In Michigan, golf courses close mid-November and don't reopen until the end ofMarch. That's over four months of bills with zero revenue - the brutal reality for every northern golf course operator. But instead of accepting this cycle, Kyle Holmes and his business partner Tim asked a different question: What if we could keep people playing, and paying, all winter long?

The answer became The Nest - an eight-bay indoor/outdoor golf facility that Kyle believes is the first of its kind in Michigan, possibly the entire country. What makes it unique? "Dual-mode" bays that let you hit down the range on TrackMan 4 technology with the garage door open in July, or into an impact screen in January without ever moving from your spot.

In this episode, Colin sits down with Kyle Holmes, General Manager and Managing Partner of Quail Ridge Golf Course in Ada, Michigan. Kyle shares his journey from employee to owner, the power of a complementary business partnership, and how he's betting big on the explosive growth of indoor golf - where more rounds were played than outdoors for the first time in 2025.

Whether you're a golf course operator looking for new revenue streams, an entrepreneur curious about turning a vision into reality, or simply someone who loves hearing about innovation in unexpected places, this episode will inspire you to think differently about what's possible.

3 Key Takeaways you'll discover:

1. The Dual-Mode Bay: A Genuine Industry Differentiator
Most facilities force you to choose: hit outdoors at a range OR play indoors on a simulator. The Nest eliminates that choice entirely. With garage doors that open to a 375-yard range on one side and impact screens for virtual play on the other, golfers never have to move bays to switch between experiences. Kyle explains how this seemingly simple design decision creates a completely unique customer experience that competitors will be challenged to replicate.

2. Segmenting Your Customer Base to Maximize Revenue
Kyle reveals his strategic approach to filling The Nest's eight bays by identifying distinct customer segments that don't compete for the same time slots - early morning "grinders" who want to dial in their swing before work, college and high school teams on weekend mornings, league play during weekday evenings, and groups of friends gathering around big games on Friday and Saturday nights. It's the same segmentation philosophy that has kept Quail Ridge's tee sheet full for almost three decades.

3. Building a Year-Round Business Without Cannibalizing Your Core Product
The Nest wasn't designed to replace the golf course - it was built to complement it. Kyle explains how indoor golf becomes an onboarding tool for beginners who feel intimidated by the traditional course experience, a winter training facility for serious players, and a community gathering space that keeps Quail Ridge top-of-mind even when the course is covered in snow.

Are you more of a watcher than a listener? Then check out our extended bonus segment with Meghann on The ModGolf YouTube channel. Click on this link or the image below to watch.

💬 3 Inspiring Quotes from Kyle Holmes

"I don't pretend to be the smartest person in the room at every moment because if we're talking about something that's not 'how do you make this business grow faster?' or 'how do you fix somebody's slice?' - there's somebody else in the room that has a better answer. And I love to hear from them."

"We want people to feel like they're home when they come to Quail Ridge because everybody loves to come home. You can have a great golf course and a bad experience, and you're going to remember the bad experience, not the great golf course."

"Once people cross that threshold - where they whiff three or four times, then make contact, then the ball's airborne, then it's going 75 yards - are they ever not going to play golf again? Absolutely! It's such an empowering moment."

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Episode Chapters

00:00 Welcome to ModGolf: Meet Kyle Holmes, the "boots on the ground" entrepreneur
01:35 Kyle's first golf experience: Grandfather, father, and a club in hand at age two
03:38 The history of Quail Ridge: Built and opened during the Tiger Boom in 1998
05:45 From employee to owner: The journey of acquiring Quail Ridge with business partner Tim
08:09 The power of complementary partnerships: Kyle's business brain meets Tim's 30 years of turf expertise
10:33 "I'm a lifelong learner": How Kyle asks questions instead of pretending to know everything
12:30 Introducing The Nest: Eight dual-mode indoor/outdoor simulator bays
13:36 What makes dual-mode bays different: No need to move between indoor and outdoor experiences
15:52 The problem: Michigan golf courses close for four months and the bills don't stop
17:30 From idea to reality: Clearing trees, running internet to the maintenance barn, and betting on indoor golf
19:20 The customer mix: Grinders, leagues, date nights, college teams, and NFL Sundays
22:52 Quail Ridge's business model: Public course with just 35-40 members and 45,000 rounds in 2025
26:13 Location advantage: 1.5 million people in Metro Grand Rapids with only four high-tier public courses
28:25 Marketing The Nest: Why "simulator golf" isn't enough and explaining dual-mode to the masses
30:02 The women's clinic phenomenon: Sell-outs in hours and the power of a judgment-free environment
34:32 Breaking down barriers: Pace of play, etiquette, and making golf less intimidating
37:14 The "welcome home" philosophy: Why experience matters as much as course conditions
37:58 Scaling the vision: Kyle's plans to acquire more courses and apply the formula
39:45 What's next: The design and construction journey of The Nest on The ModGolf YouTube channel

We want to thank Big Swing Media for presenting this episode and supporting Season 20 of The ModGolf Podcast!

Anyone can tell you what happened in golf. The Big Swing Golf Business Intelligence Brief tells you why it matters, and what’s coming next. Twice a week, Big Swing delivers original reporting and expert analysis of the money, trends, technology and personalities reshaping the game. It’s essential reading for anyone who works in, invests in or cares about the future of golf. ModGolf listeners receive a special first-year rate with code MODGOLF26. Visit BigSwingMedia.news to subscribe.

About The ModGolf Podcast: Host Colin Weston speaks with entrepreneurs, innovators, disruptors, and influencers shaping the future of the game and business of golf. Now in Season 20 with nearly 300 episodes produced since 2017.

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🔗 Connect with Quail Ridge GC and The Nest:

quailridgegc.com
Location: Ada, Michigan (12 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids)

Special Guest: Kyle Holmes, GM & Managing Partner of Quail Ridge GC.

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In this live episode recorded at the historic Stanley Thompson-designed Highland Golf Club, Colin Weston sits down with Rob Sunstrum, the founder of Smart Golf – a tournament and league scoring platform that's quietly becoming the industry's best-kept secret. From their exclusive partnership with the NGCOA Canada to being a scoring partner with Golf Canada, Smart Golf is proving that a fresh approach to technology can turn a men's league from 50 players to over 350.

If you're a golfer tired of spreadsheet-powered leagues or a course operator looking to reclaim league ownership and drive F&B revenue, this episode is for you!

Three Key Takeaways From Rob You'll Discover in This Episode

1. The Power of Reclaiming Ownership – Most golf clubs let members run their own leagues, losing control over messaging, branding, and revenue opportunities. Smart Golf helps clubs take back ownership, driving participation and giving them the tools to integrate F&B specials and sponsorship packages seamlessly. As Rob explains, a league night can double a club's midweek revenue if managed correctly.

2. Simplicity Trumps Features – Rob's logistics background taught him that onboarding matters as much as functionality. Smart Golf's lean learning curve and short instructional videos mean even the least tech-savvy members – yes, even those "Luddites" – can post scores with ease. Their approach? Tell players what they're about to do, let them do it, and then tell them what they just did.

3. The Canadian Built Advantage – With 350 clubs on board (75 in the U.S.) and exclusive partnerships with NGCOA Canada and Golf Canada, Smart Golf's integration with Golf Canada's handicap system is seamless. Scores post with a single click. Add in automatic email recaps, player stats, and profile pictures, and you have a product that's sticky enough to keep members coming back every single week.

Three Inspiring Quotes from Rob Sunstrum

"My entrepreneurial journey started right at the start of COVID... Rather than thinking about looking for another opportunity in the same role that I was running in, I realized that I had a nugget of a solid idea."

"You're definitely not going to have it right on the first 50 tries. But by the 51st try, you're going to have a large group of people thinking, 'Boy, you've thought of everything.'"

"We think that our program is the best in the marketplace. But not only that – our price point is lower."

Are you more of a watcher than a listener? Then check out the Smart Golf demo with Rob on The ModGolf YouTube channel. Click on this link or the image below to watch.

Episode Chapters

00:00 – Intro: The Road to Highland – Colin sets the scene for this live recording at the historic Stanley Thompson-designed Highland Golf Club, and why Smart Golf is the future of tournament scoring.
01:58 – Icebreaker: Rob's First Golf Experience – The competitive origin story that set Rob on his path, from a junior camp victory to founding a scoring platform.
03:31 – The COVID Pivot: From Logistics to Golf Tech – Rob reveals how he got laid off from DHL and turned a "nugget of an idea" into a product that pros were begging for.
07:02 – Building the MVP: Why 50 Tries Matter – The lean startup approach Rob used, from designing the minimum viable product to iterating based on real pro feedback. Scar tissue and all.
08:55 – Leagues & Ownership: The Highland Model – How Highland's men's league grew to over 350 players, why the pro shop runs it, and how F&B specials turn Wednesday into the club's busiest day.
14:35 – The Player Journey: Email Formula & Stats – Rob breaks down the "tell them what they're about to do, let them do it, then tell them what they did" formula, plus how player stats and profile pictures build community.
17:36 – From Deuce Pots to Proximities – How Smart Golf's flighted games, skins, and deuce pots evolved from pro demands, and why saying "yes" to finicky requests has become a core competency.
21:04 – Growth & Partnerships – The exclusive NGCOA Canada partnership, the Golf Canada scoring integration, and why 75 clubs south of the border are already on board.
27:42 – Simulator Expansion – How Smart Golf is testing new features with simulator facilities in the off-season – and why 90 simulators now run their leagues on the platform.
30:00 – Business Model: Annual Subscription – Rob explains why a single annual subscription (cheaper than competitors) with no paywalls or limits is the winning formula, and why they avoid ads to keep the user experience pristine.
35:21 – How to Connect – Visit smartgolfsoftware.com or email Rob directly at rob@smartgolfsoftware.com.

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Smart Golf Website: https://smartgolfsoftware.com
• NGCOA Canada: https://ngcoa.ca
• Golf Canada: https://golfcanada.ca
• The ModGolf YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@modgolfpodcast

🎧 Subscribe & Review:

Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a golf course operator or league captain who needs to retire their spreadsheet for good.

Join our Patreon community at www.patreon.com/modgolf for exclusive live shows, bonus content, and member-only giveaways.[ Click here](www.patreon.com/modgolf) to support The ModGolf Podcast.

Special thanks to Highland Golf Club for hosting this live recording, and to Rob Sunstrum for an honest, inspiring conversation about building a better way to play competitive golf.

We want to thank our partner NGCOA Canada for presenting this episode of The ModGolf Podcast!

The National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada) is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to supporting the business of golf in Canada. Representing more than 1,500 member facilities nationwide, NGCOA Canada provides advocacy, education, marketing, operational resources to help golf course owners and operators succeed, as well as philanthropic support. You can learn more and connect at https://www.ngcoa.ca/

Special Guest: Rob Sunstrum - Founder & CEO at Smart Golf.

Support The ModGolf Podcast