Golf products maker Callaway is ramping up its mobile strategy by sponsoring the PGA Tour?s new iPad application.

The PGA Tour HD app gives golf fans a behind-the-scenes look at live coverage of tournaments and PGA Tour events. The app is available for free download in Apple?s App Store.

?The goal of this app is two-fold ? to give fans a live experience on the tablet that they cannot have on another platform and to let golf fans follow their favorite players on the course,? said Scott Gutterman, executive producer at PGATour.com, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

Callaway manufacturers golf equiptment, apparel, footwear, eyewear and accessories.

Mobile bogey
The app, which resembles a scoreboard, sits in portrait view when opened and unlike many apps, it gives users a few quick hints on how to navigate the app, which is helpful for sports fans who are looking for quick information.

Callaway is running banner ads inside the PGA Tour app that display along the bottom to promote the company?s new line of Razr Fit golf clubs. The clubs launch Feb. 17.

Users who tap on the banner ads are taken to a mobile landing page where they can learn more about the golf clubs with pictures and videos. Consumers can also find the nearest Callaway retail location using the tablet?s GPS.

Consumers can also shop from inside the banner ads from Callaway?s other product.

Here is the Callaway landing page that users are taken to

In addition to the banner ads, the Callaway logo is also branded on the right side of the app?s screen.

Golf fans can live stream videos of PGA Tour games from inside the app.

The app also shows a full listing of players that are in each tournament and users can view individual stats about the golfers.

Users can view a map of particular golf courses

The tournament is also updated in real-time to show users updates about the tour and golf course.

Consumers can also learn about upcoming tournaments and events via the app.

Hole-in-one
The PGA Tour app is an example of how mobile can add an additional layer to online content.

Letting users live stream video content is an advanced digital feature, especially for mobile, and gives users an extra reason to interact with a tablet app.

In addition, Callaway?s commerce-enabled ads make the app interactive unlike many sport apps with static content and advertising.

More than anything, the PGA Tour app is proof that tablet app strategy development needs to be separate from smartphone app strategy.

According to recent research from Nielsen, 40 percent of mobile device owners watch TV on their smartphones and tablets, showing how mobile is increasingly being used as a second or third screen for content (see story).

In addition to the iPad app, PGA Tour is also looking at tablets on both the Android and Windows 8 operating system in the future, per Mr. Gutterman.

The company is also looking for ways to incorporate mobile into tournaments for attendees.

?Mobile is growing very quickly for us overall and we are very excited about the growth we are seeing,? Mr. Gutterman said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York