The ModGolf Podcast - Episodes Tagged with “#Growgolf”

Conversations From The 2022 PGA Show - Charlie Klaus (Spark Golf) and Patrick Farris (Euforeia Golf)

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 17:30:00 -0800

It's been two long years since I last attended The PGA Show in Orlando and although I was apprehensive about getting on a plane from Vancouver with the Omicron variant still swirling around us, I'm glad I made the decision to go. After hundreds of Zoom video calls over the past 24 months has pushed me to the point of burnout, reconnecting with old golf industry friends and meeting some new ones face to face was exactly the medicine my spirit needed.

While I was there I was granted access to The PGA Golf Shows Media Center to record a pair of podcast conversations with Euforeia Golf Co. Founder Patrick Farris and Spark Golf CEO Charlie Klaus. Rather than release these as separate episodes, I decided to give you two engaging conversations for the price of one!

Want to read about the recap of my eight days in Orlando and takeaways from golf's biggest industry event?
Then check out my blog post!

Click on the image below to check out our extended conversation with Charlie Klaus on our Youtube Channel!

Spark Golf is a network of 9-hole, social golf leagues organized to be casual and fun. They make it easy for co-ed players of all skill levels to play golf. They’re showing the world that life is better with golf, and golf is better when it lightens up. Their mission is to invite everyone, regardless of skill, to play a more social and relaxed version of golf in their local communities. And believe in growing golf where many before have failed. First played in 2018, they've built the Spark app which automates all league operations including: registration, payment, handicaps, live scoring, player-to-player messaging and more. In 2022 more than 1,000 courses will host Spark Golf across North America. Find a league and play Spark Golf at a course near you!

Click on the image below to check out our extended conversation with Patrick Farris on our Youtube Channel!

Euforeia was formed as a paradise for freethinkers, outsiders, and good-time subscribers. This convergence of minds created a culture rooted in self-expression, adventure, and the endless journey that is golf. It is this culture and passion that is the soul of who we are, fueling the ingenuity and creativity that goes into every detail of what we make. Their mission is to usher in a new era of golf by obliterating boundaries in order to pave a way for youth culture to rise and expand the game.

To learn more about Euforeia Golf, visit their website to see how a brand based in action sports that was created for the underground golfers of the world aims to grow the game from the outside.

Special Guests: Charlie Klaus - Co- Founder and CEO at Spark Golf and Patrick Farris - Euforeia Golf Co. Founder / CEO.

Entrepreneurial Lessons Learned Over 25 Years Of Constantly Innovating - Martin Wyeth, Founder & CEO at Power Tee

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 13 May 2021 13:00:00 -0700

"The first 15 or 20 times I thought of the concept behind Power Tee while learning to play golf, I did some base calculations on cost of fabrication, installation and maintenance. I looked at the driving ranges in my area and thought Power Tee would be an expensive piece of equipment that wouldn't work financially. So I kept pushing the idea away until I came up with the revenue model of charging a penny a ball and instal the system free of charge that I started to like it."

Founder & CEO Martin Wyeth joins us to share his three decades long entrepreneurial journey that led to the creation of Power Tee.

Click on the image below to check out our extended conversation with Martin on our Youtube Channel!

Want to see Power Tee in action? Check out their website and short demo video:

Special Guest: Martin Wyeth - Founder & CEO at Power Tee.

Innovating In The Golf Nonprofit Space To Help Charities Flourish - Eric Sedransk, Founder of Member For A Day

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 05 May 2021 20:00:00 -0700

In May of 2020 Eric Sedransk created a charity golf auction in support of New York City Local Restaurants and Hospital Workers effected by COVID-19. What started out as a way to give back, resulted in over $100,000 raised in seven days, equating to over 10,000 meals for frontline workers.

This overwhelmingly positive response inspired Eric to launch Member for A Day; the world’s leading golf nonprofit fundraising platform. Their clients include the American Cancer Society, Various First Tee chapters, The Ray Bourque Foundation, The Steve Smith Family Foundation, Amanda Balionis / Puppies & Golf, and many more.

They've since raised over $1,000,000 for a variety of amazing nonprofits through once in a lifetime rounds of golf in less than a year.

You can learn more about Member For A Day and connect with Eric on his bio page.

Click on the image below to check out our extended conversation with Eric on our Youtube Channel!

Show Notes and Eric Quotes
"I received hundreds of messages from people from all around the world thanking me and wanting to donate additional rounds. It was a movement. It was less the total number and more the response from people that made me realize that something is here. I've hit on an emotional element within human beings that works. Then very fortuitously - which a lot of the past eight months have been - a couple of golf industry writers had been following our story on social media and asked if they could interview me.

Next thing you know I was written up in bunch of golf magazines and The New York Post did an article on our story and we got a decent amount of press. After that over 20 non-profits reached out saying "you were so successful doing this for COVID, can you help us with cancer, social services and youth golf?" and on and on and on. I said "I think so!" and we figured out a scalable model that could work and spun it up into a platform called Member For a Day".

Special Guest: Eric Sedransk - Founder and CEO at Member For A Day.

Creating North America's First Esports Golf Competition Event - Charlie Watson, CEO of Tiidal Gaming & Lazarus Esports

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -0700

Competitive Esports tournaments for baseball, hockey, basketball and football have been rising in popularity but golf has yet to join the party. Until now. Charlie Watson, CEO of Tiidal Gaming and Lazarus Esports join us to discuss The #VIRLShowdown, which is North America's first competitive Esports Golf Event.

Want to enter but don't live on Vancouver Island? The #VIRLShowdown is the first of what will be many larger scale tournaments that Lazarus Esports will be rolling out, so your chance to participate will be coming soon!

Click on the image below to check out our extended conversation with Charlie on our Youtube Channel!

You can learn more about Lazarus Esports and connect with Charlie on his bio page.

The #VIRLShowdown finals took place on May 3rd 2021 and we are excited to be part of future Golf Esports tournaments!

You can find out more about Lazarus Esports by visiting their website

Show Notes and Charlie Quotes
"Gaming has that massive ability to heal and to bring people together. That is what this event and eSports is all about. There are no limits, there is no bounds. I can play with someone in Asia, Africa, South America or someone that is just down the road from me and that's the power of gaming and eSports.'

"You see livestreams that have 700,000 viewers just for their three hour broadcasts, so it's just phenomenal to see what's happening in our industry. I've been in this industry for twelve years now and in many ways I feel like I'm late to it, but the great thing is there's so much creation and innovation happening so you're absolutely not late joining the party. We have a lot of room in the sandbox for people to come in and play."

"Adopting the creative play and the freedom of expression of eSports will take an older demographic game like golf and bring it towards a younger audience. That will increase the user base, viewership, content creation, social marketing, the word of mouth and really start to get kids excited about golf again."

About Lazarus
Lazarus Esports “LZR” is Canada’s first established esports team in 2010. They are a professional esports and entertainment organization dedicated to industry growth, developing the Canadian market, fostering amateurs to compete at the highest level & supporting professional gamers and content creators at the highest level for greater success.

LZR is currently ranked 1st in Canada, 10th in North America and 29th in the world for esports earnings and was also the highest earning team at the Fortnite World Cup in New York winning $3.45M USD and holds two Guinness World Records.

For more information, please visit lazarus.gg or it’s parent company, tiidal.gg

Special Guest: Charlie Watson, CEO at Tiidal Gaming & Lazarus Esports.

Disrupting The Market By Solving Customer Pains and Problems - Bodo Sieber, CEO of Tagmarshal

The ModGolf Podcast — Sat, 17 Apr 2021 10:00:00 -0700

"We are tackling a huge traffic problem on golf courses that impacts both the player experience and revenue opportunities for owners and operators." Tagmarshal Co-Founder and CEO Bodo Sieber joins us to share his entrepreneurial journey and how they create innovative solutions to reduce on-course traffic jams.

A German national with an extensive understanding of design thinking, user experience and process optimization, Bodo has honed his applied data science expertise during more than a decade in the field.

Click on the image below to check out our extended conversation with Bodo on our Youtube Channel!

Learn more about Bodo on his bio page.

You can learn more about Tagmarshal by visiting their website

Show Notes and Bodo Quotes
"Because golf is so traditional, we realized that if we can really make a mark, prove ourselves and provide a solution that works, the sky is the limit. The market is ready for disruption and it's asking for and needing to do things differently than the way they've been done for decades. After launching in 2014 we realized our home markets of Europe and South Africa were too small, so we decided that if we were really going to do this let's jump in the deep end. So we showed up at the 2015 PGA Merchandise Show with our MVP product to learn what are people saying, what are they asking, what are their needs and what is their response to the system we are building. Two months later we received a call from an American golf club called Erin Hills and the rest is history".

"Slow pace of play continued to be a key negative experience factor for golfers and course operators. No one was building technology-led solutions to relieve this pain point, so we did."

Special Guest: Bodo Sieber, Co-Founder and CEO of Tagmarshal.

Building The Wakanda For Young Black Golfers - Andy Walker, Director of The UGA Academy & Player Development

The ModGolf Podcast — Sat, 10 Apr 2021 18:00:00 -0700

Former PGA Tour player Andy Walker is now passionately giving back to the game he loves. As Director of The United Golfers Association (or UGA) Academy and Player Development, Andy is committed to giving young black men and women the opportunity to flourish both as professional players and industry leaders.
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Established almost 100 years ago in 1925, the UGA is still pushing to prepare young Black Golfers to achieve success on the many Professional Tours. The UGA Golf Academy is designed to prepare them mentally, physically and professionally to compete as Future Tour Players and Golf Professionals throughout the world.

The United Golfers Association (UGA) was a group of African American golfers who operated a separate series of professional golf tournaments for Blacks during the era of racial segregation in the United States. It was started in 1925 with the collaboration of several golfers who saw the need for a organized effort to increase golf amongst themselves. Many talented golfers such as Ted Rhodes, Bill Spiller, Pete Brown, Renee Powell, Lee Elder, Charlie Sifford, Willie Brown Jr, Althea Gibson, Jim Thorpe, Jim Dent, Ann Gregory, and Howard Wheeler started their careers as members of UGA.

Click on the image below to check out our extended conversation with Andy on our Youtube Channel!

Learn more about Andy on his bio page.

You can learn more about The United Golfers Association by visiting their website

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Show Notes and Andy Quotes
"I don't know if it's been thrust upon me, but a it's a great privilege of mine to work with the young black players behind me. There's been a few of us inside the ropes so now it's time for us to lift those ropes up and help the others behind us. We're going to train these players at a bricks and mortar facility in Florida that I call The Wakanda For Golf that will be the most state-of-the-art facility in the world to learn this game at the highest level. Resources that include biomechanics and short game area to learn how to score develop emotionally, physically and mentally."

"As well we will introduce players of African decent to the industry because not all of them are going to play on tour. We want to flood the industry with qualified professionals that go into the management side of the game, or golf architecture, club design, agronomy. All the different opportunities with the PGA and on The PGA Tour."

"At an early age you don't know any different. You don't learn about race and colour until it's told to you. As I got a bit older, when I'm 14, 15 years old and I'm one of the best players in the country, the questions started to come. "Pop, why didn't I get picked to be on that team when I won the scoring title and more tournaments than anyone else?" This is where my dad started talking to my about race, privilege, inequities and equality. I remember playing in a qualifier tournament in Houston, I shoot 69 or 70 and I'm 14 years old and while I wait for my dad to pick me up. Some members of the club walk by a guy hands me his bag thinking I was a caddie. That was one of the first times where I faced it blatantly and I started to get pissed off. I always used that as motivation, not as a discouragement or a reason to quit. I was always like "you know what, I'm going to take these clubs and beat your ass with them!" I used it as encouragement to push forward."

Special Guest: Andy Walker - Director, UGA Academy & Player Development.

Harnessing A Love For Golf To Fuel Their Entrepreneurial Hustle - Is and Kat Shee / Shee Golfs

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -0700

“When you’re in it every single day you don’t lift your head up to see the progress that you’ve made. That’s something that we're trying to do more, try to step away from it to acknowledge that “actually we’ve created something pretty cool from the ground up starting from nothing”. And the most exciting thing is this is only the beginning.” On this fun and fast-paced episode, Colin sits down with Is and Kat Shee - aka The Shee Sisters - to talk about the creation of their Shee Golfs YouTube channel, building sock and apparel brands from scratch and the connection between entrepreneurship, golf, yoga and friendship.

Isabelle (Is) Shee is the girl next door known for her unique fashion and mission to spread positivity through the game of golf.
Isabelle showcases her love for travel, luxury brands and premium golf courses to her millennial audience.

“I think something that every entrepreneur can relate to is there’s always more to do. It never ends as it’s a constant cycle where we are always working. It’s the only profession where you go into the shower and think about how to improve something. Your business is the first thing you think about when you wake up and the last thing before you go to sleep."... Is Shee

Check out our extended conversation with Kat and Is on our Youtube Channel!

Since launching her sock brand, IS, she has increased brand loyalty with an added mission- to reduce her carbon footprint while maximizing performance. She's taken two recycled materials (plastic & coffee) and made them into the most premium sock ever made. Use the Promo Code MODGOLF15 for 15% off your purchase of comfy, fashionable, environmentally friendly men's and women's Is Golf socks!

Together they created the popular Shee Golfs YouTube channel, where they provide helpful golf tips and create fun, engaging content with their female golf friends.

Special Guest: Is Shee - Golf Entrepreneur and YouTube/Instagram Influencer.

Applying 40 Years Of Golf Entrepreneurship To Innovate Wedge Design - Terry Koehler, Edison Golf

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 09:00:00 -0700

“Wedges are the most frustrating performance part of the golf bag. They are finicky and volatile. We’ve done tremendous things to improve drivers, hybrids and putters but wedge design hasn’t changed much in the past 40 years. I set out to change that.” On our first episode of Season 8, Edison Golf Chairman and Director of Innovation Terry Koehler joins us to share how he created a new standard for wedges that appeal to the massive recreational golf market.

“Whether you’re a tour player or a 20 handicapper, distance consistency with wedges is the biggest problem and it's caused by the club head design. How do I make wedges a forgiving golf club without sacrificing its precision? That is the question we set out to answer with the creation of Edison Forged Wedges”. Terry's 45 years as an entrepreneur, innovator, writer and creative driver has provided a wealth of experience that led to the creatioon of the Edison Golf Company. Accomplished brand manager, product developer, communications driver and writer, for the last two years Terry has been working on a completely new approach to wedge design and the Edison Forged wedges are now available for purchase.

Launched in April 2020, Edison Forged wedges are designed specifically for recreational players, NOT tour professionals and they are unlike anything on the market in spin, launch angle consistency and distance dispersion. Check them out at www.EdisonWedges.com.

Check out our extended conversation with Terry on our YouTube Channel and please subscribe and comment while you're there!

Want to learn more about all things wedges? Terry provides insight and advice on The Wedge Guy blog.

What is Gear Effect on the golf club face? Watch this explainer video to find out >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NceHUbLafOQ

Terry talks about the “Smash Factor” - the efficiency of energy transfer in the golf club - and how he set out to equalize Smash Factor around a bigger area around the face of the golf club compared to what every other wedge does”. Find out about what the optimum "Smash Factor Ratio" number is for each club in your bag >> https://blog.trackmangolf.com/smash-factor/

Don't know what Terry is talking about when he mentioned how they test wedge design performance on Iron Byron? This picture should help.

Special Guest: Terry Koehler - Chairman / Director of Innovation at Edison Golf Company.

Season 7 Wrap-up / Season 8 Preview

The ModGolf Podcast — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 22:00:00 -0700

That's a wrap for Season 7 of The ModGolf Podcast! Our passionate team of content creators are current working on your next twelve episodes for Season 8, which launches early September 2020. We heard some amazing stories from a diverse group of guests who discussed how technology, entertainment experiences, music, celebrity, hospitality and community building intersect to shape the future of golf.

If you didn’t get the chance to listen to all of our ten Season 7 episodes, this bonus show gives you a recap of the great conversations I had with some of the golf industry's top influencers, innovators and entrepreneurs. Hopefullly this will inspire you to listen to a couple of the episodes listed below.

We're proud to have Golf Genius Software as one of our show sponsor partners and look forward to telling you more about the elegant solutions they create to simplify running golf tournaments. Go to https://www.golfgenius.com/ to learn more!

Our Season 7 guests were:

Episode 1
John Kawaja - President, Honma Golf NA
Entrepreneurial Lessons Learned In The Golf Industry

Episode 2
Shella Sylla - Founder/CEO, SisterGolf
Empowering Women Through Golf

Episode 3
Matt Considine - Founder/CEO at NewClub Golf
Creating a Scalable Business Model Inspired by Traditional Golf Societies

Episode 4
Thinh Tran - Founder/CEO at Transrover
Embracing Resilience, Curiosity and Joy to Fuel The Entrepreneurial Journey

Episode 5
Shayain Gustavsp - LPGA Coach / SJG International
Teaching Golf To Welcome, Elevate and Empower Diverse Communities

Episode 6
Nick Bednar - VP of Operations, Billy Casper Golf
Creating a Launch Point to Grow Golf Participation

Episode 7
Amir Raveh - Founder and President, HYPE Sports Innovation
Building Global Sport Startup Accelerators That Help Innovate Golf

Episode 8
Peter Johnson - CEO and Co-Founder, Phat Scooters
Delivering Great Products That Customers Love

Episode 9
Ian Peterson - CEO ad Founder, Dialed In Golf Solutions
Creating Memorable Golf Experiences For Everyone

Episode 10
Sal Syed - CEO and Co-Founder, Arccos Golf
Combining Big Data and Elegant Design to Create Memorable Golf Moments

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

As the creator and host of The ModGolf Podcast and YouTube channel I've been telling golf entrepreneurship and innovation stories since May 2017 and I love the community of ModGolfers that we are building.

I'm excited to announce that I just launched our ModGolf Patreon page to bring together our close-knit community of golf-loving people! As my Patron you will get access to exclusive live monthly interactive shows where you can participate, ask-me-anything video events, bonus content, golf product discounts and entry in members-only ModGolf Giveaway contests.

I'm offering two monthly membership tiers at $5 and $15 USD, but you can also join for free. Your subscription will ensure that The ModGolf Podcast continues to grow so that I can focus on creating unique and impactful stories that support and celebrate the future of golf.

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Special Guests: Amir Raveh - Founder and President, HYPE Sports Innovation, Ian Peterson - Founder & CEO of Dialed in Golf Solutions, John Kawaja - President of Honma Golf NA, Matt Considine - Founder & CEO at NewClub Golf, Nick Bednar - VP of Operations at Billy Casper Golf, Peter Johnson - Co-Founder & CEO of Phat Scooters, Sal Syed: Co-Founder and CEO, Arccos Golf, Shayain Gustavsp - Entrepreneur / LPGA Certified Coach, Shella Sylla - Founder/CEO of SisterGolf, and Thinh Tran - Co-Creator of GimmePro and Founder of Transrover.

Creating Memorable Golf Experiences For Everyone - Ian Peterson, Dialed In Golf Solutions

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 22 May 2020 10:30:00 -0700

"We eventually learned how to simplify our product and experience offering while providing even a higher level of service and customer value." Ian Peterson - Founder and CEO of Dialed In Golf Solutions joins us to share his thoughts on innovating the golf industry.

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Special Guest: Ian Peterson - Founder & CEO of Dialed in Golf Solutions.

Delivering Great Products That Customers Love - Peter Johnson, Co-Founder and CEO of Phat Scooters (079)

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 12 May 2020 14:00:00 -0700

On this episode our host Colin Weston chats with Peter Johnson, Co-Founder and CEO of Phat Scooters who shares insights, stories and business philosophy that has guided him along his entrepreneurial journey.

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After college, Peter helped grow the family custom cabinetry business before transitioning into a hybrid world of tech, construction, sustainable product solutions and engineering. All of these experiences led up the founding of Phat Scooters in 2017.

To learn more about Phat Scooters, check out their website and this YouTube explainer video.

Special Guest: Peter Johnson - Co-Founder & CEO of Phat Scooters.

Building Global Sports Accelerators That Help Innovate Golf Amir Raveh, Founder and President of HYPE Sports Innovation

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 09:30:00 -0700

"I’ve been very fortunate at this point in my life to put together my two passions - one is sports and the other one is innovation." On this episode our host Colin Weston sits down with Amir Raveh, Founder and President of HYPE Sports Innovation who shares his thoughts on innovating the golf industry through the Global Sports Accelerator they have built.

"The sports world is going through a massive disruption in terms of innovation. There are dedicated accelerators for many sports but I don’t see one yet in golf. We have the platform with hundreds of startups that would be very happy to change that."

Amir suggests that golf should embrace technology innovations and trends in eSports, blockchain, fan engagement, artificial intelligence, Virtual/Augmented Reality and gamified experiences in order to connect with a younger, more diverse audience.

HYPE has created the first Global Virtual Accelerator with over 350 startups already registered. Do you have a technology-led sport/golf innovation product or service that is past the early prototype stage and has the potential to scale? Then we encourage you to apply to participate in the HYPE Global Virtual Accelerator!

Special Guest: Amir Raveh - Founder and President, HYPE Sports Innovation.

Creating a Launch Point to Grow Golf Participation - Nick Bednar, VP of Operations at Indigo Golf Partners (077)

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 12:00:00 -0700

“We’ve always recognized that we are a launch point for people who are picking up the game for the first time. We hold a critical role in growing the game just by the nature of the type of facilities we manage”.

On this episode our host Colin Weston chats with Nick Bednar, VP of Operations with Indigo Golf Partners who shares his industry insights in a COVID-19 "New Normal" world.

In his current position Nick oversees the management and operations of Billy Casper Golf’s portfolio in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia and he also passionately works with The Billy Casper Golf Futures Program.

The BCG Futures Program is centered around bringing access to golf for kids around the country. The program is aligned with the PGA Jr. League. To learn more about one of the many Futures Programs being introduced across BCG’s 151 courses, click to watch this short explainer video.

Special Guest: Nick Bednar - VP of Operations at Billy Casper Golf.

Teaching Golf To Welcome, Elevate and Empower Diverse Communities - Shayain Gustavsp (076)

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 09:00:00 -0700

Our host Colin Weston sits down for an engaging conversation with Shayain Gustavsp, Founder & CEO of SJG International and LPGA Certified Golf Coach. With over ten years of experience in the sports industry, Shayain specializes in corporate sponsorship, premium hospitality, customer retentions and event planning.

Shayain is an LPGA Certified Teacher with a passion for creating a safe and welcoming space for all to learn the game of golf. During her time in the corporate world Shayain recognized her ability to play golf and do business on the course was instrumental in fast tracking her career. Her motivation now lies in helping a diverse spectrum of women do the same.

Shayain also runs her own consultancy, SJG International, which services Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams and the entertainment industry. It's services include, VIP Events, Premium Sales and Service, Customer Retention and Corporate Partnership.

Check out and subscribe to Shayain’s YouTube Channel for her fun and informative take on golf, health and business. You can also follow Shayain on Instagram.

Special Guest: Shayain Gustavsp - Entrepreneur / LPGA Certified Coach.

Embracing Resilience, Curiosity and Joy to Fuel The Entrepreneurial Journey - Thinh Tran, Transrover

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 12:00:00 -0700

"Making Transrover was like going back to my childhood of creating toys out of what was lying around when I just wanted to make the coolest water gun or air compressed bamboo cannon. That’s all I wanted to do, make something cool for myself and see if I could commercialize it later when I finish college and save some money, because engineering and manufacturing are expensive. At the beginning this method was cheap, just doing it to please myself and to see if I could do this. I knew when Transrover was polished up I'd be ready to take the next step."

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On this episode our guest is Thinh Tran, who is the Founder/CEO of Transrover, The All In One Golf Cart. Thinh shares with us his entrepreneurial and personal journey starting when he joined his family in California from Vietnam at the age of 15, his first exposure to golf and the "AHA Moment" that lead to the idea and creation of Transrover.

What's a Transrover? It's a golf bag and pushcart hybrid. Transrover can transform from a cart bag into a pushcart in seconds. Yes, seconds. It also fits perfectly on any riding cart. No more lugging your golf bag over the shoulder or putting up with the cumbersome pushcarts. We invite you to think "outside the bag" and give Transrover a spin. You can learn more about Transrover and Thinh's story on their website .

Special Guest: Thinh Tran - Co-Creator of GimmePro and Founder of Transrover.

Creating a Scalable Business Model Inspired by Traditional Golf Societies - Matt Considine / NewClub Golf (074)

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 08:30:00 -0800

“Living in Ireland opened my eyes to a whole different type of golf experience in golf societies, which led to the launch of NewClub Golf ten years later”.

On this episode our guest is Matt Considine, Founder and CEO at NewClub Golf. Modeled after golf societies in Great Britain and Ireland, NewClub is a society of golfers, playing the game as part of a diverse and dynamic community at a selection of compelling courses and honored clubs.

NewClub Golf Core Values

COMMUNITY We are a friendly, generous, and humble society connected by our love for the game of golf. The post-round hang.

INTEGRITY We are honest and trustworthy, unconditionally treating others well, both on and off the golf course.

REVERENCE We share a deep respect and gratitude for golf, its participants, and all those who contribute to its enjoyment.

INCLUSIVITY We cherish the perspectives and experiences of others from diverse backgrounds, living by the principle that we have far more that connects us than divides us.

MINDFULNESS We believe golf is a metaphor for life, striving to learn and improve through its journey and those we share it with.

To learn more, go to https://www.newclub.golf and find them on social media at NewClubGolf.

Special Guest: Matt Considine - Founder & CEO at NewClub Golf.

Empowering Women Through Golf - Shella Sylla / SisterGolf

The ModGolf Podcast — Sat, 22 Feb 2020 10:30:00 -0800

"One of the things entrepreneurs need to understand is that before you take the leap there are a lot of steps that you need to prepare before doing it because there will be a period of time when you are building the business with no revenues coming in. You need to sustain yourself so you’re not pressuring the business in order for it to succeed. Because what that leads to is you taking shortcuts and doing things that are detrimental to the business and do not move it forward."

On this episode our guest is Shella Sylla, who is a Career Strategist, Business Golf Professional and Founder/CEO of SisterGolf. SisterGolf specializes in showing professional women how to combine the game of golf with the art of business to gain a higher level of access to more opportunities and accelerate their career advancement.

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After testing the deWiz biofeedback swing analysis product we were so impressed with the results that we invited them to offer you an exclusive 10% OFF your purchase using promo code MODGOLF! CLICK TO SAVE on deWiz to see (and feel) lasting results in your swing tempo, length and path improvement.

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Mission Statement
The mission of SisterGolf is to educate male and female business professionals on how they can use golf as a tool for developing mutually beneficial business relationships, and creating connections for professional advancement in the Corporate America workplace.

Executive Summary
SisterGolf is the brainchild of Shella Sylla, ex-banking executive with over 18 years in the financial services industry. Shella experienced firsthand how golf can positively impact your career or business after taking up the sport early on in her banking career. As a result of signing up for and taking lessons, in a few short months, she went from struggling to meet her monthly goal of $500,000 to being a repeat member of the “Million dollar” club (a designation given to associates who exceeded $1 million in production in any given month).

While reaping the rewards of this new found “secret” to success, Shella noticed that very few women, if any at all were taking advantage of the business development and relationship building opportunities that golf has to offer. This prompted her to create SisterGolf as a tool for helping women to learn and leverage the game of golf for business and career success.

Shortly after launching a series of workshops, clincs and events designed to help women get in the game, Shella began getting numerous requests from male executives and professionals to provide a similar program for them. As a result, what began as a quest to empower women in the workplace, expanded to include a curriculum that will benefit both male and female professionals interested in using golf as a tool for relationship building and professional engagement.
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Special Guest: Shella Sylla - Founder/CEO of SisterGolf.

Entrepreneurial Lessons Learned In The Golf Industry - John Kawaja / Honma Golf (072)

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 10:30:00 -0800

"Extraordinary can happen with a belief that you can change the world. A conviction that gives you the boldness and the creativity to imagine something better, something different We developed a division of a great brand that really had no reason for being, but we gave it one. We created purpose to our approach to golf and the result was changing “the uniform” of the game".

On our first episode of Season 7, Colin speaks with Honma Golf NA President John Kawaja about his three decade career in the golf industry. John shares his experience at TaylorMade adidas Golf where they disruptively innovated the performance apparel side of the game, along with how being part of a world champion curling team helped shape his approach to business leadership.

You can learn more about Honma Golf by visiting https://us.honmagolf.com/

Special Guest: John Kawaja - President of Honma Golf NA.

Season 6 Wrap-up / Season 7 Preview

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 15:00:00 -0700

That's a wrap for Season 6 of The ModGolf Podcast! Our passionate team of content creators are feverishly working on your next twelve episodes for Season 7, which launches early January 2020. We heard some amazing stories from a diverse group of guests who discussed how technology, entertainment experiences, music, celebrity, hospitality and community building intersect to shape the future of golf.

If you didn’t get the chance to listen to all of our ten Season 6 episodes, this bonus show gives you a recap of the great conversations I had over the past three months with some of the golf industry's top influencers, innovators and entrepreneurs. Hopefullly this will inspire you to listen to a couple of the episodes listed below.

We're excited to announce our partnership with Golf Genius Software and look forward to telling you more about the elegant solutions they've created to simplify running golf tournaments. Go to https://www.golfgenius.com/ to learn more!

Our Season 6 guests were:

Episode 1
Professor Renée Mauborgne - Blue Ocean Strategy Co-author
Creating New Golf Markets That Make The Competition Irrelevant

Episode 2
Kevin Thistle - CEO of The PGA of Canada
Building Links That Welcome Newcomers To The Game

Episode 3
Tanelle Bolt - Founder, RAD Society / Adaptive Para-golfer
Finding a New Life and Purpose Through Golf

Episode 4
Dr. Roger Hawkes - Executive Director, The Golf and Health Project
Revealing The Health and Wellbeing Benefits of Golf

Episode 5
Gina Rizzi - Principal, Radius Sports Group
Connecting Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sport

Episode 6
Larry Gilhuly - USGA Agronomist with the TEE IT FORWARD program
TEE IT FORWARD To Increase Enjoyment and Participation in Golf

Episode 7
Rich Katz - Founder and Principal, buffalo.agency
Making a Positive Statement About "The State of Golf"

Episode 8
Adam Heieck - CEO of Youth On Course
Growing The Game By Providing Youth Access To Affordable Golf

Episode 9
Azucena Maldonado - Founder of Latina Golfers Association
Transforming Latina Women's Lives Through Golf

Episode 10
Dale Merritt - CEO of Golfpay
Creating Frictionless Customer Experiences For Recreational Golfers

Special Guests: Adam Heieck - CEO of Youth On Course, Azucena Maldonado, Founder of The Latina Golfers Association, Dale Merritt - CEO of Golfpay, Dr. Roger Hawkes, Executive Director for The Golf & Health Project, Gina Rizzi - President of ARCUS Marketing Group and Principal of Radius Sports Group, Kevin Thistle - CEO, The PGA of Canada, Larry Gilhuly - USGA Agronomist and TEE IT FORWARD program advocate., Renée Mauborgne - Co-author of Blue Ocean Strategy and Blue Ocean Shift, Rich Katz - Katz Strategy, and Tanelle Bolt - Founder of The RAD Society and Adaptive Para-Golfer.

Creating Frictionless Customer Experiences For Recreational Golfers - Dale Merritt / Golfpay (071)

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 08:00:00 -0700

"I focus on the behaviours of the modern consumer. It's a fascinating topic to me. How, and why golf is so far behind embracing the customer experience, how it is affecting the golf business, and how it can be solved." On our final episode of Season 6, Colin speaks with entrepreneur and Golfpay CEO Dale Merritt about harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, machine learning and experience design to create a frictionless mobile golf round check-in platform that removes pain points and frustration for both recreational golfers and the course operators.

Almost half way through their second full year in the market with Golfpay (V2), they project to increase mobile check-ins by around 42% in terms of the ratio of reservations to mobile check-ins from 2018 to 19'. This is a 750 to 800% increase in total reservations, averaging 2.41 customer files per reservation across all operators, all collected automatically without a single operator manually collecting contact data like email, mobile phone number, zip codes.

Learn more by visiting www.golfpay.co

Special Guest: Dale Merritt - CEO of Golfpay.

Transforming Latina Women's Lives Through Golf - Azucena Maldonado / Latina Golfers (070)

The ModGolf Podcast — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 17:00:00 -0700

"We teach women how to leverage golf as a business tool so they can shatter the glass ceiling with a golf ball”. On our latest episode, Azucena Maldonado, Founder of The Latina Golfers Association joins us to share how she has built a nationally scalable business that empowers women in the Greater Los Angeles area both on and off the golf course.

Azucena Maldonado is a trailblazer on a mission to transform women’s lives through golf. She founded the Latina Golfers Association (LGA) in 2008. Introducing women of all ages to golf for their professional development, personal enjoyment, and to promote a healthy lifestyle. With over 1,200 members in Los Angeles County, Azucena has received numerous awards and recognition for making an impact on growing the game of golf in the Latino community including being inducted in the Latino Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.

To learn more about The Latina Golfers Association, visit their website.

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Special Guest: Azucena Maldonado, Founder of The Latina Golfers Association.

Growing The Game By Providing Youth Access To Affordable Golf - Adam Heieck / Youth On Course (069)

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 14:30:00 -0700

"While everyone recognized the need to work together, there are still so many silos in golf. The industry is so fragmented that we decided to take a collaborative, wholistic approach in order to bring more kids to the game and to transition them through the funnel to the next progressive step”.

This week our host Colin Weston sits down for a conversation with Adam Heieck, CEO of Youth On Course. Adam joins us to share how his organization provides youth ages 6-18 with access to life-changing opportunities through golf.

Are you a golf course owner or operator struggling with the complexities of running tournaments? Do you want to spend less more running them while increasing revenue and profit margins? Check out our friends at Golf Genius to learn how they can help make the magic happen. >> https://www.golfgenius.com/

Youth On Course partners with golf industry organizations such as The PGA of America, PGA Jr. League and The First Tee, which has provided the network and resourses to scale their program nationally. Youth On Course's most recent collaboration is with Golf Canada, allowing them to seamlessly access one of the biggest golf markets in the world. Check out our episode with Golf Canada CEO Laurence Appplebaum to hear about the innovative initiatives they are experimenting with to broaden golf's appeal and accessibility.

To learn more about Youth On Course, check out their website.

By The Numbers - Youth On Course Growth and Traction Data

Special Guest: Adam Heieck - CEO of Youth On Course.

Making a Positive Statement About "The State of Golf" - Rich Katz / buffalo.agency (068)

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 01:00:00 -0700

Rich Katz discussing "The State of Golf" on The ModGolf Podcast

buffalo.agency Founder and Principal Rich Katz is our guest on this episode of The ModGolf Podcast, where he shares insights and stories from his nearly 30 years in the golf industry. Rich's engaging conversation with host Colin Weston started with discussing the history of buffalo.agency and covered a wide range of golf innovation topics including:

the sustainability of golf participation
the positive effects of the $84 billion/year golf industry has on the environment, the enconomy and society
growth areas in the game and industry
The Tiger Effect, both the positives and downsides on growing the game
the effective use of technology for enhancing both on-course and off-course golf experiences
the increase in Millennials/women/minorities participation
diversity and inclusion initiatives such as the WE ARE GOLF #inviterHER program
golf course closers as a good thing for the health and viability of the sport and the business of golf
environmental impact / “triple bottom line” sustainability platform - Environmental/Economic/Social
latent demand in the sport and how to unlock it

Rich talked about the influence of "Generation G", referencing the work done by Dr. Alexis Abramson to highlight the charactistics of this North American market segment who is between age 45 and 65.
Go to https://www.alexisabramson.com/ to learn more.

Special Guest: Rich Katz - Katz Strategy.

TEE IT FORWARD To Increase Enjoyment and Participation in Golf - Larry Gilhuly / USGA (067)

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 22:00:00 -0700

In Larry Gilhuly’s opinion, the three biggest issues facing the game of golf are pace of play, player enjoyment and economic sustainability. Larry believes he has the solution for all three: “The answer for all of these, in my opinion, are properly placed forward tees.”

This week our host Colin Weston speaks with Larry Gilhuly, who is an Agronomist with The United States Golf Association and a passionate advocate of the TEE IT FORWARD program.

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

TEE IT FORWARD is a joint initiative between the USGA and The PGA of America that encourages players to play from a set of tees best suited to their driving distance. In addition to providing more enjoyment for golfers, teeing it forward also can be one of the most important steps that golfers take in improving pace of play.

A recent survey of TEE IT FORWARD participants found that:
56% played faster
56% are likely to play golf more often
83% hit more-lofted clubs into greens
85% had more fun
93% will TEE IT FORWARD again

New forward tees allow more golfers to play from a yardage that is appropriate for their swing speed and ability. They also help new players take up the game.

For much of his 35-year career with the United States Golf Association, Gilhuly was all about agronomy. His formal title with the USGA is Agronomist, West Region. In other words, Gilhuly is an expert on growing grass. But in recent years, Gilhuly has become passionate - very passionate - about teeing it forward. And by forward, he means way forward. “This topic that I am talking about has got me fired up,” Gilhuly told us. It was hard not to buy his argument. Gilhuly came armed with data to back up his claim that courses are too hard, even from the current forward tees, for average female golfers and senior players.

As we age, our swing speeds decline and so does the distance we hit the ball. The average female player, Gilhuly said, has a swing speed of about 60 miles per hour. She averages about 140 yards with her driver, 120 yards with her 3-wood and about 60 yards with her wedge. That makes it impossible for that player to hit greens in regulation on the vast majority of holes from the current forward tees at most courses. “There are a lot of golfers, males, who can reach the green in regulation with a lot of different clubs, but not the women,” Gilhuly said.

This isn’t a new problem. Gilhuly described an article headlined, “Women Handicapped By Men’s Courses.” It was written in 1917 by Alexa Stirling, a past U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion. “This has been a problem for a lot longer than I think we all realize,” he said.

U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion Alexa Stirling, Circa 1919

Over 100 Years Ago Stirling concluded that golf courses were set up for men to the detriment of female golfers. Thankfully, golf course operators are slowly starting to get it. Gilhuly and other 'Tee it Forward' proponents have been able to convince them that in order to set up a course so it presents an equal challenge to that faced by more accomplished players playing from the regular or back tees, the forward tees need to be moved forward, on average, about 1,000 yards.

“Properly placed forward tees give all players a good experience,” Gilhuly said. “Think about it, if you started a business from scratch and wanted to be successful, would you say 'let’s make sure in our model here that half of the population tries it once and quits.' I don’t think that is what you do. You try and encompass everybody. This is not just for female players. It is for everybody.”
From most current forward tees, which average in the neighbourhood of 5,200 yards, players with slower swing speeds have no chance of hitting greens in regulation on most holes. In fact, on many courses the only greens that can be reached in regulation for those players are the par 3s.

“For (average) females a par 3 should not be longer than 140 (yards), the length of a par 4 should not be over 260 and a par 5 should not be over 380,” Gilhuly said. “There is this magic number that I find at almost every course and it’s usually between 4,000 and 4,300 yards,” he said.

Click to watch the TEE IT FORWARD YouTube explanatory video

“That’s it. It always seems to fall in that category. People look at me and blink. They thought the course was short enough at 5,000. No, not even close. And then you can do combinations with these new tees and the (former) forward tees. That’s the whole idea of this. It is happening. Golf courses are starting to do this.” Players who never stood a chance of making pars and birdies now have that opportunity. And Gilhuly said the game becomes fun for them again.

New forward tees also prompt the stubborn older guys to move up to the former front tees. And they will make it easier for kids to begin the game. “Forward tees are good for the game,” Gilhuly said. “They are. They give everybody an option. Pace of play has improved when forward tees are added. All my friends who have lost their swing speed over the last 10 years are now playing what were the old forward tees.”

Gilhuly had another message for us: “Red is dead,” he said, referring to red tees. “I hate red colours,” he said. “If we could just do this one thing, get rid of the red tees. It is amazing what happens. Gilhuly said some courses have dropped colour-coded tees all together and started simply numbering their tees. “Start with 1 being the forward tee and work your way back,” he said. “Seniors will move forward. I guarantee it. I will buy you a beer if they don’t.

“Pace of play, player enjoyment and economic sustainability all improve with forward tees,” Gilhuly said in closing. “In my opinion this century-old mistake holds the key to our game. That’s a bold comment but it is so simple. If we just add these forward tees we will get more women into the game. There’s no question in my mind.”

Special Guest: Larry Gilhuly - USGA Agronomist and TEE IT FORWARD program advocate..

Connecting Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sport - Gina Rizzi

The ModGolf Podcast — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 17:00:00 -0700

"I showed corporate organizations how they could save money and make money, all while doing good things”.

This week our host Colin Weston sits down for a conversation with Gina Rizzi, Founder and Principal of Radius Sports Group and President of ARCUS Marketing Group. Gina joins us to share how her companies are unlocking new value between the intersection of sport, sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Gina Rizzi is the President of ARCUS Marketing Group and Principal of Radius Sports Group. Gina is a speaker and passionate advocate for helping businesses, golf, and sports industries drive financial performance while positively impacting society and the environment. She's an expert in marketing, sustainability, sports marketing, and corporate social responsibility.

You can watch Gina's inspirational "Innovate State" talk at Michigan State University here.

To learn more about Radius Sports Group, check out their website.

ARCUS is a business-to-business marketing firm which generates sustainable business growth for Fortune 500 clients nationwide with operations in San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, and Reno. The firm’s focus areas include marketing strategy, sports marketing, media optimization, corporate social responsibility, and activation of diversity, inclusion, environmental sustainability, and community engagement programs.

Radius℠ provides sustainability consulting within the sports industry, partnering with sports leaders, teams, franchises, golf courses, golf management companies, facilities, industry suppliers, and governing bodies to optimize environmental and social sustainability programs, while driving revenue growth and cost reductions.

Special Guest: Gina Rizzi - President of ARCUS Marketing Group and Principal of Radius Sports Group.

Revealing The Health and Wellbeing Benefits of Golf - Dr. Roger Hawkes (065)

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 23 May 2019 13:00:00 -0700

“We are changing some hearts and minds, as colleagues in the Department of Health in London who said they never believed golf would be of any health benefit see the positive impact on mental health and physical wellness".

This week our host Colin Weston sits down for a conversation with Dr. Roger Hawkes, Exective Director for The Golf & Health Project. Roger shares how his organization helps drive an increased participation in golf, improve the public image of our sport, and raise support for golf in the political arena.

The British Journal of Sports Medicine published this Golf and Health infographic to demonstrate the fitness benefits of the sport.

To learn more about The Golf and Health Project, check out their webiste.

Special Guest: Dr. Roger Hawkes, Executive Director for The Golf & Health Project.

Finding a New Life and Purpose Through Golf - Tanelle Bolt (064)

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 15 May 2019 05:15:00 -0700

“My first shot of The Mallorca International Wheelchair Golf Open Championship, off the tee, in front of everyone, cameras are on, people are watching. I hit the ball, nailed it with a driver, and everybody clapped as they do in golf that you hear on TV and it was so perfect."

This week our host Colin Weston sits down for a conversation with Tanelle Bolt, an adaptive paragolfer who was paralyzed from the chest down resulting from an extreme sport accident six years ago. Tanelle shares her difficult yet personally rewarding journey of a life transformed after suffering this devastating injury.

Tanelle is a passionate advocate for universal design and accessible barrier-free rights and still maintains an active outdoor lifestyle. Her love for the outdoors combined with her entrepreneurial spirit has led to the creation of Keener, which is an outdoor adventure app that allows adaptive athletes to “connect to disconnect”. Keenr completed the beta testing phase and launched in Q4 2019.

“My goal with RAD is to provide accessibility for people outdoors who can’t afford it and provide a platform for you to build your own inventory of adaptive equipment based on your own knowledge”. Click here to learn more about the work Tanelle does with The RAD Recreation Adapted Society. All donations go directly to getting an adaptive athletic out of the house and moving with joy in nature.

Special Guest: Tanelle Bolt - Founder of The RAD Society and Adaptive Para-Golfer.

Building Links That Welcome Newcomers To The Game - Kevin Thistle / The PGA of Canada (063)

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 10:15:00 -0700

“We need to link a newcomer's first golf experience to a golf course experience in a friendly, welcoming and inclusive way in order for the game to grow." This week our host Colin Weston speaks with PGA of Canada CEO Kevin Thistle to learn about the initiatives and partnerships they are launching to get a club in the hands of non-golfers in a fun and familiar group setting. Kevin also shares the work they do by taking an open and innovative educational approach to teaching the next generation of golf professionals around the world.

You can learn more about The PGA of Canada by visiting thier website.

We discuss The PGA of Canada / Golf Canada Future Links "Golf In School" Program

Kevin talks about the succes of The RBC PGA Scramble

RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company Local Qualifiers Player Registration is NOW OPEN! >> https://rbcpgascramble.com/local-qualifiers/ With more than 150 Local Qualifiers across the country, you're bound to find a venue (or a couple) to tee it up at.

Local Qualifiers provide an opportunity for you and three friends to play a fun round of golf at your club or a course that you have wanted to play but never had the chance, all in an attempt to progress through the stages to the extravagant RBC PGA Scramble National Final at Cabot Links this October.

For more information about the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company of Canada, please contact Brittany Mullin at brittany@pgaofcanada.com

Special Guest: Kevin Thistle - CEO, The PGA of Canada.

Season 5 Wrap Up / Season 6 Preview

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:45:00 -0700

That's a wrap for Season 5 of The ModGolf Podcast! Our passionate team of content creators are feverishly working on your next twelve episodes for Season 6, which launches on April 9. We heard some amazing stories from a diverse group of guests who discussed how technology, entertainment experiences, music, celebrity, hospitality and community building intersect to shape the future of golf.

If you didn’t get the chance to listen to all of our twelve Season 5 episodes, this bonus show gives you a recap of the great conversations I had over the past three months with some of the golf industry's top influencers, innovators and entrepreneurs. Hopefullly this will inspire you to listen to a couple of the episodes listed below.

Our Season 5 guests were:

Episode 1
Joanne Cloak / Founder and CEO of JoFit
Empowering Her Team To Reach Their Creative Potential

Episode 2
Jared Williams / The Golf USA Team Coalition
Embracing Technology and Diversity to Create a Bright Future For Golf

Episode 3
Mike Zisman / CEO of Golf Genius
Sharing A Passion For Building Elegantly Simple Solutions to Solve Complex Problems

Episode 4
Dogu Taskiran / CEO of Stambol Studios
How Virtual Reality Will Influence The Future of Golf

Episode 5
Steve Rosen / General Manager of Indian Wells Golf Resort
Re-imaging Golf Experiences With "Shots In The Night"

Episode 6
Gia Bocra Liwski / Founder of Golf Experiences for Her
The Emergence of The Golf Industry "Mompreneur"

Episode 7
Dale Jackson / Canadian member of The USGA/R&A Joint Rules Committee
Revealing The Process Behind Creating The New Rules of Golf

Episode 8
Marc Simon / Event Vice President of PGA Golf Exhibitions for Reed Exhibitions
Creating The Innovation Lab For The Golf Industry

Episode 9
PGA Merchandise Show Recap - Part 1
Featuring Aimee Cho, HYPE Sports Innovation and The Global Golf Innovation Competition

Episode 10
PGA Merchandise Show Recap - Part 2
Featuring Latina Golfers Association Founder Azucena Moldenado and Tagmarshal Co-Founder/CEO Bodo Sieber

Episode 11
Matt Pringle / The USGA's Senior Director of Research, Science & Innovation
Creating a "Lean Startup" Culture At The USGA

Episode 12
Laurence Applebaum / CEO of Golf Canada
Creating Golf Moments That Matter

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Special Guests: Azucena Maldonado, Founder of The Latina Golfers Association, Bodo Sieber, Co-Founder and CEO of Tagmarshal, Chris Månsson - Founder & CEO of Kinexit, Dale Jackson - Past Joint Rules Committee Member to rewrite of the New Rules of Golf 2019, Dave Shultz - Founder & CEO of NextLinks / REALiTEE Golf, Dogu Taskiran - CEO of Stambol Studios, Fabio Peral - Founder & CEO of GOLFBOO, Gia Bocra Liwski - Founder of Golf Experiences for Her, Ilan Hadar - Partner & CEO at HYPE Sports Innovation, Joanne Cloak - CEO and Founder, JoFit, Jon Claffey - Vice President of Marketing for Tour Edge Golf, Laurence Applebaum - CEO, Golf Canada, Marc Simon - Event Vice President for PGA Golf Exhibitions / RX Reed Exhibitions, and Mike Zisman - CEO, Golf Genius Software.

Creating Golf Moments That Matter - Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada (061)

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 08:00:00 -0700

"If your best moment is being on the golf course, we want to create more moments like that". This week our host Colin Weston speaks to Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. Since 2017 Laurence has lead the team at Golf Canada - the National Sport Federation and governing body for golf in Canada - with a mission to "have more people playing more golf and to succeed within the sport than ever before”.

On this episode Laurence and Colin cover a wide range of golf industry topics including:
• How Golf Canada is focused on bringing new people to golf: “We are here to increase Canadian participation and excellence in golf, to have more people playing more golf and to succeed within the sport than ever before”
• “As a governance body we have a responsibility to take the obstacles down and make golf more welcoming as a sport"
• Laurence talks about Golf Canada’s High Performance Centre at Bear Mountain GC in Victoria BC, which is their Longterm Player Development Program.
• “We adopted an equity and diversity policy and this policy has become so renowned that it’s being picked up by other national sport federations and golf associations and it’s really been driving the growth in female participation”.
• The Brooke Henderson Effect on young girls and boys. “What makes Brooke so special is that she’s incredibly relatable. She’s kind and thoughtful but on the course Brooke is a fierce and focused competitor”.
• They discuss National Golf Day in Canada, taking place May 1st on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
• Laurence talks about the philanthropic side of golf: "Golfers in Canada raise over half a billion dollars for charitable endeavours. That is more than the next 40 sports combined".
• The environmental, economic and social sustainability of golf and golf courses.
• Laurence talks about the new rules of golf and the fine work Diane Barabé - Golf Canada's current rules chair - does
• How Golf Canada looks to "make golf fun, fast and accessible and understandable, speeding it up and make it more relatable".
• “The platform of diversity and inclusion is going to put this sport on a trajectory that we haven’t seen before”.
•Laurence leaves us with this: "If your best moment is being on the golf course, we want to create more moments like that. Our goal is to bring joy to people’s lives in some small way".

Would you like to volunteer for Golf Canada? Recruitment for 2019 Tournament Officials (Starting, Scoring and Rules) is now open. Please click here to register and apply.

Golf Canada supports several charitable initiatives, including Golf For The Cure to raise money for breast cancer research and support. To learn more click here.

Through Golf Canada’s Future Links “Golf In Schools” program supported by Acura, children in 25% of all schools in Canada will have participated by the end of 2019.

About Laurence Applebaum
With a sports management career spanning nearly 25 years in Canada, Europe and the United States, Laurence Applebaum proudly returned home when he was named Chief Executive Officer of Golf Canada, the National Sport Federation and governing body for golf in Canada in July of 2017.

In his role as CEO, Applebaum oversees the executive management and strategic direction of Golf Canada’s multi-faceted business which includes Membership & Sport; Commercial Operations overseeing all revenue and marketing activities; fostering key relationships at the provincial, national and international level; and conducting Championships including the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open. Applebaum also represents Golf Canada on numerous committees and advisory councils including the Golf Canada Foundation, National Golf Foundation, the International Golf & Health Initiative, the PGA TOUR’s President’s Cup, the Canadian Olympic Committee and We Are Golf comprising the leadership of the Canadian golf industry.

Special Guest: Laurence Applebaum - CEO, Golf Canada.

Creating a "Lean Startup" Culture At The USGA - Matt Pringle (060)

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 12:45:00 -0800

“We’re now up to a team of five and we like to think of ourselves as a scrappy startup within The USGA". This week our host Colin Weston speaks to the USGA's Senior Director of Research, Science & Innovation Matthew Pringle. Beginning in 2016, Matt has lead a new team at the USGA called Research, Science, & Innovation with a mission to "create innovative tools that help golf facilities improve the golf experience and reduce the consumption of key resources".

On this episode Matt and Colin refer to the "Lean Startup" approach to quickly experiment with and validate ideas/products/services. The USGA has embraces Lean Startup's abilitity to "Apply entrepreneurial management to drive innovation in any size organization or sector".

Matt's team also organized the 2017 North American Golf Innovation Symposium in Vancouver, BC and will be stage it again in 2019 in Tokyo.
5th Golf Innovation Symposium March 2019 in Tokyo

About Matt Pringle
Matt joined the USGA in 2000 after completing his doctoral thesis at McMaster University. He was hired to the position of Research Engineer and from 2000 to 2016, held the positions of Sr. Research Engineer, Research Manager, and Technical Director in the Equipment Standards group. Beginning in 2016, Matt has lead a new team at the USGA called Research, Science, & Innovation with a mission to create innovative tools that help golf facilities improve the golf experience and reduce the consumption of key resources. Most recently, his team organized the 2017 North American Golf Innovation Symposium in Vancouver, BC and unveiled the USGA Resource Management tool which enables golf facilities to quantify and conduct what-if scenario analysis on the resources used to maintain their course.

Some of Matt's contributions to the USGA include the invention of the pendulum test for spring effect in drivers, the USGA TruFirm turf firmness measurement system used at all USGA championships as well as many other PGA TOUR and major golf championships. Matt is also the co-inventor of the USGA’s GrooveScan portable groove measurement system and the USGA’s flagstick pace of play tool. He is also the inventor or co-inventor on seven United States patents related to golf.

In 2010 Matt was named to Sports Illustrated’s GOLF's 40 Under 40: The most influential people in golf under 40-years-old.

About The USGA
"The USGA promotes and conserves the true spirit of the game of golf as embodied in its ancient and honorable traditions. It acts in the best interests of the game for the continued enjoyment of those who love and play it". This is the USGA Mission Statement and these core values are embraced by Matt's Research, Science and Innovation Team. Visit http://www.usga.org/ to learn more about The USGA and www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rsi.html to see the fine work Matt and his RSI team are delivering.

Special Guest: Matthew Pringle - Senior Director of Research, Science & Innovation with The USGA.

PGA Merchandise Show Recap - Part 2

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 12:00:00 -0800

On this episode we continue our recap of the PGA Merchandise Show with more engaging conversations with the innovators, entrepreneurs and community builders who are helping shape the future of golf. Host Colin Weston speaks with Latina Golfers Association Founder Azucena Moldenado, Tagmarshal Co-Founder and CEO Bodo Sieber, Tour Edge VP of Marketing Jon Claffey, Golf Scope Founder Ryan Engles and Perry Reynolds with New Balance Golf.

Latina Golfers Association

Through their participation in the Latina Golfers Association, women are able to break gender and cultural barriers through golf as well as enhance their personal lives. http://latinagolfers.com/

Tagmarshal

Tagmarshal is a golf course intelligence and pace management platform that improves efficiencies and increases revenue through actionable data and intuitive technology. https://tagmarshal.com/

Golf Scope VR putting App

Golf Scope is an iPhone app that uses your phone's camera to understand the topography and speed of a putting green. http://www.golfscope.com/

Tour Edge Golf https://www.touredge.com/

New Balance Golf Shoes

You can watch the video of Colin's conversation with Perry Reynolds from New Balance Golf on our YouTube Channel >>

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Special Guests: Azucena Maldonado, Founder of The Latina Golfers Association, Bodo Sieber, Co-Founder and CEO of Tagmarshal, Jon Claffey - Vice President of Marketing for Tour Edge Golf, and Ryan Engle, Founder and CEO of GOLF+.

PGA Merchandise Show Recap - Part 1

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 17:00:00 -0800

On this episode we bring you golf innovation stories from the 66th annual PGA Merchandise Show that took place January 22-25 2019 in Orlando. The PGA Show is the international golf industry’s annual global gathering that welcomes over 1,000 top golf companies and more than 40,000 industry professionals from around the world to the industry’s “MAJOR of Golf Business”.

The ModGolf Podcast was very active at this year's PGA Show, as our host Colin Weston had two educational series speaking engagements, talking first about "How to make your golf business more entrepreneurial and innovative by unlocking new customer markets", followed by moderating "The Golf Innovators Panel". The ModGolf Podcast was also invited to host a live show from The PGA Show Radio Stage and we've included our interviews Aimee Cho and HYPE Sports Innovation in this episode.

Interviewing HYPE Sports Innovation Partner Ilan Hadar and Global Golf Innovation Competition winner, GolfBoo Founder/CEO Fabio Peral as part of The ModGolf Podcast live at The PGA Show

We spoke with the creators and some of the startups involved with The "Global Golf Innovation Competition", a Shark Tank-like pitch event staged by HYPE Sports Innovation. Over 100 golf startups applied for the ten finalist spots at The PGA Show, where each company had five minutes to pitch in front of a live audience and judging panel comprised of golf industry entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders.

You can find out more about Kinexit and their techology powered AI golf fitness solutions at https://kinexit.com/

CEO Chris Månsson (far right) and the Kinexit team

Colin speaks with TDJ Golf Vice President Dante Reynolds after their participation in The Global Golf Innovation Competition. TDJ Golf has created the technology platform that combines on-course play with fantasy golf to create a "Virtual Pro-Am" that increases the fun factor and awards prizes. Go to the TDJ Golf website to learn more >> http://tdjgolf.com/

HYPE Sports Innovation Partner Ilan Hadar http://www.hypesportsinnovation.com/

Colin and previous guest Aimee Cho, Golf Instruction YouTuber "Golf With Aimee"

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Special Guests: Aimee Cho - Golf Instruction YouTube Star on "Golf With Aimee", Chris Månsson - Founder & CEO of Kinexit, Dante Reynolds - Vice President at TDJ Golf, Fabio Peral - Founder & CEO of GOLFBOO, and Ilan Hadar - Partner & CEO at HYPE Sports Innovation.

Creating The Innovation Lab For The Golf Industry - Marc Simon / Reed Exhibitions (057)

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 10:15:00 -0800

Marc Simon aspired to be both a meteorologist and a PGA Tour Pro. Turns out his actual "Dream Job" is doing what he does now: running the two biggest and most innovative golf industry shows in the world. As Event Vice President of PGA Golf Exhibitions for Reed Exhibitions, Marc has a clear understanding of the golf industry trends and contributors that are evolving the game he loves.
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Attention all you fabulous women golfers - we are partnering with our good friends at KINONA Sport to offer 20% OFF your purchase using promo code MODGOLF! CLICK TO SAVE on tops, shorts, pants, skirts, dresses, skorts, jackets, vests and accessories!

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This week our host Colin Weston speaks to Marc before the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando to learn what it takes to put on a Business-to-Business conference of this magnitude and what industry insights has he acquired over his 20 years working on it. To learn more about The PGA Merchandise Show, check out their website and this short YouTube video.

About The PGA Merchandise Show
The 66th annual PGA Merchandise Show took place January 22-25 2019 at The Orange Country Convention Center in Orlando FL. Featuring over 1,000 exhibitors and 40,000 attendees from 80 countries The PGA Merchandise Show lives up to its tagline: “The Major of Golf Business.”

New for 2019 was The Global Golf Innovation Competition, staged by HYPE Sports Innovation. This "Shark Tank-style" event featured 10 golf startup finalists who pitched in front a distinguished judges panel comprised of golf industry entrepreneurs, investors and influencers.

HYPE Sports Innovation Partner Ilan Hadar

Main Entry To The PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando

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We love and wear the premium, stylish golf accessories that Deuce offers up to take your golf look to the next level. Visit their website and use the Promo Code MODGOLF for 15% off your purchase of hats, gloves, belts, duffle bags and cigar pouches!

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About Reed Exhibitions
Reed Exhibitions is the parent company of PGA Golf Exhibitions and a leading B2B events organizer, hosting more than 500 events in 40 countries. They manage two major PGA events, and their portfolio also includes New York Comic Con, ComplexCon and a recently launched show called POPSUGAR Play/Ground. They incorporate many innovations and best practices from those events into our events for PGA.

The first PGA Merchandise Show was in 1954, and they have been at the Orange County Convention Center each consecutive year since 1985. Reed's mission is to "Help companies drive revenue and customer loyalty through exceptional events".

The Exhibitor Floor at The PGA Merchandise Show

Special Guest: Marc Simon - Event Vice President for PGA Golf Exhibitions / RX Reed Exhibitions.

Revealing The Process Behind Creating The New Rules of Golf - Dale Jackson

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 07:00:00 -0800

"Although they hold together nicely and are really well written, there was a feeling it was time to take a fundamental look at the rules of golf". This episode we are joined by Dale Jackson, who was the Canadian member of The USGA/R&A Joint Rules Committee. Dale shares his insider's insights to reveal the collaborative, crowd-sourced process that over a five year period led to the January 1st 2019 New Rules of Golf.

Dale begins our conversation with a brief golf rules history, all starting with the first written set of rules in 1744 by The Leith Golfing Society, which evolved into what is Muirfield today. If you are - as Dale refers to himself - a "Rules Nerd", check out The Leith Society Website for in-depth discussions around the New Rules of Golf.

If you are like us and are recreational golfers, have a look at the "Player's Edition of The Rules of Golf" that provides a condensed, easy to read version of the new rules >> https://www.randa.org/en/rog/2019/pages/players-edition

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

The 20 Most Important Changes to The Rules of Golf 2019

Colin joked to Dale how he was happy to see the "double hit" penalty has been reduced from two shots to one, as he double hits a chip around once every five rounds. Dale recounted the sad story of TC (Two Chip) Chen, whose double hit during the 1985 US Open saw his 4 stroke lead and his chance to win disappear in one disastrous hole. Watch the YouTube video to witness the carnage. >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76QRludSXgo

Check out the USGA website for their written and visual explanation for Golf's New Rules.

The New Rules of Golf on Social Media
There are hundreds of YouTube videos covering the New Rules of Golf, but if we need to choose one, this effort by EXPERT GOLF is worth your time to watch.

Special Guest: Dale Jackson - Past Joint Rules Committee Member to rewrite of the New Rules of Golf 2019.

The Emergence of The Golf Industry "Mompreneur" - Gia Bocra Liwski / Golf Experiences for Her (055)

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 10:30:00 -0800

“Being a mom in the golf space has definitely been my biggest challenge and it’s really hard. I wanted to keep my career going but the golf job of being on the lession tee 8-10 hours a day, six days a week doesn’t work in my world. So that’s where the AHA moment for creating Golf Experiences For Her came from. It came out of this desire to keep my career going, combining my love of teaching and those other passions I wanted to incorporate, all while being a really great mom and putting my family first" - Gia Bocra Liwski, Founder of Golf Experiences For Her

On this episode of The ModGolf Podcast, we hear Gia's inspiring story as she combines her golf instruction, broadcast journalism, event hosting and hospitality experiences to create a livestyle business that addresses the pain points and barriers most new women golfers face. Gia is one of a growing legion of "Mompreneurs": female entrepreneurs who simultaneously juggle the demands of building a business from the ground up while raising a young family.

With over 20 years industry experience, and having been recognized as one of America’s Top 40 Under 40 instructors, and most recently a Golf Digest Best of State Instructor, Gia brings a very personalized and special approach to Golf Experiences for Her.

Golf Experiences For Her are customizable, golf and lifestyle centered events providing female executives, clients, and members with an enjoyable opportunity to advance their golf game, while simultaneously incorporating sophisticated off-the-course group experiences – all in an empowering, first-class environment. We recommend going to Gia's website to learn more about Golf Experiences For Her >> https://www.golfexperiencesforher.com/

Are you a woman with an entrepreneurial idea but are overwhelmed and intimidated by where to start? There are plenty of great resources for pre-startup women-lead businesses, and SheEO is a great place to connect for support, tools and inspiration. Click here to learn more.

Special Guest: Gia Bocra Liwski - Founder of Golf Experiences for Her.

Shots In The Night at Indian Wells Golf Resort - Steve Rosen / Troon Golf (054)

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 00:15:00 -0800

"I often get frustrated going to the different conferences, talking to people about what’s wrong with golf and how to grow the game. The problem is they start thinking like golfers and can’t get out of their own way."

Rather than just talk about the problem of how to deliver a more engaging golf experience that appeals to a wider audience, Steve Rosen - who is the General Manager of Indian Wells Golf Resort - did something about it. And that something is the immersive, multi-sensory experience they call "Shots In The Night".

What is Shots In The Night?
Indian Wells Golf Resort - a 36 hole golf property with a 53,000 sq. ft. clubhouse - is owned by the City of Indian Wells and operated by Troon Golf. Troon realized that to create additional value they had to become more entrepreneurial and deliver a different golf experience that would appeal to a different customer. After Steve Rosen met Nextlinks founder Dave Shultz in 2016, he realized they had found their technology partner that could deliver an unexpected, compelling, gamified and fun golf experience that first time golfers right up to professional level players would love.

Lights, music, laser projections, lit targets, glow in the dark golf balls, food trucks and drinks overlayed on both the existing putting green and 12 hitting bay driving range are the mix of ingredients that successfully create Shots In The Night.

You can listen to our engaging episode with Nextlinks Founder Dave Shultz to learn about their technology solutions that transform the golf entertainment experience by clicking here.

Images from Shots In The Night

Special Guest: Steven Rosen - General Manager, Indian Wells Golf Resort / Troon Golf.

How Virtual Reality Will Influence The Future of Golf - Dogu Taskiran / Stanbol Studios (053)

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 18:00:00 -0800

On this episode Colin sits down with Dogu Taskiran, CEO of Stambol Studios for a fascinating conversation that tapped into his expertise in military simulator design, sport-themed video games and immersive virtual reality environments. You’ll hear us exploring how the world of Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality and Augmented Reality will impact and influence the future of golf entertainment experiences, audience engagement and game performance improvement.

Dogu's professional design experience across multiple industries allows him to reference validators outide golf to see the trends and patterns that are emerging to influence the future of the game. Here are some of our favourite quotes and insights from this episode:

“From a venue perspective, a location-based entertainment standpoint, I think golf experiences are moving in a direction that falls in the lines of the movie Ready Player One. There will be worlds over worlds, overlaid on top of the real world that we are experiencing and enhancing and golf is no exception”.
“Virtual Reality in its core is not just about simulation, but to gather data to improve the overall experience as all of your body movements are being tracked".
"Edgar Dale’s Cone of Learning quantifies the percentage of what we remember after two weeks based on how we experience the information. Virtual Reality creates the learning conditions that allow you retain 90% of the your experience because you are actively participating rather than passively observing".
“Virtual Reality can trigger people’s imagination and trigger intense emotions, creating a bond between the experience and yourself”.
“Volumetric Movies will be in our future, where you can engage in a first person experience and become a character within a movie, creating a real sense of empathy for the character by literally putting yourself in their shoes. Rather than watching Neo in The Matrix, you become Neo in The Matrix”.
We also discuss the impact the burgeoning eSports industry will have on all traditional sports, including golf. Dogu shares how live streaming video platforms such as Twitch and global eSport tournaments staged by Red Bull Battle Grounds are attacting millions of concurrent users.

You can learn more about how Stambol Studios is "Creating Magical Worlds in New Realities" on thier website.

Special Guest: Dogu Taskiran - CEO of Stambol Studios.

Building Elegantly Simple Solutions to Solve Complex Problems - Mike Zisman / CEO of Golf Genius (052)

The ModGolf Podcast — Sun, 25 Nov 2018 17:00:00 -0800

Mike Zisman founded Golf Genius after a long career in information technology, starting with the creation of Soft-Switch in 1979, which was one of the very first companies to participate in the electronic mail industry. On this episode of The ModGolf Podcast we learn how Mike combines his love of golf with his passion for IT to help revolutionize the golf industry.

The number of entrepreneurial insights Mike crammed into this episode is truly phenomenal. Here's our Top 10 list of what we're calling "Mike's Nuggets of Wisdom":

“There’s a difference between building software and building software products. Software products rely on customer self-sufficiency if they want to scale and make money”.
“What I love about the cloud is the elasticity, the scalability".
“You have to listen very carefully to your customer because they usually have excellent ideas”.
“When you look in the code and there is ‘if the customer equals ‘x’ do this, that is the death of you. You end up with this mish mash of spaghetti code”.
“Great leaders always simplify” (actually a General Colin Powell quote!)
“We are constantly working on the user experience by reducing complexity”.
“Elegance is a simple solution to a complex problem. Not a complex solution to a complex problem.”
“You will never be as smart as all your customers put together”.
“We’re totally virtual, we live on Zoom and Skype for collaboration and sit on top of all these other software products. If we had to do this all this stuff alone it wouldn’t be very productive. Today you don’t have to do any of that. You can focus 100% of your energy on the business problem you are trying to solve.”
“Someone will always come up your tailpipe” referencing Clayton Christiansen’s The Innovators Dilemma of how competitors solve a simpler problem for a smaller market that you’re not interested in.

Michael referenced The Trough of Disillusionment" as one of five stages on Gartner Group's "Hype Cycle", which is a graphical representation of the stages a technology goes through from conception to maturity and widespread adoption. You can find out more about the technology Hype Cycle here.

To learn more about Golf Genius, check our their website and YouTube Channel.

Special Guest: Mike Zisman - CEO, Golf Genius Software.

Embracing Technology and Diversity to Create a Bright Future For Golf - Jared Williams

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 11:00:00 -0800

As golf course owners and managers started to transition their operations over to digital and online platforms, they signed deals with technology providers that negatively impacted their revenues and their ability to control tee time pricing. Needing to overcome the similar issues facing the hotel industry years earlier regarding online reservations, the National Golf Course Owners of America (NGCOA) and The PGA of America recognized the need to create an organization that looked after the best interests of both sides of the marketplace.

A primary purpose of the NGCOA is to support a more competitive and balanced marketplace in public golf that is both supportive of the golf course owner, operator, PGA professional and the golf consumer. They accomplish this by promoting adoption of online tee time guidelines and best practices among technology companies, online agents, marketers, golf course operators, general consumers, and the media.

Want to learn more about Jared and The NGCOA? Check out their website.

Special Guest: Jared Williams - Managing Director of the Golf USA Tee Time Coalition.

Sharing Stories From Her Entrepreneurial Journey - Joanne Cloak / Founder and CEO of JoFit (050)

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 31 Oct 2018 10:00:00 -0700

"Who the f••k are you and how'd you get in here?" No one told her entrepreneurship would be easy, and this response from a fabric buyer that JoFit Founder Joanne Cloak was looking for advice from proved this point. But rather than let this greeting deter her, Joanne turned the conversation around and used it as the launchpad for her incredible startup journey.

For our opening episode of Season 5, Colin speaks with Joanne about her transformation from high school gym teacher to one of The LPGA Women's Network "22 Disruptive Women who are Spearheading a Revolution in Golf".

Combining a love for golf with insights gained during her modelling career, Joanne set her ambition on creating fashionable, athletic women's golf wear that actually fits properly. Joanne's mix of audaciousness, empathy, passion and tenacity are the character traits that have led to the success of JoFit as a distinctvie golf apparel brand.

After meeting Joanne at The PGA 2018 Fashion & Demo Experience in Las Vegas for a brief yet engaging interview as part of our final episode of Season 4, many of you listeners asked to hear the extended version of the JoFit story. We happily accepted the request, as Joanne is one of the most fun and straightforward guests we've had on The ModGolf Podcast.

Joanne at The PGA 2018 Fashion & Demo Experience JoFit booth

You can find out more about JoFit and Joanne on their website.

One of the themes on this episode was the representation and funding gaps that female founders still face. This Boston Consulting Group article titled "Why Women-Owned Startups Are a Better Bet" explains the situation and the opportunity.

Special Guest: Joanne Cloak - CEO and Founder, JoFit.

Innovation Stories From The Las Vegas PGA Fashion & Demo Experience (049)

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 14:15:00 -0700

For our final episode of Season 4, Colin traveled to Las Vegas for The PGA 2018 Fashion & Demo Experience held at The Venetian Hotel, where he finds the best entrepreneurial and innovation stories on the show floor.

Although smaller in size than the January PGA Show in Orlando, this vibrant event coincides with Las Vegas International Fashion Week and is a trade-only event where PGA and Golf Industry Professionals come together in a relaxed and intimate setting. They preview the latest apparel, accessories, equipment, training aids and technology, while participating in a comprehensive education program taught by world-class industry experts.

Episode Highlights

Megan Coburn, CEO of ParTee Golf

Kevin and Jeff from RANGE BALL Golf Apparel

EeZee Golf Co-Founder and President Steve Fluke

JoFit CEO and Founder Joanne Cloak

Adaptive Golfers ambassador and MS fighter Brett Lang

Jeff and Todd from Dormie Workshop

Chris Esteves, President of P2 Golf Products

Alex DePallo, Brand Marketing Manager for Callaway Apparel

During the live fashion show

After the live fashion show

Mizzen+Main Phil Mickelson dance ad

Special Guests: Joanne Cloak - CEO and Founder, JoFit and Megan Coburn - Founder & CEO, ParTee Golf.

Creating Unique Moments For New Golfers - Donna Hoffman / Women on Course (048)

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 11:30:00 -0700

This week host Colin Weston speaks with Women on Course Founder and President Donna Hoffman. Donna shares her entrepreneurial journey of building two successful businesses in different industry spaces, along with insights gained that help new entrepreneurs learn the steps and strategies necessary for their golf startup to thrive.

Click to claim your exclusive ModGolf Podcast listener offer of $50 off a GOLFTEC Swing Evaluation and/or TECFIT Club Fitting ($125 value)

Donna was recently named by the LPGA as a 'Disrupter' and one of 22 women Spearheading a Revolution in Golf.

You can learn more about Women on Course, their previous and upcoming golf travel getaways, sign up as a member and find an upcoming local women's golf event near you on their website.

You can find Women On Course on social media here:
Twitter and Instagram: @women_oc
Facebook: Women On Course
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4106240/profile

Special Guest: Donna Hoffman - Founder and President, Women On Course.

Shaping An Innovative Approach For Women’s Golf Apparel - KINONA (047)

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 15:45:00 -0700

On this week's episode, host Colin Weston speaks with KINONA Co-Founders Tami Fujii and Dianne Celuch to learn how they combined their career experience in the aparrel industy, enduring friendship and love for the game to reimagine golf clothing for women.

Click to claim your exclusive ModGolf Podcast listener offer of $50 off a GOLFTEC Swing Evaluation and/or TECFIT Club Fitting ($125 value)

You can learn more about KINONA, their Champions program and have a look at their spring/summer collection on their website.

You can find KINONA on Instagram to see how they are building community online around their hashtag #MyKinonaStyle, as fans and influencers share their outfits and stories. @_kinona

Special Guests: Dianne Celuch - Co-Founder and CEO of KINONA women's golf apparel and Tami Fujii - Co-Founder of KINONA women's golf apparel.

Michael Breed - Embracing Resilience and Gratitude to Shape His Approach to Golf and Life (046)

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 12:45:00 -0700

Host Colin Weston speaks with Michael Breed, star of SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio's "A New Breed of Golf", along with being Golf Digest’s Chief Digital Instructor. Michael tirelessly tours the continent as an inspirational golf instruction keynote speaker and is an entrepreneur and innovator in the truest sense of those words.

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

You can learn more about Michael on his bio page.

We want to thank our sponsor partner Golf Genius Software for helping support The ModGolf Podcast

Golf Genius powers tournament management at over 10,000 private clubs, public courses, resorts, golf associations, and tours in over 60 countries. So if you’re a golf professional or course operator who wants to save time, deliver exceptional golfer experiences, and generate more revenue, check them out online at golfgenius.com.

Michael’s story of transforming personal hurdles like Dyslexia and sport injuries into the superpowers that define him is truly inspirational. His genuine desire to embrace his shortcomings while demonstrating gratitude, patience, resilience and curiosity has helped pave the path for his entrepreneurial journey.

As promised, here are the links to the work from two of Michael's inspirational mentors and heroes: John Maxwell and Nick Vujicic.

John Maxwell's book “Thinking For A Change”

Nick Vujicic's YouTube video: "No Arms, No Legs, No Worries"

Special Guest: Michael Breed - Host of "A New Breed of Golf" on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio.

Building a Culture That Gives Back - Rhett Evans / The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (045)

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 11:00:00 -0700

On this week's episode, host Colin Weston speaks with Rhett Evans, CEO of The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America or GCSAA. Rhett pulls from his personal and professional experience, providing insights and inspiration on how building a culture of benevolence, empathy and giving back fuels their ability to help innovate the golf industry.

This week's episode is brought to you by FAIRWAYiQ

Turning Golf Courses into Smart Courses
FAIRWAYiQ is a technology solution connecting golf professionals to their customers and superintendents to their equipment and labor resourses. Learn more at www.FAIRWAYiQ.com.

Episode Highlights
• Rhett shares his personal and professional background, along with his first connection with golf.
• The history and mandate of The GCSAA and how they support innovation throughout the golf industry.
• Rhett and The GCSAA's connection to WE ARE GOLF.
• The philanthropic side of The GCSAA's culture of “giving back” through volunteering and community building at National Golf Day.
• GCSAA innovative initiatives to help grow the game and the golf industry, including their Best Management Practices program.
• Environmental advocacy and stewardship through innovation thought leadership and sustainability practices.

Our favorite Rhett quotes...
“We are founded on a culture of benevolence, giving back and helping one another” 11:29
"We need to form strategic partnerships in order to develop innovative ideas and achieve entrepreneurial success" 13:25
“We are much stronger when we come together and have a unified voice, which is the premise behind establishing the WE ARE GOLF coilition” 13:38
“In any business, to be able to form those alliances and add strength to your portfolio were you may not have them really bodes well for creating a recipe for success” 14:20

The GCSAA is the top professional association of golf course superintendents. Thier mission is to serve members, advance the profession and grow the game.

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America is the professional association for the men and women who manage and maintain the game’s most valuable resource — the golf course. The golf industry recognizes the association as a key contributor in elevating the game and business.

To learn more about The GCSAA, visit their website at https://www.gcsaa.org/

Special Guest: Rhett Evans, CEO of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

RISE WITH US. Stories From The Special Olympics USA Games Golf Event (044)

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 23:30:00 -0700

Colin travels to Seattle WA for The 2018 Special Olympics USA Games Golf event held at The Willows Run Golf Courses, where he speaks to the athletes, parents, volunteers and coaches to experience the pure, unfiltered energy and joy that is felt with every single swing of the club.

"The 2018 Special Olympics USA Games showcased the abilities of athletes with intellectual disabilities, promoted the ideals of acceptance and inclusion through sport, and celebrated the transformative power of Special Olympics". - Beth Knox, President and CEO, 2018 Special Olympics USA Games

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Episode Highlights

Colin Interviewing North Carolina Special Olympics Athlete Andro Keck

Rhode Island Level 1 Competitor Keith Wilcox Jr. and His Parents

Event Organizer Alana Brahler Spent Hours Each Day Handwriting Scores

Level 1 Competitor Tony Beauchaine From North Carolina

KPMG caddie volunteers Chris Broda and Thomas Bergamasco

Hole In One! Kentucky Level 3 Players Dennis Gaines and John Mullins

Level 4 Athlete Andro Keck and His Coach Vince Powierski

Special Guest: Steve Jubb, PGA - CEO/Executive Director of The National Alliance for Accessible Golf.

Creating Engaging Content That Attracts A Diverse Golf Audience - Aimee Cho / YouTube Golf Instructor and Social Media Influencer

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 22:00:00 -0700

On this week's episode, host Colin Weston speaks with Aimee Cho, star of the golf instruction YouTube Channel "Golf With Aimee".

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Episode Highlights
• Aimee shares her early days in golf, including the first time she picked up a club with her dad growing up in Orlando and her college playing days at The University of Florida.
• Aimee's "AHA" moment which led to giving her the courage to launch the "Golf With Aimee" YouTube Channel.
• Aimee shares her thoughts on the future of golf, especially the women's game and her place in it.

Aimee and Colin meeting at The 2018 PGA Show Demo Day in Orlando

Special Guest: Aimee Cho - Golf Instruction YouTube Star on "Golf With Aimee".

Reviving The Golf Courses That Revitalize Our Heroes - Jennifer Poth / Operation Military Support Golf (041)

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 12:15:00 -0700

On this week's episode, host Colin Weston speaks with Operation Support Military Golf Founder and CEO Jennifer Poth, whose Non-Profit Organization is dedicated to "Reviving the Golf Courses that Revitalize Our Heroes". Jennifer shares her entrepreneurial and personal golf journey, along with her deep connection to the US Military through her father's service as a Vietnam War Veteren.

Click to claim your exclusive ModGolf Podcast listener offer of $50 off a GOLFTEC Swing Evaluation and/or TECFIT Club Fitting ($125 value)

About This Episode

Operation Support Military Golf (OSMG) – the non-profit organization which exists to enhance service members’ morale, welfare, and recreation by improving golf courses and associated facilities at 145 base facilities worldwide – invites those who value all that current and former U.S. service members give their country, to back their appreciation with a donation during Military Appreciation Month (May).

As a groundbreaking, global, military supportive, 501(c)(3) non-profit, OSMG’s goal is to provide a $1 million infusion to each military golf facility. Helping increase accessibility for our wounded and aging veterans, reducing golf facilities maintenance costs through modernized equipment, and increasing overall visual enjoyment are just some of the specific benefits from the upgrades.

Click HERE to learn more about and how to donate to OSMG.

Special Guest: Jennifer Poth - Founder and CEO, Operation Support Military Golf.

Engage. Empower. Support. - Stories from Women's Golf Day 2018 (040)

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 10:00:00 -0700

On this episode of The ModGolf Podcast we bring you stories from one of the over 900 host locations for the 3rd annual Women’s Golf Day that was held globally on June 5th. Colin attended a Women’s Golf Day event at Fraserview Golf Course in Vancouver to hear from women of all ages and playing abilities to learn what this event means to them.

Click to claim your exclusive ModGolf Podcast listener offer of $50 off a GOLFTEC Swing Evaluation and/or TECFIT Club Fitting ($125 value)

Episode Highlights
We get the Women's Golf Day 'big picture' as Colin speaks with Founder Elisa Gaudet while attending National Golf Day in Washington D.C. Elisa discusses her motivation for creating Women's Golf Day and the sense of purpose that it has created. She also talks about the power of partnerships with likeminded groups like Pinehurst and Evian Resort that provide the resources, connectivity and credibility that has allowed WGD to quickly scale around the world.

At the Women's Golf Day event at Fraserview GC in Vancouver, Colin speaks with event organizer Joan Probert and Head Teaching Professional Tom Monaghan to learn about their previous WGD hosting experience and what they have planned for the 60 women that evening.

Colin then reveals the fun, engaging stories from the women participating at the Vancouver WGD event, both during the two hour skills clinic and post-golf social time.

Like what your heard and want to hear a bit more? You can find our previous engaging conversation with Elisa Gaudet on our Season 1 Episode HERE

You can learn more about Women's Golf Day by visiting their webite.

Special Guests: Elisa Gaudet - Founder of Women's Golf Day and Tom Monaghan - President, Monaghan Golf Group.

Passionately Advocating For Golfers of All Abilities - Gianna Rojas / Adaptive Golfers (039)

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 15:30:00 -0700

On this week's episode, host Colin Weston speaks with Adaptive Golfers Founder Gianna Rojas, whose mission is to "Bring The Game of Golf To All Different Abilities". Gianna shares her entrepreneurial and personal journey through her work with The March of Dimes and defined by her discovery and love of golf, which ultimately lead to the creation of her non-profit organization.

Click to claim your exclusive ModGolf Podcast listener offer of $50 off a GOLFTEC Swing Evaluation and/or TECFIT Club Fitting ($125 value)

About This Episode
• Gianna starts her story at birth, when she was born without fingers on her left hand. She shares the pain of childhood isolation and bullying due to her physical challenge, which eventually became a source of strength once she became The March of Dimes poster child.

• We learn how the support of her husband, friends and a meeting with Arnold Palmer gave Gianna the confidence to embace her calling to create Adaptive Golfers.

• Gianna shares the touching story of David Finn, a wheelchair-bound golf nut who gets the chance to take - and make - a putt for the very first time. You can watch the video of David draining that putt here.

You can learn more about the impactful work Gianna is doing with Adaptive Golfers here along with the opportunity to donate to this life-changing initiative.

Special Guest: Gianna Rojas, aka: The "One Handed Lady Golfer" - Founder of Adaptive Golfers.

Letting Washington Know About Golf's $84 Billion Annual Economic Impact - National Golf Day (038)

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 29 May 2018 15:30:00 -0700

The pinnacle event of the year for WE ARE GOLF is National Golf Day. It was held on April 24-25, 2018 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Overview
A coalition of the game’s leading associations and industry partners hosted its 11th annual National Golf Day on April 24-25, 2018 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

National Golf Day celebrates the game’s nearly $84.1 billion economy, nearly $4 billion annual charitable impact and many environmental and fitness benefits. More than 300 industry leaders met with Members of Congress, the Executive Branch and federal agencies across 230 meetings on April 25 to discuss golf’s 15,000-plus diverse businesses, two million jobs impacted, tax revenue creation and tourism value.

"With one in 75 U.S. jobs impacted by golf, the industry plays a significant role in stimulating our economy nationwide,” says Steve Mona, CEO of World Golf Foundation, administrator of WE ARE GOLF. “Last year, a record 2.5 million people tried golf for the first time, further cementing why it is vital to share golf’s interests with our country’s lawmakers, showcasing the game’s many economic, charitable and fitness benefits.”

2018 Recap
Golf industry leaders arrived Monday, April 23 to participate in the second annual Community Service Project on the National Mall the morning of Tuesday, April 24. The project featured 175 participants across 18 projects focused on beautification, preservation and helping the National Park Service with turf deferred maintenance.

Following the Community Service Project driven by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, WE ARE GOLF Board Members, media and other special guests headed to the National Press Club for a special release of the U.S. Golf Economy report, which reported a total economic impact of $84.1 billion for the industry and a 22% increase since the previous report five years ago.

(L to R: Jay Karen, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association and WE ARE GOLF Chairman; Steve Mona, CEO of World Golf Foundation)

On Wednesday, April 25, golf industry leaders participated in a record-high 230 meetings with Members of Congress representing 40 states to discuss the game's economic, social and environmental contributions to society.

Conversations with Senate, House of Representatives, Executive Branch and federal agencies’ directors coincided with Tuesday’s release of the new U.S. Golf Economy Report. It shows $84.1 billion in activity was directly driven by golf in 2016, a 22% rise from $68.8 billion in the 2011 report. The industry supported $191.9 billion in total annual activity, including 1.89 million jobs and $58.7 billion in wages and benefits. Demonstrating golfers’ and businesses’ commitments to charity, $3.94 billion was raised in 2016 through tournaments and other golf activities.

Golf social media influencer and WE ARE GOLF ambassador Paige Spiranac being interviewed during National Golf Day

Special Guests: Clint Sanchez - Executive Director, The First Tee of Greater Washington, DC, Delphine Tseng - Founder and President, Landseer Communications & Consulting, Elisa Gaudet - Founder of Women's Golf Day, Jennifer Poth - Founder and CEO, Operation Support Military Golf, Lewis Myers - Commissioner of The Congressional Golf Association, Michael Breed - Host of "A New Breed of Golf" on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, Rich Katz - Katz Strategy, Steve Jubb, PGA - CEO/Executive Director of The National Alliance for Accessible Golf, and Steve Mona - CEO of The World Golf Foundation.

BONUS Episode: Season 3 Wrap Up / Season 4 Preview

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 15 May 2018 17:30:00 -0700

We finished up Season 3 a couple of weeks ago and our team is working hard developing the next twelve episodes for Season 4, which launches on May 29. Looking back at Season 3, we consider this engaging batch of episodes to be the turning point for The ModGolf Podcast.

We heard some amazing stories from a diverse group of guests who discussed how technology, entertainment experiences, music, celebrity, hospitality and community building combine and intersect to shape the future of golf.

If you didn’t get the chance to listen to all of our 12 Season 3 episodes, here’s a recap of the great conversations I had over the past three months.

Our Season 3 guests were:

Episode 1
Sal Syed / Arccos Golf CEO and Co-Founder
Harnessing Big Data, Machine Learning and AI to Create a Paradigm Shift in Golf Game Improvement

Episode 2
Dean Reinmuth / The "Dean of Golf"
Stories From Four Decades Passionately Dedicated To Golf Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Episode 3
Dr. Michael Cooper / Chairman of the GOLF 20/20 Diversity Task Force
Transforming The Golf Industry to Align With a Changing World

Episode 4
Pete Charleston / GolfLogix Co-Founder and President
Empowering All Golfers To Read Greens Like A Pro

Episode 5
Sandy Cross, Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion for The PGA of America
"You're Invited!" Growing Golf With the Power of Diversity and Inclusion

Episode 6
Alex Myers / Golf Digest Senior Writer and Host of The Grind
Expanding Golf's Fanbase by Not Taking The Game So Seriously

Episode 7
Pascal Stolz / CEO of eGull Pay
Creating the Uber of The Golf Industry

Episode 8
YuChiang Cheng / President, Topgolf Media
Telling Impactful Stories That Build Community Beyond Golf

Episode 9
Tajma Brown and Rechel Mabee, PGA WORKS and PGA REACH
Attracting and Nurturing Diverse Talent To Ensure a Strong Future For The Golf Industry

Episode 10
Dave Cavossa / Founder & CEO of CaddieNow
Harnessing Technology to Transform One of Golf's Great Traditions

Episode 11
Dr. Christopher Cain / Director, PGA Golf Management University Program at UNLV
Creating A Golf Education Culture That Is Different, Daring and Diverse

Episode 12
Dennis Riedel / Co-Founder of Chef's Cut Real Jerky
Transforming a Golf Course Friendship Into A Deliciously Innovative Business Model

Special Guests: Alex Myers - Golf Digest Senior Writer and host of The Grind, Dave Cavossa - Founder and CEO of CaddieNow, Dean Reinmuth - The Dean of Golf / Swing Coach, Dennis Riedel - Co-Founder of Chef's Cut Real Jerky, Dr. Christopher Cain, Ph.D., PGA, CHE, Director, PGA Golf Management University Program at UNLV, Dr. Michael Cooper - Chairman of the GOLF 20/20 Diversity Task Force, Pascal Stolz - CEO of eGull Inc., Pete Charleston - GolfLogix Co-Founder and President, Rachel Melendez Mabee - PGA WORKS Program Specialist with The PGA of America, Sal Syed: Co-Founder and CEO, Arccos Golf, Sandy Cross - Chief People Officer at The PGA of America, Tajma Brown - PGA WORKS Fellowship Intern, and YuChiang Cheng - President, Topgolf Media.

Transforming a Golf Course Friendship Into A Deliciously Innovative Business Model - Dennis Riedel / Chef's Cut Real Jerky

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 23:00:00 -0700

Today’s guest is Dennis Riedel, Co-Founder of Chef's Cut Real Jerky. Our conversation is all about innovation in the food space and it's connectivity to the golfer's experience. Host Colin Weston learns how a couple of golf buddies combine their culinary and entrepreneurial talents to create a high protein, preservative-free snack line that rethinks what you eat at the turn.

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In this episode we learn:

• The value of having a co-founder with opposing skill sets, but with an aligned passion for the sustainable culture and vision of the company.

• That without meticulous execution, attention to detail and an unrelenting focus on quality. the most innovative company will not thrive and scale.

• The challenges faced and the difficult choices to be made by all successful startups as they quickly grow, whether they're in the tech sector or the food industry.

Blair, Colin and Dennis at the Chef's Cut Real Jerky booth - 2018 PGA Show

To learn more about Chef's Cut Real Jerky...

Want to try some Chef's Cut Real Jerky? Go to their website and subscribe to save 15% on your orders.

Follow CCRJ on Instagram Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and special offers.

Click here to watch The Chef's Cut Real Jerky Story.

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Special Guest: Dennis Riedel - Co-Founder of Chef's Cut Real Jerky.

Creating A Golf Education Culture That Is Different, Daring and Diverse - Dr. Christopher Cain / PGA Golf Management University Program at UNLV (036)

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 23:00:00 -0700

Striving for excellence and the pursuit of unending improvement is what drives Dr. Christopher Cain as Director of The PGA Golf Management University Program at UNLV. Their program is cultivating the next generation of industry leaders by connecting students to community building opportunities that benefit the business of golf.

Episode Highlights:

• How Topgolf and competitors like Drive Shack and Flying Tee have created gamified hospitality experiences that appeal to both golfers and non-golfers to help spearhead what Chris refers to as "Golf's Renaissance".

• Chris and Colin discuss Simon Sinek's TEDx talk "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Action" and how golf industry leaders would benefit from aligning their organizational culture with this mindset. You can watch Simon Sinek's YouTube video >> here

• How the UNLV mantra of "Differnt. Daring. Diverse." has helped create an inclusive and purpose-driven culture at The PGA Golf Management University Program.

• Discussing the ways golf looks to innovate and maintain its long term sustainability without disrupting the traditions of the game.

• How The Major Series of Putting in Las Vegas not only levels the competitive playing field between men and women, it also serves as a test lab for the development of "skills-based gaming".

• Chris shares his excitement for the opening of their new Center for PGA Golf Management, named in honor of their golf coach Dwaine Knight.

"People don't buy what you do, they buy WHY you do it"... Simon Sinek

If you or one of your high school age children are interested in learning more about The PGA Golf Management Program at UNLV, have a look at their Facebook page and website

Special Guest: Dr. Christopher Cain, Ph.D., PGA, CHE, Director, PGA Golf Management University Program at UNLV.

Harnessing Technology to Transform One of Golf's Great Traditions - Dave Cavossa / CaddieNow (035)

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 22:45:00 -0700

Dave Cavossa could have played it safe. He had a very successful professional career that would have carried him comfortably into retirement. But Dave's unrelenting desire to create something impactful gave him the courage to step outside his comfort zone, act on an opportunity and begin his entrepreneurial journey. This journey led to the creation of CaddieNow, a technology-based "Uber for Caddying" that aligns with a largely untapped, on-demand, young, mobile labour force.

CaddieNow is dedicated to bringing caddies (loopers) back to the game and giving every golfer the option of taking a caddie at every course. CaddieNow enables everyone to "Play Like the Pros," exercise more, and help employ and grow the game with the crucial 14-20 year-old demographic.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

• Dave's love of golf and experience caddying as a young adult that have both informed and inspired the creation of CaddieNow.

• How CaddieNow has created a Blue Ocean Strategy that looks outside the golf industry for a business roadmap that opens up an uncontested market space.

• CaddieNow's ability to build a three-sided marketplace, solving problems and creating opportunities for golf course operators, golfers and on-demand caddies.

• How CaddieNow embraced The Lean Startup Methodology when they launched in 2016 by starting with a "Minimal Viable Product" in the Washington DC golf market. After their first year of using the build/test/measure/learn feedback loop of validated learning, CaddieNow refined and enhanced their product offering before scaling up to over 100 golf courses nationwide in 2017. CaddieNow will more than double the number of golf courses offering their on-demand caddie booking service in 2018, positioning themselves to scale across the 15,000 golf courses in the US.

You can watch The CaddieNow Explainer YouTube video >> here

Special Guest: Dave Cavossa - Founder and CEO of CaddieNow.

PGA WORKS - Attracting Diverse Talent To Ensure a Strong Future For The Golf Industry (034)

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 12:00:00 -0700

Twelve months ago Tajma Brown knew nothing about golf. Now she is poised to dedicate her professional career to the game she has quickly grown to love. Through PGA REACH - which is the charitable foundation of the PGA of America - The PGA WORKS Fellowship proactively recruits and hires recent college graduates from diverse backgrounds like Tajma for one year paid internships.

Under the guidance of Program Specialist Rachel Mabee, the PGA WORKS mission is to establish a deep bench of diverse talent who are prepared to ascend to key employment industries in the game and business of golf. Starting with two Fellows in 2017, PGA WORKS looks to scale up in 2018 to place interns in at least eight of the 41 PGA Sections. Their goal is to eventually have PGA WORKS Fellowship programs in all 41 PGA Sections across the US, acting as a catalyst to start reshaping the $70 billion/year golf industry to look more like America does.

Tajma shares her story as a sports business professional who currently works for the Middle Atlantic PGA of America as their inaugural PGA WORKS Fellow. As a Fellow, she works with the junior golf department coordinating tournaments, assists with communication efforts for the office, but most importantly she engages with the community to inspire and encourage young people from diverse backgrounds to consider golf as both a recreational pursuit and career option.

As Rachel Mabee mentioned in this episode, if you are or know someone like Tajma who is a recent college graduate with a passion for sports, there is still time to apply for the 2018 PGA WORKS Fellow positions. Go to www.pgareach.org to apply now.

Links to topics we discussed in this episode:

The mission of PGA REACH is to positively impact the lives of youth, military, and diverse populations through the game of golf.

PGA WORKS, including a wonderful video showcasing Tajma's journey.

PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is the flagship military program of PGA REACH. PGA HOPE introduces golf to Veterans with disabilities to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.

Special Guests: Rachel Melendez Mabee - PGA WORKS Program Specialist with The PGA of America and Tajma Brown - PGA WORKS Fellowship Intern.

Creating the "Uber of The Golf Industry" - Pascal Stolz / eGull Pay

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 23:00:00 -0700

As we met for the first time at The PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, eGull Inc's CEO Pascal Stolz smiles confidently before speaking. His decades of entrepreneurial experience at both TaylorMade and Cobra Golf, combined with his tech startup efforts in Silicone Valley had prepared him for this moment. The moment when eGull Pay was about to step out of the startup shadows and offer the entire golf industry a Blue Ocean Strategy solution that solves one of the game's major pain points: TIME

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

I recently launched our ModGolf Patreon page to bring together our close-knit community of golf-loving people! By joining you will get access to exclusive live weekly interactive shows where you can participate, ask-me-anything video events, bonus content, golf product discounts and entry in members-only ModGolf Giveaway contests.

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Just like Uber and Lyft - where you can see in real time where your ride is - eGull Pay is built on the same principles to optimize existing physical assets and create a more customized experience for the consumer.

Once logged-in and issued a code by the golf course, the eGull Pay App enables GPS tracking and follows the player during their round. eGull Pay overlays the golfer's path over precise geo-coordinates to know how many holes have been played. When leaving the course the golfer is billed only for what they played, with no need to go back to the pro-shop.

eGull Inc CEO Pascal Stolz (left) at The 2018 PGA Merchandise Show

To Learn More About eGull Pay:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/eGullGolf
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIo7-_ZYdQMljlfNyksPTbw
Website: http://www.egull.golf/
Product Review: https://mygolfspy.com/egull-pay/

Special Guest: Pascal Stolz - CEO of eGull Inc..

Expanding Golf's Fanbase by Not Taking The Game So Seriously - Alex Myers / Golf Digest Senior Writer

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 23:45:00 -0700

Alex combines the latest trending golf-centric news from the worlds of entertainment, sports, music, pop culture and viral videos to create his unique take on the game he loves.

Alex Myers is a senior writer for Golf Digest, where he has worked for nine years. Alex plays a wide variety of roles for GolfDigest.com, but most notably, he's the creator of The Grind, a weekly column and video series. Prior to that, he spent four years covering golf and other sports for The Journal News. In his spare time, Alex is an avid golfer with three green jackets from his annual buddies trip. But please, don't ask him if he's ever had a hole-in-one.

On this episode of The ModGolf Podcast, Alex speaks with host Colin Weston about:

• His introduction to golf as a kid traveling twice a year to Florida to hang out with his grandfather

• A "week in the life" as a golf and entertainment journalist

• How Golf Digest approved the creation of both The Loop and The Grind and the entrepreneurial approach Alex took when pitching them

• The ability for golf to expand by attracting a new audience through alternative formats and experiences such as GolfBoard, MSOP The Major Series of Putting, The European Tour's Golf Sixes and Topgolf

• How influential pro athletes like Steph Curry and Kelly Slater help raise the cool factor of golf in the eyes of their huge fan base

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Special Guest: Alex Myers - Golf Digest Senior Writer and host of The Grind.

Why Diversity and Inclusion Matters - Sandy Cross, Chief People Officer at The PGA of America

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 23:00:00 -0800

After 20 years into her career at The PGA of America with roles including player development and women's initiatives, Sandy Cross gathered the insights to realize in order to grow the game, golf needed to embrace all the dimensions of difference beyond gender. Sandy took an entrepreneurial approach to the opportunity, successfully pitching a corporate transformation that embeds diversity and inclusion along all lines of their business.

As Chief People Officer, Sandy tenaciously works to educate, train, promote and implement the need for the $85 billion/year golf industry to change its operating philosophy and the way it conducts business.

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

On this episode of The ModGolf Podcast, Sandy Cross speaks with host Colin Weston about:

• how The PGA of America is working to build diversity and inclusion into the fabric of the golf industry. Watch Sandy's Golf Channel interview to learn more: http://www.golfchannel.com/video/pga-americas-cross-talks-diversity-inclusion-golf/

• PGA REACH, their charitable foundation with the mission to positively impact the lives of youth, military and diverse populations by enabling access to PGA Professionals, PGA Sections and the game of golf. You can learn more at: https://pgareach.org/

• The PGA WORKS Fellowship, which aspires to be the most valuable entry-level employment opportunity for individuals from diverse backgrounds to garner experience in all facets of the golf industry. You can learn more at: https://pgareach.org/services/pgaworks/

• PGA HOPE, which is the flagship military program of PGA REACH, the charitable foundation of the PGA of America. PGA HOPE introduces golf to Veterans with disabilities to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. The Hero video, featuring Jack Nicklaus, highlights the positive impact that PGA HOPE has on the lives of our Military Veterans: https://pgareach.org/services/pgahope/

Sandy Cross, The PGA of America and PGA REACH on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SandyCross and https://twitter.com/PGAREACH
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PGAcom/ and https://www.facebook.com/PGAREACH/

Special Guest: Sandy Cross - Chief People Officer at The PGA of America.

Empowering All Golfers To Read Greens Like A Pro - Pete Charleston / GolfLogix

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 23:00:00 -0800

A lifetime entrepreneur and sports junkie, Pete Charleston has combined his love for golf with his passion to constantly innovate. Pete shares how their latest Golflogix App feature Putt Breaks now gives every golfer the ability to read greens like a pro, lower their scores and have more fun.

We also learn about the strong company culture of Pete's Scottsdale Arizona based company, along with the volunteer work he does with The Thunderbirds in help make the Waste Management Phoenix Open the charity juggernaut that it has become.

You can learn more about Golflogix and Putt Breaks here:

Website:http://www.golflogix.com/page/putt-breaks/
Twitter: @golflogix
Instagram:@golflogix
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GolfLogix/

You can download the Golflogix App for free for iPhone or Android.

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Special Guest: Pete Charleston - GolfLogix Co-Founder and President.

Transforming The Golf Industry to Align With a Changing World - Dr. Michael Cooper / Golf 20/20 Diversity Task Force

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 00:30:00 -0800

Dr. Michael Cooper's love for golf runs deep, inspired during his youth by the support and encouragement of both his father and the small but passionate Chicago African American golf community. Dr. Cooper shares with us how as the Chairman of The Golf 20/20 Diversity Task Force, he aims to create and support meaningful and inclusive change in the $85 billion/yr golf industry.

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• How Golf 20/20 and The World Golf Foundation is working to build diversity and inclusion in the golf. Watch Dr. Cooper's Golf Channel interview to learn more: http://www.golfchannel.com/video/golf-2020-task-force-aims-diversity-throughout-golf-industry/

• His involvement as a Board Member with The National Black Golf Hall of Fame. Learn more about the NBGHF at http://www.nationalblackgolfhalloffame.com/

• Celebrating Black History Month by honoring the contributions of Charlie Sifford, Renee Powell, Calvin Peete and Lee Elder. This African American Golfer’s Digest article covers all four of them nicely: http://www.africanamericangolfersdigest.com/honoring-golfs-legends-during-black-history-month/ and Golf Digest wrote a strong piece on Charlie Sifford and his courageous golf journey: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/charlie-sifford-mcdaniel

• The power of partnering with existing African American Golf Community Builders to fast track the diversity mandate. The African American Golfer’s Digest http://www.africanamericangolfersdigest.com/ is a helping bring all these groups and initiatives together.

• Dr. Cooper's work as Tournament Director of The Advocates Pro Tour, which provides the platform for young African American men to play professional golf on a mini tour and connect with the inner city communities where they play. Learn more about the Advocates Pro Tour at: http://www.protour.advocatesgolf.org/

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Special Guest: Dr. Michael Cooper - Chairman of the GOLF 20/20 Diversity Task Force.

Stories From Four Decades Dedicated To Golf Innovation and Entrepreneurship - Dean Reinmuth / The "Dean of Golf"

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 18:00:00 -0800

Dean Reinmuth is one of Golf Digest's Top 50 instructors, but his talents and passion extends way past teaching. On this episode of The ModGolf Podcast, Dean shares his entrepreneurial golf journey that started in the 1970's with covering car windshields in The Buick Open parking lot to find customers for their golf instruction experiment. More than forty years later, Dean insatiable curiosity for golf innovation is still intact as he continues to turn over stones to reveal new ideas to test.

Learn more about Swing Coach by watching Dean's explainer video on our YouTube Channel >> https://youtu.be/bYi8bjNeveU
and on the Swing Coach website: https://www.swingcoachclub.com/

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Special Guest: Dean Reinmuth - The Dean of Golf / Swing Coach.

"Levelling The Playing Field" - Part 2 of The Major Series of Putting Championships

The ModGolf Podcast — Sun, 31 Dec 2017 14:00:00 -0800

So that’s a wrap for Season Two of The ModGolf Podcast. I want to thank each and everyone of my guests that have shared their unique and diverse stories on our first 25 episodes in 2017. Without you, The ModGolf Podcast wouldn’t exist. But most our all, i want to thank our listeners - our ModGolfers as we’ve grown to call you - for your support and feedback. We are closing in on 5,000 downloads and we are grateful for the positive response we’ve received since launching back in May. If you have any ideas for future episodes or a guest you’d like me to interview, DM us on Instagram @modgolfpodcast to share your thoughts.

We’re now going to take a couple of weeks off to develop Season Three, which we’ll startup up in late January. We already have some great guests with engaging stories lined up, along with the plan to finding the newest and brightest golf innovations while we attend the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando.

Speaking of the PGA Show, I’ll be there moderating “The Golf Disruptors Panel” on January 24, where I sit down with five of my previous episode guests to discuss their entrepreneurial journey. If you plan on being at The PGA Show, please join us if you want to hear some inspirational stories and learn how you can transform your business approach to become more innovative and entrepreneurial.

We just launched our ModGolf Podcast YouTube channel, where we posted videos from the MSOP Championships, including a Stadium Tour and a Skills Based Gaming Putting Demonstration. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA63EnBgsW86r1jTtyHyo9w/videos

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Special Guests: Dave Grant - Burke Putters and Guillaume Béland - Président & General Manager at MSOP / Lune Rouge.

#PuttForDough - Part 1 of The Major Series of Putting Las Vegas Championships

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 12:00:00 -0800

The Major Series of Putting (MSOP) 2017 inaugural season staged over 200 local North American local qualifiers, culminating with the 10 day Las Vegas Championships.

MSOP entertains, challenges and thrills people with the simplest and most important golf element – Putting. To achieve such, MSOP sanctioned the largest series of putting tournaments in history with millions of dollars in total prize money. In fabulous Las Vegas, MSOP built a temporary stadium one block off of the famous Strip, adjacent to Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Participants from all walks of life had the opportunity to test their skills - and nerves - as they competed over several days in high-stakes championship putting tournaments on a 20,000 square foot putting surface created by world-leading Nicklaus Design and fabricated/installed by Southwest Greens. The fun was open to all as qualifying events were held around North America in collaboration with local golf courses.

MSOP is a subsidiary of Lune Rouge Innovation, a new creative company inspired and controlled by Cirque du Soleil Founder Guy Laliberté. For more information, visit www.MSOP.com.

Take a tour of The MSOP Las Vegas Stadium with host Colin Weston and subscribe to The ModGolf Podcast YouTube channel to watch our latest video content: MSOP Vegas Stadium Tour

MSOP Stadium Las Vegas

Brad Faxon and Alex Phillips at The MSOP Las Vegas Championships

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Special Guests: Alex Phillips - MSOP and World Long Drive Competitor, Bobby Sloan - Project Manager and Designer / Senior Associate at Populous, Brad Faxon - MSOP ambassador and Fox Sports 1 golf analyst, Brent Walker - Project Manager, SMT Sports Media Technology, Guillaume Béland - Président & General Manager at MSOP / Lune Rouge, Jeff Keas - Principal in Charge for MSOP Stadium / Senior Principal at Populous, Marcia Mendonca - MSOP Las Vegas Amateur Competitor, and Melissa Mabanta - Professional Golfer.

Creating The Ultimate Indoor Golfing Experience - Jon Standing / Indoor Golf Arena

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 01:00:00 -0800

Jon Standing is the founder and creative force behind Indoor Golf Arena, a Netherlands-based startup that looks to disrupt while compliment the European golf market.

Indoor Golf Arena® plans to first build in the Netherlands at a location close to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. The innovative concept has been developed by Indoor Golf Solutions International, a co-operation between Dutch companies Outstanding Enterprises and ZJA Zwarts & Jansma Architects.

Key Project Features:

• 12.000 m2 of undulating synthetic grass practice areas, designed by Nicklaus Design and installed by Southwest Greens
• State-of-the-art Foresight Sports golf simulators, all set in a comfortable, golf-themed Spike Bar
• Hitting bays providing facilities to practice awkward lies
• An unconventional indoor driving range, with extensive food and drink menu, served at the bays by hosts
• Wellness and golf fitness facilities
• Top quality restaurant, bar and lounge areas
• Comprehensive conference and meeting facilities
• A 200 room, four star hotel
• PGAs of Europe Training Center
• Environmentally controlled indoor facilities, allowing golf to be played and practiced all year round

According to Jon, "The concept of Indoor Golf Arena® is based on a thorough understanding of the current trends in the golf market (supported by extensive market research in cooperation with Colliers International and AECOM), and a clear vision for the future of golf which includes developing the Indoor Golf Arena® brand as a complement to traditional outdoor facilities".

To learn more about Indoor Golf Arena® and Jon Standing:

Website: Indoor Golf Arena®
Twitter: @IndoorGolfArena
Facebook: @indoorgolfarena
Jon's bio: On LinkedIn

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Project Images

Special Guest: Jon Standing - Founder, Indoor Golf Arena.

Building An Entrepreneurial Culture of Constant Innovation And Improvement - Joe Assell / GOLFTEC

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 05:00:00 -0800

Joe Assell is the CEO and Co-Founder of GOLFTEC, the world leader in golf instruction with over 200 locations across the United States, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

In this episode host Colin Weston speaks with Joe about his entrepreneurial journey, the creation of GOLFTEC and the passionate culture he has created that inspires their entire team to embrace an entrepreneurial mindset that constantly strives to innovate and improve their student experience.

Colin also travels to the Vancouver GOLFTEC location for a much-needed lesson with Head Teaching Pro Norman Baufeld. Afterwards he speaks with Norman to get his thoughts on innovative culture that defines GOLFTEC's success.

Founded by Assell and Mike Clinton in 1995, GOLFTEC has given over 7 million private lessons. Assell serves on the Finance Committee for Colorado PGA Section and has won Teacher of The Year. In 2008, he was named Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

To learn more about GOLFTEC and Joe Assell, go to their website https://www.golftec.com/about-golftec and social media feeds:

The GOLFTEC Scramble blog: "Cup of Joe" video series
Twitter: @GOLFTEC
Facebook: @GOLFTEC
Vimeo: Joe Assell, PGA - Turning Passion into Profession (July 16, 2017)
YouTube: Cup of Joe: GolfTEC opens 200th Improvement Center

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Special Guests: Joe Assell - Co-Founder and CEO, GOLFTEC and Norman Baufeld - Head Teaching Professional at GOLFTEC Vancouver.

Creating Positive Social Impact By Empowering Women And Girls Through Golf - Clemmie Perry / Women of Color Golf

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 12:15:00 -0800

Clemmie Perry started playing golf in 2013 and is turning her passion into a national movement to make a difference in the lives of women & girls through the sport of golf. In 2014, she started Women of Color Golf (WOCG), and Girls On the Green Tee (GOTG-T), which are programs designed to increase and facilitate minority participation in the sport of golf for women and girls. In four short years, they have introduced over 350 minority women & girls to the basic fundamentals of golf in the Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida Bay area & Washington, D.C.

______________________________________________

The mission of these programs is to encourage and promote individuals to learn the benefits of golf, provide organized golf clinics, participate in recreational golf activities, fitness workshops and mentoring opportunities.

The mentoring program, Girls on the Green Tee (GOTG-T), is designed for girls ages 10 -17, answering the ever present need for strong, accomplished, and resilient female role-models. WOCG & GOTG -T seeks to create a spark of interest and inspiration in the game of golf. This inspiration is then turned into action by connecting the women and girls to our golf community through golf instruction, activities and events.

The Women of Color Golf (WOCG) and Girls on the Green Tee (GOTG-T) programs have grown into a national recognized, community-based program, with recent recognition by former President Barack Obama, as a U.S. White House Champion of Change for After School Extra Curricula Enrichment for Marginalized Girls.

WOCG has been featured in Forbes, Ebony, Black Enterprise, Golf for Her, Professional Golf Association (PGA) magazine, the African American Golfer’s Digest and several local Tampa Bay TV and radio broadcasts.

To learn more about Women Of Color Golf, go to their website http://womenofcolorgolf.org/ and social media feeds:

Twitter: @Womenofcolorglf
Facebook: @womenofcolorgolf
Instagram: womenofcolorgolf
YouTube: Making a Difference: Women of Color Golf

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

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I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Special Guest: Clemmie Perry - Founder & Director, Women of Color Golf & Girls On the Green Tee.

Creating The World's Most Innovative And Fun Golf Tournament - Carlos Sugich / WM Phoenix Open Tournament Chairman

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 13:00:00 -0700

When it comes to creating a golf tournament event that puts fan enjoyment at the top of its priority list, The Waste Management Phoenix Open wrote the book. From the organic evolution of the 16,000 seat 16th hole stadium to the Birds Nest nightly music festival, The WMPO continues to push the innovation envelope to place their fans at the center of the five day experience.

2018 Tournament Chairman Carlos Sugich proudly states “Each year we look to build upon the tremendous success of our tournament set by our predecessors. We have some great new things in the works for the 2018 event and we are excited to put these plans into action.”

Sugich lead the Thunderbirds in the planning and execution of every facet of the 2018 tournament, including meeting with current and potential sponsors, recruiting PGA TOUR players to the event and developing new on-course venues.

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The 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open was held at TPC Scottsdale January 29 – February 4, 2018. It is the best-attended golf tournament in the world and has gained legendary status for being the most unique stop on the PGA TOUR. The 2017 tournament broke four attendance records, including a PGA TOUR record 655,434 fans for the week. The 2018 edition will mark the 83rd playing of the event (one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR) and the ninth as the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 250 “life” members. In 2016 The Thunderbirds raised a record $9.3 million for charity and have eclipsed $111 million in charitable giving since its inception in 1932.

The complex four month on-course construction build results in the creation of what Carlos calls "The City", which includes the 16th hole stadium, "The Cove" at the 17th hole and 18th hole grandstand. Watch this "16th hole construction time lapse" YouTube video to experience the effort it takes to create "The Loudest Hole In Golf".

To learn more about the 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open:

website: https://wmphoenixopen.com/
Twitter: @WMPhoenixOpen
Facebook: @WMPhoenixOpen
Instagram: @wmphoenixopen

The Coors Light Birds Nest at The Phoenix Open:

website: https://coorslightbirdsnest.com/
Twitter: @BirdsNestPhx
Instagram: birdsnestphx

Special Guest: Carlos Sugich - Tournament Chairman for the 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

The Links At Petco Park: Creating Fun Golf Experiences - Nate Adelman / Callaway Golf

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 16:00:00 -0700

In 2014 the San Diego Padres approached Callaway Golf with the opportunity to create a golf experience in their ball park. They had no idea what this could look like, but rather than politely dismiss the request, Callaway embraced an entrepreneurial/startup/innovation mindset to collaborate and co-create what has become "The Links at Petco Park". http://cmp.callawaygolf.com/thelinks

Now in its third year, #TheLinksAtPetco has grown in both size and sophistication. Callaway keeps raising the bar on player engagement and experience to make this a truly unique event that serves as a platform to help grow the game and give back to the community through their charity partnerships.

This YouTube video covers the 2016 #TheLinksAtPetco experience.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwkDcT_GAD0

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Episode Highlights include:
01:52 - 03:14 Nate gives us an overview of The Links At Petco Park.
03:20 - 04:24 We learn the gameplay format and experiential qualities offered at #TheLinksAtPetco
04:51 - 08:40 Nate walks us through the player's "Day at Petco Park" experience and Callaway's "Grow The Game" initiatives.
08:52 - 10:35 The progression and growth in popularity as The Links At Petco Park enters its third year.
11:10 - 13:49 The charity platform #TheLinksAtPetco creates, which supports Callaway's desire to give back to the local San Diego community.
14:18 - 18:48 Nate tells the "AHA Moment" story of how The Links At Petco Park came to be.
18:48 - 21:48 Colin and Nate discuss Callaway's company culture that supports innovation and the startup mindset.
21:48 - 24:52 Nate's "Intrapreneur" role at Callaway and culture of trust that allows people to take risks in a safe and supportive environment.
24:53 - 28:14 How Callaway has applied "Lean Startup Methodologies" https://leanstartup.co/ over three years to eliminate or alter what hasn't worked and enhance the elements that have.
28:15 - 32:06 Callaway's dilemma to scale #TheLinksAtPetco up to a multi-stadium offering across the US or to focus on making this annual event experience the best in market.
32:07 - 34:41 Colin refers to Simon Sinek's TEDx talk "Start With Why" to explore the Callaway culture that motivates them to connect with their customer and help grow the game.
34:42 - 36:43 How The Links At Petco Park encourages beginners to participate by creating a fun, non-intimidating environment that everyone can enjoy.

Special Guest: Nate Adelman - Marketing Manager at Ogio and Callaway Golf.

Creating A Frictionless Experience That Connects Golfers To Tournaments - Eric Crawford / GolfTourney.com

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 14:00:00 -0700

In 2008, Eric Crawford had an "AHA" moment. He and his three brothers would regularly play in golf events around Iowa. They would play mostly four person best shots and stroke play tournaments. In order to find these golf events they would have to sift through a stack of papers. Back then golf courses would type up a bulletin that includes the events for that year and they would send those bulletins out to all of the golf courses in the area.

Eric told his brothers, “There has to be a website for this!” so he went home and checked. There were various websites that had a few golf events listed, with the biggest one having only 300 events on it! This gap in the marketplace and opportunity to connect eager golfers with unfilled tournament and charity events led to the creation of GolfTournery.com. After an exhaustive three year study and product development, GolfTourney.com found that there are an average of 8 golf tournaments per golf course per season, revealing that there are over 200,000 golf tournaments in the United States each year!

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GolfTourney.com is dedicated to helping golfers find golf tournaments, by creating the seamless integration of the classic game of golf with their user-friendly technology platform. With GolfTourney.com any player, beginner to life long diehard, high handicap or low, can search and find local amateur golf tournaments in their area, state or country. GolfTourney.com is establishing itself as the brand golfers think of when seeking golf tournaments, finding tournament playing partners, course information and connecting with their golf community. GolfTourney.com is currently expanding their service offering by creating a "Vendor Marketplace", where they match event coordinators with golf courses looking to host tournaments.

So what is GolfTourmey.com? Here's their explainer video.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PHiG_PlIdY

You can download GolfTourney.com and create a free account to your smart phone and mobile device for either iOS or Android. For your desktop browser, go to www.golftourney.com

Connect with GolfTourney.com on social media....
Twitter: https://twitter.com/findtournaments
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GolfTourney/

Special Guest: Eric Crawford - Founder & CEO, GolfTourney.com.

Building the Technology Engine That Powers Immersive Golf Entertainment Experiences - Dave Shultz / NextLinks

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 01:00:00 -0700

Dave Shultz, founder and visionary of NextLinks, left his 20-year corporate career with General Electric to pursue a new more purposeful life journey. States Dave: "We are going to bring golf to life in ways for all to enjoy it on their own terms...in a social, beautiful, unintimidating, and interactive way."

An accomplished product development engineer and global operations leader, Dave changed his trajectory with a sudden awareness that he had the hunger and capability to create a new global economy from his idea.

A.G.E (Alternative Golf Experiences) are setting a new standard for how people will engage with golf. These solutions will socialize the golf experience in ways previously not considered, breaking down traditional barriers to entry.

Technology will play a significant role in the success of new and innovative golf endeavors, and NextLinks (www.nextlinks.com) was formed to develop software and hardware solutions required to deliver success, both indoors and outdoors.

This YouTube video is a good place to learn more about NextLinks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYVqLw8BdL4

On this episode Dave and Colin talk about:
• finding "Product Market Fit" by listening to your customers to reveal where you can add real value.
• "Pivoting" your business offering as you travel along your startup journey. Dave made the difficult but informed decision regarding which products to build and which ones to abandon, as he discusses the shift from building the entire entertainment experience with REALiTEE http://realiteegolf.com/ to focusing on the technology platform with NextLinks.
• Finding an idea that's so core to you that gives you that sense of purpose. They talk about Simon Sinek's famous TED Talk "Start With Why" and how is has influenced them both professionally and personally. If you haven't seen this YouTube video, we highly recommend it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA
• Dave refers to how the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill has shaped his approach to business. Here's a link to a PDF version of the book: https://archive.org/details/ThinkAndGrowRichPDF
• The concepts of "Lean Startup Methodologies" and creating a "Minimum Viable Product" or MVP are discussed as they apply to NextLinks as a way to build better products and services. To learn more, check out https://leanstartup.co/

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Special Guest: Dave Shultz - Founder & CEO of NextLinks / REALiTEE Golf.

"The Miracles Episode" - Golf Digest's Max Adler Shares Golf's Unexpected Stories

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 01:00:00 -0700

Golf Digest, founded in 1950 and published by Condé Nast since 2001, transformed itself in 2014 to align with a younger audience through both the look of and content contained in the magazine. Golf Digest has expanded it online and social media connectivity with their growing community through written and video content offered on their mobile app, website https://www.golfdigest.com/magazine and YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/GolfDigestMagazine

Editorial Director Max Adler is a driving force behind the re-positioning of Golf Digest, as seen here during his 2014 interview with Callaway Talks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKFmvYVrPYA&t=3s

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Special Guest: Max Adler - Golf Digest Editorial Director.

"It Only Takes One" - The Innovative Evolution of World Long Drive

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 16:00:00 -0700

When The World Long Drive states "It Only Takes One", they are referring to the nature of their tension-fueled gameplay format. World Long Drive, or WLD doesn't require four days and 72 holes of competition to determine a winner. Within six minutes of competition and eight balls hit by each athlete, only the one drive hit the farthest decides who moves on and who goes home. This elegantly simple storyline often produces dramatic final shot outcomes as the clock counts down that are more like a March Madness basketball buzzer beater than an golf tournament. And that's exactly what Golf Channel and WLD are looking for.

This YouTube video gives you a feel for the Volvik World Long Drive Championship experience:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukVfM8XaLMo

Additional Links to WLD and our episode guests:

World Long Drive http://www.worldlongdrive.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorldLongDrive @WorldLongDrive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldLongDrive/
Instagram: @worldlongdrive

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HISTORY OF THE WORLD LONG DRIVE
The World Long Drive Championships, known under its corporate sponsored title as the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship, is an annual world championship in long drive golf driving, hosted since 1975. The Long Drivers of America (LDA) took the reins in 1995 and RE/MAX became the title sponsor the same year; it evolved out of the original National Long Drive Championship, ran by Golf Digest. It used to be contested at a specially made complex in Mesquite, Nevada which is 60 yards wide and 450 yards long. It requires a three-step qualifying process and step one generally requires a drive of over 330 yards.

The finalists of the competition can often hit the ball over 400 yards, over 100 yards longer than the average professional PGA golfer, although many of the drives are in the 360-400 yard range and some have won previous competitions with drives within this range and even less in earlier years of the competition. The most prolific winner is the Canadian Jason Zuback, who has won it five times, including 4 in a row from 1996 to 1999.

In 2017, Swede Sandra Carlborg won her record fifth World Long Drive title, defeating Heather Manfredda with a 320-yard drive at Winstar World Casino & Resort in Oklahoma. In 2013, the event was held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the first time.

Special Guests: Andrea Starkey - VP, Strategic Programming Partnerships at Golf Channel, Dean Jarvis - ParaLong Drive Cup Founder, Jeff Crittenden - 2017 World Long Drive Masters Champion, Jon Claffey - Vice President of Marketing for Tour Edge Golf, Justin James: 2017 World Long Drive Champion - Men's Open Division, Lisa Vlooswyk - Canadian Women's Long Drive Champion, Maurice Allen - World Long Drive Tour Pro Athlete, Michelle Sheptak - World Long Drive Tour Professional, and Sandra Carlborg - 5 Time Women's World Long Drive Champion.

Promoting Diversity And Inclusion To Make Golf Look More Like America - Steve Mona / World Golf Foundation

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 00:15:00 -0700

In 2008, Steve Mona was named the World Golf Foundation's first CEO, and through his leadership the Foundation has embarked on new global initiatives to foster the growth and promotion of golf worldwide.

The mission of the World Golf Foundation is to unite the golf industry in support of initiatives that enhance the growth of and provide access to the game of golf worldwide, while preserving golf's traditional values and passing them on to others.

In support of that mission, World Golf Foundation focuses on a variety of initiatives to grow and celebrate the game of golf around the world. Through The First Tee, the WGF focuses on positively impacting the lives of young people. Under the banner of the World Golf Hall of Fame, it recognizes and celebrates golf's greatest players and contributors and serves as an inspiration to golfers and fans worldwide. The World Golf Foundation's GOLF 20/20 initiative pursues programs to ensure golf's continued growth and vitality. All World Golf Foundation initiatives work together to support the growth of the game among youth, women and minorities, while also fostering diversity within the golf industry.

The World Golf Foundation also supports the golf industry in a variety of other roles, including acting as a centralized vehicle for communicating the industry's initiatives to the media, providing a forum for golf's organizations to collaborate on initiatives of mutual importance and commissioning and disseminating to golf's stakeholders research on key aspects of the game.

http://www.worldgolffoundation.org/

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Creating Innovative Products That Find Their Customers First - Klaus Eldrup-Jørgensen / TrackMan

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 00:15:00 -0700

TrackMan is a fully wireless, easy to use, indoor/outdoor, radar-based solution for analyzing the impact conditions and resulting ball flight in golf. TrackMan provides the industry’s most accurate real-time data and graphics on ball launch, flight, and landing. Its unique combination of radar and video technology provides solutions for equipment manufacturers, teaching pros, club fitters, golf ranges, broadcasting companies, simulators, and ambitious golfers. TrackMan A/S, headquartered in Vedbæk, Denmark, is the developer and owner of TrackMan technology. TrackMan technology includes a comprehensive patent portfolio of granted patents and pending patents applications. http://trackmangolf.com/

This YouTube video demonstrates the latest TrackMan 4 Dual Radar Technology: https://www.youtube.com/user/TrackManGolf

Additional Links:

How Trackman Radar Technology is used to track Major League Baseball throwing, running and hitting, combined with the MLB Statcast graphic interface to create compelling visuals to amplify the fan broadcast experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UwLc0l68MY

To learn about Doppler Radar and how TrackMan uses The Doppler Effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppler_radar

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

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Trackman on Social Media:

Twitter: @TrackManGolf https://twitter.com/TrackManGolf
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrackManGolf
Instagram: trackmangolf https://www.instagram.com/trackmangolf/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+Trackmangolf-page

Special Guest: Klaus Eldrup-Jørgensen - Co-founder and CEO of TrackMan.

Growing The Game By Hosting The World's Biggest Golf Tournament - Jeff Monday / Myrtle Beach World Amateur (010)

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 00:15:00 -0700

The Myrtle Beach World Amateur is the largest amateur golf tournament on the globe. Going into the 34th year, the World Am annually hosts players from the 50 United States and over 30 countries. 3,100 players teed it up in the 2016 tournament, and participation is expected to grow yet again. The event boasts 72 holes of net, stroke play on over 60 championship golf courses. Players are placed in flights based on gender, age and handicap to keep the competition fun, fair and equitable.

Interested in registering for the Aug 26 - Sept 1 event? Go to http://worldam.golfnet.com/register and use the promo code MODGOLF for a $50 discount.

This YouTube video gives you a taste of what The Myrtle Beach World Amateur is all about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shcYgqn_PfE

In this episode we learn:

• The rich three decade history of the The Myrtle Beach World Amateur "World Am" as the largest single site golf tournament in the world. http://myrtlebeachworldamateur.com/
• How Tournament Director Jeff Monday and his team continually innovate and evolve the event to offer new experiences and connect with younger golfers.
• How the tournament combines music, food and hospitality to create their massive "19th Hole" golf party each and every night at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. http://myrtlebeachworldamateur.com/what-is-the-19th-hole/
• How their partnership with NextGenGolf https://nextgengolf.org/ looks to build a healthy future for the World Am by creating experiences and formats to attract 20 and 30 year olds to the event.

Special Guest: Jeff Monday - Tournament Director, Myrtle Beach World Amateur.

"Surf The Earth" To Make Golf More Fast, Fun and Popular - Jeff Dowell / GolfBoard

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 00:15:00 -0700

Golfboard is a combination of electronic snowboard and golf cart that allows you to traverse the course by maneuvering it while standing on the deck with your clubs right in front of you.

Disruptively innovating the golf industry, GolfBoard is forever changing the way golfers experience the game. Powered by an environmentally friendly lithium-ion battery, the GolfBoard is an easy-to-ride fully electric vehicle that adds a whole new level of fun and excitement. Golfers of all ages can now "Surf the Earth" from shot-to-shot in a way that feels like snowboarding or surfing.

GolfBoarding changes the golfing experience, without changing the spirit and traditions of the game. With over 200 courses now offering GolfBoard rentals, and hundreds of thousands of GolfBoarding rounds played, the GolfBoard has a proven ability to attract new players and energize the sport.

This YouTube video demonstrates how fun, exhilarating and easy it is to ride a GolfBoard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9VuKK5sbQo

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In this episode we discuss how since their 2013 Kickstarter campaign, GolfBoard has gone from scrappy startup to a growing company that has found their Product Market Fit. Topics include:

• The entrepreneurial inspiration and history behind GolfBoard. http://www.golfboard.com/

• Learning the technical features of GolfBoard from company President Jeff Dowell. http://www.golfboard.com/#product-details

• The importance of asking for and listening to customer feedback, allowing GolfBoard to quickly iterate, innovate and constantly improve their product.

• Learning that competition is a good thing and something GolfBoard welcomes as new players in the industry space they created serve to push them harder and innovate to add even more value for their customers.

• The critical importance of partnerships such as Billy Casper Golf https://www.billycaspergolf.com/ and Troon http://www.troon.com/index.php to help drive growth and increase the size of their Total Accessible Market.

• Jeff references Geoffery Moore's business best seller "Crossing The Chasm" to describe the challenge GolfBoard faces as they need to make the leap that brings their cutting-edge products to progressively larger markets. Here's a link to the book summary if you're curious to learn what a Technology Adoption Life Cycle is: https://ewthoff.home.xs4all.nl/Weppage%20documents/Summary%20Crossing%20the%20Chasm.pdf

• How GolfBoard follows the Blue Ocean Strategy business model that "creates uncontested market space and makes the competition irrelevant". https://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/

• How GolfBoard integrates Lean Startup Methodologies https://leanstartup.co/ to create a Build/Test/Measure/Learn/Iterate feedback loop that allows them to quickly innovate, experiment (and sometimes fail).

A 'Blue Ocean Strategy' For Golf - Guillaume Béland / The Major Series of Putting (006)

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 00:15:00 -0700

Guillaume Béland is the President and General Manager of Lune Rouge and The Major Series of Putting. Guillaume speaks with host Colin Weston about their ambitious and exciting plans to stage over 400 putting competitions this year, culminating with a week-long finals tournament this October in a purpose-built stadium in Las Vegas.

MSOP Stadium Las Vegas

About The Major Series Of Puttng (MSOP):

Major Series of Putting (MSOP) intends to entertain, challenge and thrill people with the simplest and most important golf element - Putting. To achieve this, MSOP is sanctioning the largest series of putting tournaments in history with millions of dollars in total prize money. In fabulous Las Vegas, participants from all walks of life will have opportunity to test their skills - and nerves - as they compete over several days in high-stakes championship putting on a 20,000 Square-foot surface designed by world-leading Nicklaus Design. The fun is open to all as qualifying events will be held around North America in collaboration with local golf courses.

MSOP is a subsidiary of Lune Rouge Innovation, a new creative company inspired and controlled by Cirque du Soleil Founder Guy Laliberté.

In this episode we learned about:

• The Major Series of Putting and how to register for or host a qualifying tournament: https://msop.com/en/

• The architectural firm Populous http://populous.com/ and their MSOP stadium design. You can see the animation of the stadium design here --> https://msop.com/en/venue/LasVegas

• The 20,000 sq ft putting green created by Jack Nickaus Design. http://www.nicklaus.com/design/

• The "Blue Ocean Strategy" that MSOP is pursuing to capture a new, large and uncontested audience. https://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/

• "Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings From a Lifetime of Golf" Written by Harvey Penick
https://www.amazon.ca/Harvey-Penicks-Little-Red-Book/dp/1451683219/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497344682&sr=8-1&keywords=harvey+penick%27s+little+red+book

Special Guest: Guillaume Béland - Président & General Manager at MSOP / Lune Rouge.

Creating A Social Community Around Golf - Peter Kratsios and GolfMatch (005)

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 23:00:00 -0700

If you play golf often, you probably know how awkward it can be if you don't have a foursome to play with. A game of golf usually takes over five hours, and it's much more enjoyable when you're paired with people you have something in common with. To solve this, Peter Kratsios created GolfMatch, an app that uses an algorithm to match players with one another based on factors like age, location, gender, skill level, and game interest.

As passionate entrepreneur, Peter has taken GolfMatch from a conceptual idea to solve a pain point to the creation of a growing social community with over 40,000 engaged members.

"There were times where I would be matched with people who were 30 to 40 years older than me with nothing in common" remarks Kratsios. Similar to a dating app, GolfMatch's system uses behavioral data to find the best matches for you to play a round of golf with. It filters through other users with factors like location, handicap, age, courses you regularly play, and the styles that you most enjoy. "Nowadays you have mobile applications that allow for social experiences in so many areas, whether it's dating or food, and we wanted to do the same for golf," Kratsios said.

Three of the most commonly expressed frustrations with golf are that it's expensive, time-consuming, and inaccessible. On GolfMatch, people can join groups catered to their specific interests. Examples of groups include "Cheap Golf," which focuses on the best discounted rates around, or "Buy and Sell," where users can purchase or sell golf equipment.

The company's latest innovation is adding filters into its tech that can also track which groups users are involved in to recommend matches. Users will often organize events directly through groups before connecting in person. These groups essentially allow golfers to create their own community of players. "I'm communicating with people several times a day through the groups feature," Kratsios told us.

Peter's biggest insight so far: "Everyone has a unique emotional connection to golf and people crave the basic human desire to belong to something bigger than yourself".

In this episode we discuss how in only two years GolfMatch has become an influential social platform to help grow the game of golf. Topics include:

• We learn about Peter's story as a young golfer and the personal experiences that ignited his entrepreneurial passion.

• What is GolfMatch and what was Peter's motivation to create it.

• The business opportunity and gap in the golf marketplace that GolfMatch is poised to capture.

• The importance of strategic partnerships in order to propel your technology forward as a commercially successful enterprise.

• The value of a dedicated, passionate and lean team that embraces the GolfMatch vision and culture in order to build an agile business.

You can register for free by downloading the GolfMatch App from either The App Store or Google Play.
Learn more about GolfMatch at: https://golfmatchapp.com/ and @GolfMatchApp on Twitter and Instagram

Additional Links:

April 17 2015 Fox Business "Elevator Pitch featuring Peter and GolfMatch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N0_hJ2oWFA

"Life Without Golf" video short where Peter talks about his passion for golf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NR7cYmylWo

June 5 2016 Business Insider article on GolfMatch: http://www.businessinsider.com/golfmatch-app-pairs-players-together-2016-6/?r=UK&IR=T/#-1

Special Guest: Peter Kratsios - Founder & CEO of GolfMatch.

An Answer to The 35 Billion Dollar Golf Question - Elisa Gaudet and #WomensGolfDay

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 30 May 2017 12:45:00 -0700

Elisa Gaudet is the Founder of Women's Golf Day. "One Day - Women Golfing - Everywhere Around the World" is the clear call to action that is built on the Women's Golf Day goal to "Engage/Empower/Support". Elisa is also President of Executive Golf International, a boutique golf consulting firm.

On this episode we discuss the Women's Golf Day movement and how in only five years has become a significant platform to help grow the game of golf. Topics include:

• Elisa's professional experience and insights that inspired her to create Women's Golf Day, including the creation of Executive Golf International https://execgolfintl.com/ and the writing of her "Two Good Rounds" book series https://twogoodrounds.com/

• The power of partnerships that have provided Women's Golf Day with the resources, relationships, influence and expertise needed to scale up this global event to over 900 locations in 68 countries with over 500,000 participants. Partners include:

The World Golf Foundation http://www.worldgolffoundation.org/
Executive Women's Golf Association EWGA http://www.ewga.com/
Club Corp http://www.clubcorp.com/
Billy Casper Golf https://www.billycaspergolf.com/
PGA Tour Superstore http://www.pgatoursuperstore.com
The European Golf Course Owners Association EGCOA http://www.egcoa.eu
The Ladies European Tour http://ladieseuropeantour.com/
The International Golf Federation IGF https://www.igfgolf.org/

• Building your tribe, starting with grass roots relationship building through their Country Ambassador Program volunteers, such as Dominika Antoniszczak (Poland), Lisa "Longball" Vlooswyk (Canada) and Lynn McCool (Ireland).

• The global economic influence and purchasing power of women and how golf has struggled to capture this massively lucrative demographic. We discuss the Golf Digest article "Is this golf's $35 billion opportunity?", based on a report titled "The Global Economic Value of Increased Female Participation in Golf" which concludes golf's global economy could be boosted by $35 billion if it converted more interested women into the game. http://www.golfdigest.com/story/is-this-golfs-dollar35-billion-opportunity

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

ABOUT WOMEN'S GOLF DAY:

From the US to Australia, South Africa to Switzerland, International Women's Golf Day (WGD) has grown in scope and size, increasing its global reach 68% in only its second year. Thousands of women from Silicon Valley to Wall Street to the Square Mile in London will converge in 68 countries at more than 900 locations for the one day event on Tuesday, June 1, 2021.

The 2017 event venues included public and private golf courses, driving ranges and retail outlets around the globe. All locations conducted a two-hour golf clinic or offer a nine-hole round of golf, and will culminate with a two- hour social affair where the expected 50,000+ participating women can network and socialize. WGD responded to the COVID pandemic with a virtual global event in 2020 and are excited to be back in venues around the world in 2021 for a safe and fun golf experience that both beginners and accomplished players will enjoy.

Women's Golf Day (WGD) is a global golf initiative launched in 2016 to introduce women of all ages to the game and encourage existing female golfers to "tee it up" in a fun and highly inclusive environment. The inaugural one day event was held June 7, 2016 at over 485 locations in 28 countries and went on for 24 hours straight around the globe. Women teed it up starting in Australia and ending in Hawaii, introducing thousands of new golfers to the sport while transcending language, culture, religion, and race to celebrate golf, women, and community. WGD is a collaborative effort by a dedicated team, golf management companies, retailers and organizations all working together worldwide to Engage, Empower and Support girls and women through golf.

To learn more about and to sign up for Women's Golf Day and its upcoming event on Tuesday June 1, 2021 visit www.womensgolfday.com, @womensgolfday, #WomensGolfDay

Special Guest: Elisa Gaudet - Founder of Women's Golf Day.

The Future of Golf is a Dial Not a Switch - Darren Dummit, CEO ofGolfStream

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 23 May 2017 00:15:00 -0700

Darren Dummit, CEO and co-founder of GolfStream Inc. has created "The world's first indoor laser golf course and private lounge". After building, testing and refining their prototype in their LA warehouse space, GolfStream struck a partnership deal with the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to open their first commercial "golf suite". We suggest taking a look at the GolfStream trailer video to fully grasp the fun experience they've created.

In this episode we discuss GolfStream's innovations, initiatives and go-to-market strategies such as:

• What is GolfStream and what was the motivation to create it.
• The business opportunity and gap in the golf marketplace that GolfStream is poised to capture.
• The importance of strategic partnerships in order to move your technology forward as a commercially successful enterprise.
• GolfStream's first location in Level Up at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas http://leveluplv.com/golfstream.html

• The emergence of "skills-based gaming" that casinos are exploring to align with the lifestyle desires of a younger demographic and GolfStream's opportunity to both participate and benefit from this initiative.
• Future business opportunities for GolfStream, such as partnering with the Major Series of Putting (MSOP) https://msop.com/ and major league sport stadiums.

You can learn more about GolfStream at:
• http://www.playgolfstream.com/ and info@playgolfstream.com
• @PlayGolfstream on Twitter
• playgolfstream and #PLAYGOLFSTREAM on Instagram
• Golfstream and @PlayGolfstream on Facebook
____________________

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

Special Guest: Darren Dummit - Co-Founder & CEO, Golfstream Inc..