The ModGolf Podcast - Episodes Tagged with “Synthetic Turf International”

SEASON 15 WRAP-UP / SEASON 16 PREVIEW

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 15:15:00 -0700

That's a wrap for Season 15 of The ModGolf Podcast! Our team is currently working on your next twelve episodes for Season 16, which launches in mid September 2024. We heard some amazing stories from a diverse group of guests who discussed how inclusion, technology, entertainment, music, celebrity, hospitality and community building intersect to shape the future of golf.

We want to thank Golf Genius Software for presenting this episode of The ModGolf Podcast!
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.

If you didn’t get the chance to listen to all of our twelve Season 15 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. Hopefully 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 15 guests were:

Episode 1
David Hinkle and Rio Valeriano - T36 Golf Co-Founders
"We’re flipping the script on traditional golf and redefining the sport for a new generation of golfers" T36 Golf Co-Founders David Hinkle and Rio Valeriano join host Colin Weston to share how their "Double Loop" design delivers a full 18-hole game experience with a smaller environmental footprint and shorter playtime.
Click to listen >> CREATING A NEW TYPE OF GOLF

Episode 2
Tyler Simmons - CEO and Founder of BucketGolf
"Seeing my roommate throw his clothes into his pop-up laundry hamper, I realized that I should instead make retractable pop-up buckets which cut our product cost almost in half." Tyler Simmons - CEO and Founder of BucketGolf shares how they have created a portable, fun golf game that anyone can enjoy almost anywhere.
Click to listen >> TURNING A HOMEMADE GOLF GAME INTO A GLOBAL BUSINESS VENTURE

Episode 3
Nick Darby - UK non-profit Get Golfing
"It was such a shame seeing all these beautiful golf courses going downhill. So our job is to save as many courses as we can to keep golf flourishing." - Nick Darby with UK non-profit Get Golfing shares how they are on a mission to revolutionize the golfing experience.
Click to listen >> A NON-PROFIT ON A MISSION TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE GOLFING EXPERIENCE

Episode 4
Jared Solomon - CEO of Five Iron Golf
"It doesn't matter that we made a million dollar mistake, let's keep moving forward and learn as we go". Jared Solomon - CEO of Five Iron Golf joins host Colin Weston to share how four co-founders built a successful indoor golf entertainment business starting from the back room of a Manhattan men's clothing store.
Click to listen >> LEARN BY DOING AND JUST KEEP MOVING FORWARD

Episode 5
Carolin Pinegger - "The Golf Pitch Challenge"
"I felt like I was treading water and not because I wasn't working hard enough. I was doing my very best and wasn't getting where I wanted to be. I needed to pivot and change!" Golf entrepreneur and Ex-Pro Golfer Carolin Pinegger shares her personal story and latest collaborative venture: The "Shark Tank for Golf Innovators" called The Golf Pitch Challenge.
Click to listen >> EMBRACE CHANGE TO FUEL ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS

Episode 6
Ann Liguori - Author of "Life On The Green"
To celebrate her recent book "Life on the green - lessons and wisdom from legends in golf" host Colin Weston creates a game show called "Who Said That??" to test Ann's ability to recall quotes from the dozen stories told. We hope you like this fun and inspiring episode as much as we enjoyed making it!
Click to listen >> TAKING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL APPROACH TO BUILD A CAREER IN SPORT JOURNALISM

Episode 7
Igor Vainshtein - Founder GolfTrak.app
Entrepreneur Igor Vainshtein joins us to share his incredible journey that started when his parents immigrated to Australia from the former USSR with $200 and no English skills whatsoever. We discuss the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and Igor's passion to constantly innovate and create products that customers want.
Click to listen >> EMBRACING LESSONS: WISDOM GAINED FROM FAILURE

Episode 8
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SYNTHETIC TURF
Known initially by names such as AstroTurf, ModSod and Artificial Turf, we explore the origins of synthetic sport surfacing with a focus on applications in the golf industry. Host Colin Weston speaks with subject matter experts Bob Johnston (Principal, JSA Sport Architecture) and Jeffery McDaniel (Synthetic Turf International) to uncover the history and explore the future of this multi-billion dollar industry.
Click to listen >> A BRIEF HISTORY OF SYNTHETIC TURF

Episode 9
Tim Briand - Foresight Sports
So how do golf launch monitors work and what is the technology behind them? Tim Briand with Foresight Sports joins host Colin Weston for an engaging and in-depth conversation about the massive growth in the launch monitor sector for both the professional player on the range and the recreational player having fun in a golf simulator.
Click to listen >> TECH-DRIVEN PRODUCTS THAT BOTH TRAIN AND ENTERTAIN

Episode 10
Kevin Carpenter - The GratiDude / Grateful 4 Golf
"I am perfectly content helping one person at a time, as every ripple makes a wave". Kevin Carpenter, aka The GratiDude joins us to share the impactful work he takes on through his Grateful 4 Golf non-profit program and his discovery of "The superpower of meditation".
Click to listen >> SHARING AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

Episode 11
Jeff Nicholson - VertaCat Mobility Riders
Stand tall, roam free, and “Stand and play the VertaCat way”. Jeff Nicholson joins host Colin Weston to share how their 70 year old manufacturing company saw an opportunity to give back to the sport they love by creating the VertaCat all-terrain mobility rider for paraplegic athletes.
Click to listen >> "THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE MY LIFE!"

Episode 12
Barney Adams - Adams Golf Founder / CEO of Breakthrough Golf Technology
We are joined by golf industry icon and entrepreneurial legend Barney Adams, who shares the trials, tribulations and successes he has encountered over his career that spans more than five decades. This episode provides you with lessons learned, key takeaways and nuggets of wisdom from one of golf's most successful entrepreneurs.
Click to listen >> IF YOU DON'T LOVE IT DON'T DO IT

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: Ann Liguori - award-winning sport’s talk show host, Barney Adams, Founder of Adams Golf and CEO, Breakthrough Golf Technology, Bob Johnston, Principal at JSA Sport Architecture Inc., Carolin Pinegger - CEO of David Leadbetter Entrerprises / The Golf Pitch Challenge / Online Golf Coach, David Hinkle - Co-Founder and Principal at T36 Golf, Igor Vainshtein - Founder of GolfTrak.app, Jared Solomon, CEO and Co-Founder of Five Iron Golf, Jeffrey McDaniel - Global Director of Business Development at Synthetic Turf International, Jeffrey Nicholson - Chief Marketing Officer with VertaCat, Kevin Carpenter, Coach, Teacher and The GratiDude / Grateful 4 Golf, Nick Darby - Golf Retail Sales Manager at Get Golfing, Rio Valeriano - Co-Founder and Principal at T36 Golf, Tim Briand - Director Of Business Development at Foresight Sports, and Tyler Simmons - CEO and Founder of BucketGolf.

A Brief History of Synthetic Turf

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 13:30:00 -0700

Over the past seven years I have interviewed almost 200 golf industry innovators to bring you stories around the future of the game. But on this episode we're going to try something different. As an entrepreneur myself, I'm always pushing to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. I enjoy documentary-style podcasts and have been looking to create one, but couldn't decide on what story to tell. I recently realized that the story was right under my nose - or more accurately, right under my feet.

While in Sarasota Florida I was invited to PopStroke, which is a fun and challenging 36 hole mini golf entertainment experience. I was impressed by the quality of the synthetic greens, fringe and rough and it got me thinking about the origins of artificial turf. I wanted to learn the why, when and how synthetic turf came to be, along with the evolution of the materials and fabrication techniques over the past six decades.

So who invented this product and why? Artificial sports turf was first brought to fame when used in the Astrodome in 1966, a newly-built stadium in Houston Texas. AstroTurf – a short-pile synthetic turf – was installed because they were struggling to maintain their natural grass field due to a lack of sunlight. For most of the 1965 major league baseball season, the Astros played on green-painted dirt and dead grass and were desperate for an alternative.

The stadium owners and engineers needed a solution quickly, so they decided to try out a grass substitute made of artificial fibers called ChemGrass. The product was first used at Moses Brown School in Rhode Island in 1964 and became popular quickly. Today, the brand is known as AstroTurf and is manufactured in over 60 countries around the world.

But AstroTurf is only part of the story. Since I am no expert in the world of synthetic turf, I reached out to a couple of people who are to fill in the missing pieces to this puzzle. I asked Jeffrey McDaniel - Global Director of Business Development at Synthetic Turf International and architect Bob Johnston, who specializes in designing high performance sport surfacing to help us understand the origins and future of synthetic turf.

Have a look at the Synthetic Turf International website and you can also learn more about Bob Johnston and Jeffrey McDaniel on their bio pages.

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

We want to thank Golf Genius Software who have supported 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.

Special Guests: Bob Johnston, Principal at JSA Sport Architecture Inc. and Jeffrey McDaniel - Global Director of Business Development at Synthetic Turf International.

Embracing Lessons: Wisdom Gained from Failure - Igor Vainshtein, Founder of GolfTrak.app

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 16:30:00 -0700

"It was a simulator venue that had six bays with lessons and it was going out of business. In the building I worked in there was a space for lease on the ground level. We ended up buying the business and moved it there for five years. An Indoor Golf Centre with 10 bays, an indoor bunker, massive putting green, a bar and a cafe. It did okay but the rent we were paying was huge so in the end we have to get out of there."

"Shortly after that I had an idea to pivot. 24-hour gyms were really booming in Australia at the time. Why don't we have a 24-hour golf simulator place where you can go and practice anytime? We built two bays and it did well. Then I opened a second venue and that one nosedived and just blew up. I closed it down, lost a lot of money with the four simulators that I had there. I put them on Facebook Marketplace and they sold in a week. I'm like "hmm, this is interesting." So I bought five more simulators to sell. Why am I busting my chops with these venues when I can just bring them in, sell them, make my money and never hear from the customer again? It was great. I pivoted the business. Ended up closing down my second venue and just went completely e-commerce." ... Igor Vainshtein

"At the time it is horrendous. It feels horrible to lose a ton of money. I lost my money, I lost my parents money, which I borrowed from them and they had to bail me out again. It was embarrassing and as you are going through that pain, it's very difficult to see how you will come out of it. But if you're a true entrepreneur, perseverance and grit, you may not know how you're going to get there. But you've got to believe that you will get there. That's part of the job as an entrepreneur to find the "how". But if you don't believe that you'll get the you will never get there."

You can also learn more about Igor and connect on his bio page. And download the GolfTrak App for free at the Apple App Store for iPhone. https://golftrak.app

"I had extremely disastrous blow ups in my career. Moments where I thought there's no way I'm coming back from this. But if I look back now, I wouldn't change a thing because all those little "sliding doors moments" is why I'm here today. And I didn't go through the pain, maybe I wouldn't be able to appreciate the things and I would take things for granted and I wouldn't have the fun and the joy that I get out of life these days. For anyone who's experiencing that who's in that pain right now, I would say "You just don't know". There's a phrase "that it's gonna be alright in the end and if it's not alright, it's not the end."

Episode Chapters
02:40: How and when Igor took her first golf swing and who introduced him to the game
04:40: The story of Igor's family immigrating from the USSR to Melbourne Austrailia
06:20: Igor's early days as an entrepreneur and the experiences that have shaped his approach to life
08:15: Igor's return to golf and the creation of his 24-7 Golf venture
15:00: How a phone call with GOLFTEC CEO Joe Assel over the brand name grew over time into a flourishing collaborative partnership
18:00: The virtue of failure and how to learn from the experience and move on
22:00: We learn about the GolfTrak App, a "golf simulator in your pocket"
25:10: The camera technology and frame rate required to accurately track ball flight data
30:00: The business model behind GolfTrak App and the customer segment they appeal to
33:20: The GolfTrak App customer acquisition strategy
38:35: Igor shares his experience at the Golf Pitch Challenge and Mastermind Event in Orlando

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: Igor Vainshtein - Founder of GolfTrak.app.

Embrace Change To Fuel Entrepreneurial Success - Carolin Pinegger, The Golf Pitch Challenge

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 08 May 2024 06:30:00 -0700

Calling all golf entrepreneurs! Do you have a golf venture our product that you need help getting to the next level? Even if you're at the idea stage, our guest Carolin Pinegger is looking for you to join them for the next Golf Pitch Challenge and Mastermind event October 7-9 2024 in Miami Florida.

On this fast-paced, engaging episode we learn about Carolin's not-so-straight-line in golf and business to arrive at the place she is along her entrepreneurial journey.

"I wanted to pivot, to change and people that are too planned will have a hard time succeeding because you have to fail fast and you have fail forward and you have to pivot and you have to change and sometimes you even have to change before we really see the reason why you have to change. I felt like I was treading water and it most certainly wasn't because I was working hard enough. I was doing my very best and I wasn't getting where I wanted to be. And then I said "I need a change!" ... Carolin Pinegger

We want to welcome our new Episode Presenting Partner Synthetic Turf International!

Synthetic Turf International - also known as STI - is the industry’s premier producer and supplier of high-quality, natural-looking grass products for residential and commercial applications, both indoors and out.

I have collaborated on projects and ventures with STI for over 10 years through my Sport Entertainment company, so I have seen first hand how innovative, passionate, and creative they are.

If you are considering an artificial landscaped grass lawn, a putting green, golf tee lines and hitting mats, a synthetic sports field, playground turf or a dog park, then I highly recommend STI for your next project. And all of STI's grass products are crafted completely in-house and proudly made in America.

To learn more about the endless synthetic turf application and installation possibilities that Synthetic Turf International has to offer, contact them at synthetic-turf.com.

"My dad was a serial offender in entrepreneurship. He has the right amount of crazy in him. Every entrepreneur needs that. To be misunderstood much more than anybody else who isn't an entrepreneur can tolerate. That's something that a lot of entrepreneurs need to hear. If you want to make it big, if you want to be an entrepreneur, you have to be ready to be criticized. You have to be ready to be misunderstood much much more than the general public because they don't want to put themselves in that situation. That's why they will never be entrepreneurs. It's just not up their alley and that is fine. There are different requirements for entrepreneurs than for somebody who isn't."

You can also learn more about Carolin and connect on her bio page.

The Golf Pitch Challenge & Mastermind Event
Do you have a new golf product or service venture that you want to take to the next level, even if it's only at the idea phase? If you do, we encourage you to apply for and attend the next Golf Pitch Challenge October 7-9 2024 in Miami Florida. Register now at https://golfpitchchallenge.com or email Carolin at c.pinegger90@gmail.com

At The 2024 PGA Show host Colin Weston recorded six conversations with golf industry innovators on the Show Floor Media Stage. First up was Carolin Pinegger, CEO at David Leadbetter Enterprises.

Carolin discusses the Golf Pitch Challenge that took place at the show, where six golf startups pitched to a panel of judges that included David Leadbetter and Shark Tank's Kevin Harrington.

The winning venture was The Grip Caddie https://gripcaddie.com who won $10,000 in consulting and partnership services.

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: Carolin Pinegger - CEO of David Leadbetter Entrerprises / The Golf Pitch Challenge / Online Golf Coach.

Learn By Doing And Just Keep Moving Forward - Jared Solomon, CEO and Co-Founder of Five Iron Golf

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0700

"We made a million-dollar mistake on the build-out. We thought plumbing could work one way. It couldn't. It's tough for a company that was started with the money that we had at the time, but you make those mistakes and move on, learn from it and don't dwell on it."

Jared's Five Iron Golf story begins in early 2015 with Mike Doyle teaching simulator lessons in the back of a men’s clothing store in midtown Manhattan. As the demand for Mike’s lessons grew throughout 2015 and 2016, Mike and student Jared started dreaming about an indoor facility where Mike could teach more lessons and golfers could work to improve their games — all while flipping standard golf culture on its head and appealing to everyone.

We want to welcome our new Episode Presenting Partner Synthetic Turf International!

I have collaborated on projects and ventures with STI for over 10 years through my Sport Entertainment company, so I have seen first hand how innovative, passionate, and creative they are.

Speaking of Synthetic Turf International clients, Five Iron Golf has installed their turf products in the majority of their venues.

To learn more about the endless synthetic turf application and installation possibilities that Synthetic Turf International has to offer, contact them at synthetic-turf.com.

"At our Las Vegas location we originally had a putting green in the center. We realized that nobody wanted a putting green. And so we put in shuffleboard. Nobody wanted shuffleboard and we put in the high top tables where people could just drink and were like, "Okay, this is what people want". And I like to believe that I've cultivated the spirit with the other Founders that it doesn't matter what happened, let's move forward. We're literally inventing a concept over here. The best thing that we can do is test and fail, test and fail and move forward and take everything that we've learned and hopefully use those for the franchises and our own future corporate stores and do the best that we can."

Episode Chapters
03:20: How and when Jared was introduced to golf
04:40: The Five Iron Golf origin story. Spoiler: it involves hitting balls in the back of a Manhattan men's clothing store!
07:15: Jared explains how he and the three other co-founders mustered up the courage to launch Five Iron Golf
10:10: The story behind the first Five Iron Golf location opening in mid-town Manhattan
12:50: How Five Iron creates experiences for both the casual and passionate golfer without alienating either one of the groups
16:15: "We want our Five Iron locations to look like modern art museums". Jared discusses their design guidelines and how grafitti art became the focal point for their brand vision
19:10: How Five Iron finds and hires artists to collaborate at each of their venue around the US
20:45: Selection of the Five Iron Golf name and logo design
23:40: How Five Iron scaled from one location to 25 and counting
26:50: Jared's thoughts on starting a company and when to bring in outside investment
28:10: Franchising vs the owership model for venue locations
29:30: Mistakes made along the way and what the leadership team has learned from them
32:50: The power of partnerships and collaborating with golf brands and influencers
34:10: What the future has in store for Five Iron Golf

You can also learn more about Jared on his bio page.

Want to learn more about Five Iron Golf, find out if there's a location near you and to book a fun experience for you and your friends? Have a look at the Five Iron Golf website or email Jared Solomon at jared@fiveirongolf.com

With Mike and Jared clueless as to how to actually execute their grand idea, the final two co-founders, summer camp friends Nora Dunnan and Katherine Solomon (also Jared’s wife) entered the scene. With Nora operating the ship and Katherine navigating through some early legal storms, Five Iron Golf was launched and open for business in mid-2017.

Five Iron has quickly re-shaped Manhattan's golf culture, growing from Mike’s original lesson crew to a re-imagined, high-tech, inclusive urban golf experience for golfers and non-golfers alike. Five Iron is for everyone.

For the serious golfer, Five Iron hosts ten Full Swing simulators, a Trackman lesson studio, four teaching professionals, lessons, club storage, showers, practice time, leagues, 100% top-of-the line clubs to use (complimentary), and in-house club fitting specialists Club Champion.

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: Jared Solomon, CEO and Co-Founder of Five Iron Golf.