Smart golf software

A system that responds to a predefined event occurring within a gaming environment, by automatically transmitting an alert or message to a person outside the gaming environment, comprising:

• a game server that includes a processor and a memory storing a plurality of machine instructions, said game server being included within a gaming service that establishes the gaming environment and further including a communication interface that couples the game server to a network;
• and wherein said processor executes the machine instructions stored in the memory, causing the processor to carry out a plurality of functions, including:
• detecting when a predefined event occurs within the gaming environment, wherein:
• the gaming environment provides a secure and limited access such that players only gain access to the gaming environment through a secure gateway wherein:
• the secure gateway is inaccessible by any person communicating over a network that is outside of the gaming environment;
• and the network is inaccessible from within the gaming environment by players participating in the gaming environment;
• and in response to detecting the predefined event, initiating transmission of an alert or message to a person outside the gaming environment over the network.

A messaging system comprising:

• a web server computer;
• and a self-contained sports system for executing a sports program for competitive sports play, the sports game system program being embodied on a storage device replaceably connectable by a user to the sports game system and comprising program instructions for both the sports competition and for a messaging service client, whereby the messaging service client is activated by connecting the storage device to the remote game system and executing the game program embodied thereon, the activated messaging service client establishing a connection between the game system and said web server computer via the Internet and sending status data from the game system to said web server computer that is indicative of the sports competition game program being executed by the sports game system, wherein said web server computer generates a session file when the local sports game system connects thereto, the session file comprising the status data sent from the local game system and status data indicative of the particular sports game programs being executed by the game systems of each of one or more buddies identified on a buddy list previously defined by the user, wherein the status data of the one or more buddies on the buddy list is accessible to the user even if the game system of the user and the game systems of the one or more buddies are executing sports programs for playing different games.