SAN FRANCISCO (April 10, 2007) – World Golf Tour, creators of the world’s most photo-realistic online golf experience, announced today that the company has secured its first round of funding from Battery Ventures. Battery’s Roger Lee joins co-founders YuChiang Cheng and JF Prata on the company’s board of directors. Terms of the investment were not disclosed.

Golf has historically earned a reputation for being expensive and time-consuming. World Golf Tour seeks to “democratize” the sport by bringing it to the masses via the Internet. Golfers of all levels, from casual gamers to true golf experts, will be able to play a variety of courses, each rendered in extraordinary detail through high definition photography. World Golf Tour will make the gaming experience even more engaging by complementing game play with an advanced social network that will facilitate communication and collaboration between players.

World Golf Tour’s executive team is comprised of experienced entrepreneurs with a passion for both golf and online gaming. Before co-founding World Golf Tour, CEO YuChiang Cheng served as vice president of business development and product marketing for IGT/Wagerworks, where he was instrumental in securing business clients such as Virgin Games, World Poker Tour and BskyB. COO JF Prata served previously as the vice president of product development for Electronic Arts (EA), and COO of Maxis and Westwood Studios, where he oversaw the development of franchise titles including Godfather™, Lord of the Rings, Command & Conquer, 007 James Bond, The Sims Expansion Packs and The Sims 2. Company president Chad Nelson worked closely with Cheng at Wagerworks, and with Prata at Eight Cylinders; where he led the development teams responsible for creating next generation broadband video content and more than 70 original PC titles including Wheel of Fortune™, The Price is Right™, Monopoly™, Jeopardy™ and the World Poker Tour™.

“The Battery Ventures team understands the consumer technology sector well, and we are thrilled to have their support and commitment,” said Cheng. “We aim to vastly extend golf’s reach – by tapping into the accessibility of the web and combining it with our visually stunning product to engage new enthusiasts within the greater golf community. Interactive gaming is the single most engaging form of media ever developed, and we are leveraging the experience online with compelling content to build the definitive social golf destination on the Internet. We have an ambitious vision, and Battery’s support will make it possible for us to bring this opportunity to life.”

“World Golf Tour takes the game of golf—a typically time consuming and expensive sport—and makes it accessible to a much broader audience through the Web,” said Roger Lee, general partner at Battery Ventures. “The user experience World Golf Tour delivers is outstanding, the opportunities to monetize strong, and the team seasoned. The company is an excellent match with our investment profile, and we look forward to helping the team build an innovative and substantial business.”

San Francisco-based World Golf Tour™ (WGT) offers the world’s most photo-realistic online golf experience. WGT seeks to democratize the game of golf via the Web, making golf accessible and affordable for all, and to build an online community based on its engaging, interactive golf experience. WGT enables multiple players to explore famous courses simultaneously and sparks competition with tournament play and real-life prizes.

Since 1983, Battery has been investing in technology and innovation worldwide. The firm partners with entrepreneurs and management teams across technology sectors, geographies and stages of a company’s life, from start-up and expansion financing, to growth equity and buyouts. Battery has supported many breakthrough companies around the world, including Airespace (acquired by Cisco), Akamai Technologies (AKAM), Cbeyond (CBEY), LIFFE (acquired by Euronext), Neoteris (acquired by Netscreen), and Optium (OPTM). Its current portfolio includes emerging firms such as Advent Solar, Netezza, Spot Runner, The Tennis Channel and TravelGuru, as well as more established companies such as ITA Software, Consona Corp (formerly Made2Manage), MetroPCS, and Nova Analytics. From offices in Boston, Silicon Valley and Israel, Battery manages more than $2B in committed capital.

Battery Ventures

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