And, you thought golf was all about enjoying the great outdoors with friends and figuring out how to avoid slicing the ball out of bounds and into nearby homes and roadways?
Wrong: It's actually about XML standards and schema.
Enter the OpenTravel Alliance, which has just published enhanced schema messages which would enable golf reservations systems and golf facilities
to send messages back and forth to suppliers, facilities and other intermediaries.
For example, OpenTravel's 2011A Golf schema messages allow for the transmission and receipt of data about course closures, score card and payment information, including promotions and loyalty programs.
And, a Golf Facility Information message pair enables golf-supplier facilities to help a trading partner to keep its database and cache up to date in regards to pricing, tee times and course design, for instance.
OpenTravel's publication of the golf schema messages was part of a broader rollout of new "2011B message and business functionality" XML schema for airline merchandising, hotels, tours, ground transportation and rail.
In terms of impact, the airline schema undoubtedly will be more important than the golf messages.
On the airline front, the OpenTravel air merchandising project team created a message pair which enables "an offer processing system to target relevant offers," OpenTravel says.
For example, a Get Offer request message may handle data about offers already presented or purchased, baggage quantity and seat information.
And a Get Offer response message facilitates communicating about relevant offers, including exchange rates, redemption-mile pricing and booking instructions.
It is interesting to note that while the Open AXIS Group positions itself as the XML standards organization for airlines, OpenTravel continues to do XML standards work related to airlines and airline merchandising.
The OpenTravel air merchandising project team included United-Continental and US Airways, as well as Travelport, Sabre, Amadeus, ATPCO, SITA, IBM, HP, OpenJaw, Datalex, TravelGuard and Berkely Group.