We want to thank our partner inrange® for presenting this episode of The ModGolf Podcast!

inrange® is a radar-based ball-tracking company that enhances the driving range experience by offering the most engaging gameplay and precise ball-tracking on the market. From private clubs and standalone commercial ranges, to multi-storey “Big Box” entertainment venues and limited-flight ‘compact’ ranges, Inrange® creates unparalleled experiences for every type of player - and unleashes your business’ growth potential. They are also the only software in the world offering a bay vs bay link up feature - allowing large groups to play against one another in teams across the entire venue. To learn more check out www.inrangegolf.com.

We also want to thank Golf Genius Software for supporting The ModGolf Podcast since 2019!
Are you a golf course owner, manager or operator looking to increase both your profit margins and on-course experience?

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.

Christina is active on Instagram where you can follow her life experiences both on and off the course.

Click on the image below to watch our extended conversation with Christina on our Youtube Channel!

Episode Chapters
[02:20] Christina's first ever golf experience as a kid and how she developed a passion for the game
[04:40] The influence Christina's dad had on her development as a young golfer
[09:50] Why Christina decided to turn pro at the age of 17
[12:00] Stories from Christina's first year as a pro in 2002
[15:30] How Colin met Christina at the 2023 CPKC Canadian Womens Open
[17:30] Christina's ability to cope with mental health issues to give her strength to face the day
[21:00] We share experiences of loss, grief and trauma that stem from unchecked mental health issues and how we both have been able to find meaning, joy and purpose in our lives
[24:00] A conversation around removing the stigma around mental health issues by helping others and allowing others to help us
[29:00] Christina's relationship with LPGA Medical Director Dr. Bruce Thomas, who she credits with "saving my life three times"
[36:00] "I am responsible for creating my own joy"
[39:30] Defining Christina's purpose and what is next for her in the years to follow after The LPGA Tour

"Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one"... Bruce Lee

Do you or someone you know struggle with anxiety, depression and/or thoughts of self-harm? Please do not feel like you or a loved one must suffer in silence as we are all connected. In the US and Canada you can speak with someone who deeply cares at the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline https://988lifeline.org

You can also learn more about Christina on her bio page.

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 Guest: Christina Kim - LPGA Tour Pro.

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

______________________________________________

If you didn’t get the chance to listen to all of our twelve Season 12 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. Let us know which ones you enjoyed the most and why you liked them!

Our Season 12 guests were:

Episode 1
Jordan Lunetta - Co-Founder of ODIN Golf
"We have big ambitions to take ODIN to golfers across the globe. We have a vision of building a platform for the everyday golfer." Jordan Lunetta, Co-Founder of ODIN Golf opens Season 12 to share how they are creating a golf-loving tribe by living their company tagline: "Go Balls Out. Always!"
Click to listen >> BUILDING AN ENGAGING PLATFORM FOR THE EVERYDAY GOLFER

Episode 2
Donnie Dotson - Founder and CEO at Carry Golf Investments
"These potential investors didn't know the players 48 hours earlier and were high fiving them saying "we'll be following along and cheering for you guys!" My goal now is to be able to bottle up that experience and scale it, so we can help a lot more golfers but also bring a lot more fans closer to the game." Donnie Dotson joins us to share how he's applying tech startup lessons learned to elite athletes.
Click to listen >> APPLYING A TECH INVESTOR MINDSET TO SUPPORT "EARLY STAGE" GOLF ATHLETES

Episode 3
Cooper Sherwin - Co-Founder and Head of Community at LinksDAO
"We knew right off the bat that we wanted to bring value to NFT holders, not where it was lottery based where maybe five folks would get a trip to The Masters. We wanted to make sure that we had benefits across the board in an equitable way. Cooper Sherwin shares how LinksDAO uses web3 and the value of NFTs to reimagine the golf club membership experience.
Click to listen >> HARNESSING WEB3 TO REIMAGINE THE MODERN GOLF CLUB EXPERIENCE

Episode 4
Matt Reagan - Founder and CEO at Operation 36 Golf Co-Founder
"We created this cool environment to test group programming with kids and try to figure out what works to make it fun, but also make sure they are getting better and turning into golfers." Matt Reagan shares how they looked at youth sports like martial arts to create a multi-levelled teaching program that is both effective and fun.
Click to listen >> BUILDING A SCALABLE BUSINESS THAT INTRODUCES 1,000,000 NEW GOLFERS TO THE GAME

Episode 5
Jess McAlister - Co-Founder of Digital Golf Collective
"With where technology and society is going, it's an adapt or die situation as we are currently seeing in the golf industry today. As severe crazy golf fans and experts in our professional space, we felt we can positively disrupt while loving and respecting the industry and sport we love so much." - Jess McAlister joins us to share how they passionately created the golf influencer space.
Click to listen >> BUILDING A WOMEN-LED COMPANY THAT POSITIVELY DISRUPTS THE GOLF INDUSTRY

Episode 6
Ty DeLavallade - Founder and President of Deuce
"I realized that when building a company, you're really building a tribe. Creating a support group of people around you who are proud to wear the hat because it's cool brand. They wear it because of the quality and how it makes them feel. Whatever their motivation, I'm okay with that." Ty DeLavallade joins us to share the wins and the setbacks that define his entrepreneurial journey.
Click to listen >> RELATIONSHIPS ARE THE NEW CURRENCY

Episode 7
Nick Longley - Co-Founder of Inrange Golf
"Once we understood that our business is helping other businesses succeed, things really took off" - Nick Longley joins us to share their design process that led to creating engaging digital games to heighten the traditional driving range experience for both customers and owners.
Click to listen >> USING CUSTOMER FEEDBACK TO DELIVER EXCEPTIONAL VALUE

Episode 8
Billy Brown - Founder and CEO of The Golf Sanctuary
"November of 2019, I was in a pain med coma from a shoulder surgery wiping drool off my face from the codeine and thought... Golf Sanctuary. If I could go marry real estate and golf, how cool would that be?" Billy Brown joins us to share how he harnessed the Law of Supply and Demand to create a members-only off-course experience that appeals to his love for food, drinks and golf.
Click to listen >> REDEFINING THE GOLF CLUB MEMBERSHIP EXPERIENCE

Episode 9
Eileen Jurczak - Founder and CEO of Xonic Golf
"All of my personal and professional experiences in finance, engineering and golf have come together. It's quite fantastic that they culminate into what I'm doing in the Sport Tech startup space today." Eileen Jurczak joins us to share what she learned about entrepreneurship on the stock exchange trading floor and so much more on this episode of The ModGolf Podcast.
Click to listen >> ENTREPRENEURIAL LESSONS LEARNED ON THE TRADING FLOOR

Episode 10
Markus Westerberg - Co-Founder of deWiz
"Golf provides a North Star to define what success means to you and to appreciate the journey. You have to truly love the game, whether it's the game of entrepreneurship or the game of golf. And when you do that, I believe you will end up in good places." Markus Westerberg joins host Colin Weston to share the value of doing uncomfortable things, the power in collaborating with curious, positive people and so much more on this engaging episode of The ModGolf Podcast.
Click to listen >> COMBINING HIS LOVE OF GOLF AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Episode 11
Brett Jaffee - Caddy Time Co-Founder
"Sometimes golfers need a competitive caddy, but also for senior play, junior play, woman's play. Caddies are a terrific bridge to the golf facility." Brett Jaffee joins us to share how a lifetime in entrepreneurship led to the successful creation of their startup.
Click to listen >> BUILDING A BRIDGE THAT CONNECTS GOLFERS, CADDIES AND CLUBS

Episode 12
Laura Diaz - The LPGA's Sr. Director of Community & Inclusion (with guest host Dr. Greta Anderson)
"If you can see it, you can be it". If I can see somebody that looks like me, if there is that representation then I know I can get into this sport, or I can see a career in it." Our guest host Dr. Greta Anderson sits down with Laura Diaz who shares insights gathered starting from her first swing growing up in Puerto Rico.
Click to listen >> HOW A SIMPLE INVITATION BECOMES A POWERFUL WAY TO GROW GOLF

Special Guests: Billy Brown - Founder and CEO The Golf Sanctuary LLC. 2x Amazon Best Selling Author, Real Estate Investor, and Entrepreneur, Brett Jaffee - Co-Founder of Caddy Time, Cooper Sherwin - Co-Founder and Head of Community at LinksDAO, Donnie Dotson - Founder and CEO of Carry Golf Investments, Eileen Jurczak - Founder and CEO of Xonic Golf, Guillermo Heredia, Managing Director Global Brands, Metaverse & Blockchain at HYPE Sports Innovation, Jess McAlister - Founder of Digital Golf Collective, Jordan Lunetta - Co-Founder of ODIN Golf, Laura Diaz, Sr. Director of Community & Inclusion at The LPGA, Markus Westerberg, Co-Founder of deWiz, Matt Reagan, Co-Founder at Operation 36 Golf, Nick Longley - Co-Founder at Inrange® Golf, and Ty DeLavallade - Founder and President of Deuce.

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

______________________________________________
"I've always thought of golf as a game of invitation, because when I hear stories of whether it's women, or colleagues who've taken up the game it's always like, "oh, my husband plays. So, I eventually played". Or my dad played, which is my case and we played golf. I asked my mom a couple years ago. "Why don't you play golf"? And she said, because nobody ever invited me. To me that was heartbreaking because my mom was an athlete, but she let golf be something that my dad and my brother and I did separately."

"I have become a lot more self-aware about being that person that invites others because we do get clicky. You have your foursome that you play with on the weekends. You like it because you all play fast, you know everybody's game. Which is great. I love that about golf. But if we can be more self-aware and intentional about inviting someone that doesn't look like you or inviting someone that you might think, "Hey this person might not want to go". This person might be looking for an invitation. The invite part I think is important."

Click on the image below to watch our extended conversation with Laura and Greta on our Youtube Channel!

You can also connect with Laura on her bio page, along with checking out the LPGA Foundation website.

______________________________________________

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!

Special Guest: Laura Diaz, Sr. Director of Community & Inclusion at The LPGA.

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.

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!

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

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.

Topgolf currently has 90+ venue locations in the US that generated over 20 million guest visits in 2023, with ambitious plans to expand to another 50 venues globally over the next three years. Topgolf has created the secret sauce that connects a younger audience to golf, but they're definitely not growing complacent over that success. Ron discusses how their cultural values, entrepreneurial spirit and passion to innovate pushes them to evolve and expand.

In this episode we discuss Topgolf's newest innovations and initiatives:

• Their stadium-based mobile experience called Topgolf Crush
• The Topgolf Tour, their two player team competition format that anyone can sign up for
• Topgolf International expansion plans, starting with Australia and Mexico
• how the acquisition of both Protracer and WGT Media help transform an entertainment company into a technology and media juggernaut
• Hotel-based Topgolf simulator experience called Topgolf Swing Suite
• Their charity endeavors and culture of "giving back" to benefit the communities which they operate in

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 Guest: Ron Powers - Head of Swing Suite Division at Full Swing Simulators.

Links:

• Fireside - Episode Links