GolfMates is one of those niche dating sites that has been in existence for a while. It has even been mentioned in Golf Magazine several times — going as far back as 2004. That, at the very least, establishes its longevity in the market. The question now is, who is this dating site for? Yes, obviously golf enthusiasts, but what kind? Occasional players or hard-core devotees? Also, how effective is GolfMates?

These are the types of questions that we did our best to answer in our GolfMates review. So, grab a club, tee-up and yell out “Fore!” — you are about to discover how above or below par GolfMates really is.

— Pros and Cons —

Pros

• Registration is thorough while keeping process simple
• Presentation of potential matches is highly visual and easy to scroll
• Free version offers decent insight into how it works
• There are no nagging and obtrusive attempts at getting you to upgrade
• PayPal is accepted

Cons

• Unlimited communication features require a paid upgrade
• Few users under the age of 30
• Questions about personal habits are mandatory at registration

— In-Depth GolfMates Review —

If you have heard about GolfMates, chances are that you are a golf aficionado. GolfMates advertises on golf related magazines, websites, and television programming.

First, let’s clarify what type of dating site GolfMates is. It is focused on male and female golfers who are seeking to find partners for long-term relationships. Collaterally, it tends to attract higher-income members.

— User Demographics —

When we analyzed the membership metrics of GolfMates’ user base we discovered that the gender ratio was roughly 60 percent male to 40 percent female. Honestly, this surprised us. Such a reasonably balanced gender mix is not the norm in the online dating industry. Sites that come close to it frequently offer the best user experiences.

As might be expected for a dating site centering on golf as its niche, the average age of a GolfMates member falls in the 45+ category. This is not to say that younger people do not join the site. However, suffice it to say that those in the 18-30 age group barely comprise 10 percent of the user base.

— Registration Process —

Registering on GolfMates takes place on its welcome page. The registration box is easily located as it is centered above the fold on both PC and mobile browsers.

To get the registration process rolling you must enter your gender and your zip code. You must also enter the gender and age range of the partner that you are seeking. You then click on the green button that reads “Join Free!”

Once you complete those steps you are redirected to another page. You will be required to provide your birthdate, a valid email, and you must select a username and password for your GolfMates account. You then click on the “Continue” button.

At this stage, you are redirected to another pop-up window that allows you to upload images for your profile. If you are not ready to upload images at that time you can choose to do so later.

The remainder of the registration process consists of these types of sequential pop-up windows. One will ask you to provide information regarding your physical attributes, such as body type, ethnicity, and hair and eye color. Another will inquire about your habits. In that section, you must identify your occupation, education, faith, as well as smoking and drinking habits.

While those types of questions are not unusual on dating site profiles, we did find it odd that GolfMates make them mandatory. If you do not provide the information you cannot continue with the registration process.

The next pop-up includes questions regarding your golfing ability. You are asked about your golf handicap, your best score, your favorite golf club, and how many rounds you play in a week.

The final pop-up requires you to enter the preferred attributes of the partner that you are seeking. This includes ethnicity, faith, body type, family situation, and smoking habits.

Overall, we found the GolfMates registration process to be easy and simple to navigate. Yes, it is lengthy but it is not complex. Even so, throughout the process, if you have a question regarding a specific portion of the registration process, a small help window opens immediately to the side clarifying what you must do. Since GolfMates is going to attract a lot of users that are older and who may not be used to registering on dating sites, this registration method composed of sequential pop-up windows is a good thing.

— User Platform and Features —

Once you register and enter the main platform, you will notice a stark difference from the site’s welcome page. The GolfMates platform is sleek and modern. It is also geared toward being heavily visual. The most dominant feature is the endless scroll of potential matches that are presented to you organized in a tiled format similar to Pinterest. Only the profile picture is visible, but if you scroll over the image, the user’s username, age, and location are revealed. You can also add as a favorite, send a wink, send a message or like the user by hovering over the image. If you click on it you will be redirected to the full profile of the user.

By default, these potential matches are presented in order of compatibility as determined by the GolfMates search engine. You can change the display order in order to show users that are nearest to you, the most active on the site, or the newest members to join. You can also conduct your own search based on customizable search parameters.

Aside from the search and discovery feature, GolfMates also has a “Mingle” feature. When you access it you must first respond to two to three questions about your personality and submit your opinion on the profile images of other users. Upon doing so, you are shown the profile of a potential match. You can either like or decline that user. You are then presented with more questions and more profiles to like or decline. If one of the users whose profile you liked likes you back, a connection is made. You can then converse one-on-one and see where that road leads you.

— Cost —

Registration on GolfMates is free. However, free users can only send messages or respond to messages from selected profiles. During our testing, we could not determine any pattern as to how these message permissions were allocated. Suffice it to say that when a little conversation balloon icon appeared in a user’s profile you could send a free message.

To avoid the communication restrictions, as well as to have preferential placement in the search results of other users and to make use of the “Mega Wink” feature — which allows you to send winks “en masse” to multiple users who share attributes you are interested in — a paid subscription is required.

A one-month membership costs $34.95 per month, if you pay for three months in advance the total cost is $69.95, six months in advance is $99.99 — a full year will run you $139.95.

GolfMates is one of the few dating sites that accept PayPal as a payment option.