
- Ensure scalability and flexibility, allowing for future expansion, such as Android compatibility or additional sports.
- Deliver a visually appealing UI/UX, making the app attractive and easy to navigate for users of all ages.
- Streamline internal operations by assigning, tracking, and managing tasks with automated workflows.
- Keep development costs manageable, maintaining high quality while staying within the budget constraints of an early-stage startup.
The solution
System features and functionality
User registration
We built the Pick10 app with easy and secure user registration functionality using Twilio. Users can sign up using their email and mobile number. The two-step verification mechanism makes the registration process secure.
World league
All players that enter a team into a game automatically enter into the World League for that game. The World League for each real-life golf game ranks all the fantasy teams for that game from best to worst. The rankings for the teams on the global leaderboard are updated as the game score and player positions are updated.
Private league creation and invitation
Users can create private leagues for games and tournaments by way of in-app purchases. Unlike the World League, Private Leagues are exclusive. Only those users invited by the administrator can participate in them.
The golf league mobile app generates a unique reference and invitation link for each private league. The administrator can invite other users through their phone contacts, WhatsApp, and email.
Integrated messaging
The in-app chat messaging feature is exclusively for the participants of private leagues and is available as soon as a user joins a private league. Using the Firebase RealTime Database, we developed the group messaging feature. This enables private league participants to interact with other league members. Users receive push notifications for every chat update.
Real-time score updates
Built with robust processing capabilities, the Pick10 app uses the Enetpulse Sports Data API to update scores across all different score categories in real-time. With every game score, the hole by hole score is recalculated and updated on the app. It is simultaneously reflected in the golfers’ ranking, team score, and league positions.
Golfers database
A league golfers database in the backend stores the profiles of all the golfers that users can choose from when creating their fantasy team. It stores the basic information about each player and their scores and statistics which are calculated and updated after every game.
In-app purchases
The golf league mobile app has a secure and easy payment feature built-in. It enables users to pay for private league competitions through the payment channel on the App Store.
Personalised dashboard
The app UI shows all the games with an ‘open’ status that the user has joined. As the games reach their completion date, they are ‘closed’ and moved from the user’s personal screen. Each open game on the user screen also displays the status of selection. Users can make and save changes for games that are open for the selection of players.
Product development challenges and solutions
Challenge #1: Building for long-term scalability
One of the core challenges was building a fantasy game management platform that wasn’t limited to golf alone. The client envisioned a scalable foundation that could later be extended to support other sports, with minimal redevelopment. This requirement added complexity to the architecture and demanded forward-thinking technical design from day one.
Solution: A flexible, modular platform architecture
To address this, we designed the application with a modular and extensible architecture, allowing sport-specific rules and scoring logic to be separated from the core functionality. We used a clean, component-based approach for the front end and structured the back end with scalability in mind, using flexible data models and service-based architecture. This ensured that new sports could be integrated seamlessly in the future, without reworking the entire system.
Challenge #2: Delivering real-time updates and scoring
Another important consideration for the golf league mobile app was the real-time nature of the game. The app needed to reflect up-to-date scores for individual golfers, team rankings, and league standings, calculated dynamically based on those scores. However, in the MVP phase, automated live data integration was not yet in place.
Solution: Manual updates with efficient backend systems
To address this within the MVP scope, we implemented a system that allowed administrators to manually update scores through a secure backend interface. This ensured that users could still enjoy an engaging experience with timely score updates. At the same time, we designed the backend architecture to be API-ready, so that in the next phase, the client could easily integrate third-party live scoring APIs without major system changes.
Challenge #3: Designing an intuitive user interface
The client wanted the app to feature an interface that is modern, intuitive, and aligned with the latest design trends in the golf and fantasy sports industries. Striking the right balance between functionality and aesthetics was essential to user adoption and satisfaction.
Solution: User-centric design with industry-aligned aesthetics
GoodCore’s design team conducted research into leading golf and fantasy sports apps to identify common UX patterns and visual styles. We created interactive wireframes and prototypes, gathering feedback early to refine the layout and flow. Using clean layouts, minimalist design elements, and intuitive navigation, we delivered an interface that felt both professional and tailored to the target audience.
Challenge #4: Managing budget constraints of a startup
As a startup, the client had a limited budget and needed to make strategic decisions about where to invest resources. Building a high-quality app with essential features and without overspending was a major concern throughout the project. The financial constraints required a customised approach to development, necessitating careful consideration of how to maximise value while minimising costs.
Solution: MVP-first strategy with a fixed-price model
To stay within budget, we adopted an MVP-first approach, focusing on core features that would deliver maximum value and user engagement. We worked closely with the client to prioritise functionalities and phase out less critical elements for future versions. Additionally, we offered a fixed-price model, giving the client full cost transparency and control from the outset, avoiding unexpected expenses during development.
The impact
- The app is currently live on the App Store and has gained around 300 organic, word-of-mouth downloads.
- Early users have praised the app for its clean design and easy navigation.
- The manual score update system has worked smoothly for initial leagues, allowing real-time gameplay without delays.
- The client has received positive feedback and valuable insights to plan future improvements and features.
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