The ModGolf Podcast - Episodes Tagged with “Topgolf”

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!

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.

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

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.

"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.

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.

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

Using Customer Feedback To Deliver Exceptional Value - Nick Longley, Co-Founder at Inrange

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 09:15:00 -0700

"Within 15 minutes of showing a driving range owner a video of what it could be they said, "Right, yeah, we're in. We'll happily be your early adopter". And once they came on as early adopters we spent hours and hours of time on the range, interviewing people showing them designs, showing them prototypes and getting push back." - Nick Longley, Co-Founder at Inrange Golf
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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

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"We got to the point with our first mobile implementation that we had to run competitions just to get people to even log in and play it. But what Declan the owner of Greenwich said to me early on was, "I'm not interested in this mobile thing. I want screens and I want games". And over time we realized that people don't like paying for apps, but put a beautiful touchscreen in their bay with this fantastic augmented training experience and they will happily pay a premium to play and they'll feel like it's for free."

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

You can also connect with Nick on his bio page, along with checking out the Inrange website.

                                        ______________________________________________

On this episode Colin and Nick discuss the concept of the Technology Adoption Curve and where Inrange Golf currently sits on it.

Nick also references "Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products" by Nir Eyal, which is a book that has helped Inrange develop their game and experience design strategy.

Special Guest: Nick Longley - Co-Founder at Inrange® Golf.

SEASON 10 WRAP-UP / SEASON 11 PREVIEW

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 21:00:00 -0800

That's a wrap for Season 10 of The ModGolf Podcast! Our team is currently working on your next twelve episodes for Season 11, which launches early January 2022. 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.

If you didn’t get the chance to listen to all of our twelve Season 10 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 one you enjoyed the most and why you liked them!

Our Season 10 guests were:

Episode 1
Kelly Hunt - Founder of GolfHers (with guest host Dr. Greta Anderson)
Click to listen >> INSPIRING WOMEN TO BUILD A CAREER IN THE GOLF INDUSTRY

Episode 2
Matt Fisher - Creator of the Mr. Short Game YouTube Channel
Click to listen >> EMBRACING A “GIVE FIRST” ATTITUDE TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS

Episode 3
Bryan Crawford - RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director
Click to listen >> THE COURAGE TO INNOVATE DURING TUMULTUOUS TIMES

Episode 4
Tom Cox - Co-Founder and DEO of Golfballs.com
Click to listen >> HOW TO TURN YOUR "AHA MOMENT" INTO A SCALEABLE BUSINESS VENTURE

Episode 5
Lisa O'Hurley - CEO and Founder of LOHLA SPORT
Click to listen >> LOOKING OUTSIDE THE GOLF BOX TO BUILD A PREMIUM GOLF BRAND

Episode 6
Tommy Southworth - President and COO of Southworth Development
Click to listen >> PIVOTING YOUR BUSINESS MODEL TO UNLOCK NEW CUSTOMER VALUE

Episode 7
Ron Powers - Head of Swing Suite Division at Full Swing Simulators
Click to listen >> MASTERING THE ART OF "NIMBLE AMNESIA"

Episode 8
Chris Noble - PGA of America Manager for Nextgengolf's National High School Golf Association
Click to listen >> SWING YOUR SWING AND PLAY YOUR GAME

Episode 9
Marc Simon - Event Vice President at PGA Golf Exhibitions
Click to listen >> TRANSFORMING THE GOLF EVENT BUSINESS DURING TUMULTUOUS TIMES

Episode 10
Jeehae Lee - Co-Founder and CEO of Sportsbox.ai
Click to listen >> THE JOURNEY FROM PRO ATHLETE TO SPORT TECH ENTREPRENEUR

Episode 11
Agustín Pizá - Founder and Architect at Pizá Golf Design
Click to listen >> HARNESSING THE POWER OF DESIGN TO REINVENT GOLF EXPERIENCES

Episode 12
Arjun Chowdri - Chief Innovation Officer with The PGA of America
Click to listen >> LOOKING OUTSIDE GOLF TO INNOVATE THE INDUSTRY AND GAME

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: Agustín Pizá - Founder and Architect with Pizá Golf Design, Arjun Chowdri - Chief Innovation & Administrative Officer at The PGA of America, Bryan Crawford - RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director with Golf Canada, Chris Noble - Nextgengolf’s National High School Golf Association Manager, Jeehae Lee - Co-Founder and CEO at Sportsbox.ai, Kelly Hunt - Founder of GolfHers, Lisa O'Hurley - Founder and CEO of LOHLA SPORT, Marc Simon - Event Vice President for PGA Golf Exhibitions / RX Reed Exhibitions, Matt Fisher, Creator of The Mr. Short Game YouTube channel, Ron Powers - Head of Swing Suite Division at Full Swing Simulators, Tom Cox - Founder & CEO of Golfballs.com, and Tommy Southworth - President and COO of Southworth Development.

Mastering The Art of "Nimble Amnesia" - Ron Powers, Head of Swing Suite Division at Full Swing Simulators

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 23:15:00 -0700

“Out of adversity comes opportunity”... Benjamin Franklin
"A virtue never tested is no virtue at all"... Billy Bragg

What do the photocopier and golf simulator business have in common? Guest Ron Powers connects the dots on this episode of The ModGolf Podcast.

Our very first ModGolf Podcast episode guest back in May 2017 was Ron Powers, who was at the time Chief Digital Officer at Topgolf. Ron joins host Colin Weston again to update us on the last four years of his entrepreneurial journey - from the euphoric high of scaling a new business unit to the crushing low of having it completely shut down by a global pandemic - and how they successfully reimagined a business in order to save it.

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

Want to learn more about Full Swing Simulators and Topgolf Swing Suite? Visit their website to see their portfolio of golf entertainment and training products.

You can learn more about Ron on his bio page.

Show Notes and Ron Quotes
"The future of gambling is Skills-Based Gaming, where you can place a bet on the outcome of your own golf shot performance. I see the evolution of skill gaming and the power of multiple networks coming into play where the user profile, the interconnectivity and the skill gaming components will change the dynamic dramatically."

"I don't think that I'm a particularly patient person but instead have a case of "Nimble Amnesia". I try a lot of things, set certain expectations on what I'm looking to achieve and if it fails I forget about it. Then I move on to the next one."

"So about the middle of July after a lot of sleepless nights, I woke up on a Friday evening just in a cold sweat panic. What is going on? How do I save the business? And I thought, "Gosh, if I could bundle this up and get it out from underneath Topgolf. Is there a way that I could sell this business perhaps to Ryan and allow him to operate it?" He's got the resources. He's got the expertise. He certainly knows the simulator space. It's his technology after all. So I called Ryan that Saturday morning and we crafted a wacky plan to sell the business to Full Swing and let them operate it and then we shared in the revenue that was generated from the current installations. Then we share in the revenue of any new installs. Topgolf liked the fact that we could keep the brand alive, maintain the same level of service and there would be a healthy revenue stream coming out of it and that's what we ended up doing."

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

Creating The Next Generation of Golf Entertainment Experiences - David Grieshaber, Gamerz Golf

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 08:00:00 -0800

How do you create new value in the expanding $10 billion golf entertainment sector? Our host Colin Weston sits down with entrepreneur, investor and Gamerz Golf CIO David Grieshaber to learn they are combining mobile gaming, user experience design, augmented reality, environmental sustainability, eSports and architectural design to create the next generation of Golf Entertainment Centers.

"Where I see this market going is the games will become more video game-like, they’ll become episodal, iterative, level based and more addictive. All the venues currently in market have taken the model of a driving range or golf game and tried to create a video game built upon that. Where we differ is that we’re in the heart of Xbox, PlayStation and mobile game land. We’re going with that direction. We’re going to take video game quality, PS4, PS5 type of games and downgrade them to become driving range games. That will be a major differentiator in what we are doing with the technology."

"You can hit the ball and look up as the ball is flying through the air you’d see a tracer following it as it lands in a target and you see explosions everywhere with points flying up in the air. So that is what’s called a “Glasses-less AR (augmented reality) experience”. That’s the direction I think is coming to this scenario in the future and what we’ve been working on as a solution for several years."

Click on the image below to check out our extended conversation with David on our Youtube Channel!
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To learn more about Gamerz Golf, visit their website >> http://Gamerz.Golf

Enter our latest #ModGolfGiveaway Contest to win an Edison Wedge!

Sign up to our newsletter (https://modgolf.fireside.fm/subscribe) to enter for a chance to win an Edison Wedge. You choose the loft, shaft type and grip to customize it to your liking!

You can also enter the contest by subscribing to The ModGolf YouTube channel and leaving the comment "Enter me in The #ModGolfGiveaway Contest!" for the Edison Wedges ModGolf Product Review video.
Contest closes at 11pm ET Friday December 11 2020.

Special Guest: David Grieshaber - CIO at Gamerz Golf.

Creating New Golf Markets That Make The Competition Irrelevant - Renée Mauborgne / Blue Ocean Strategy

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 12:15:00 -0700

“I think those pain points in all areas of golf are tremendous opportunities to rethink the industry in many exciting ways"

To kick off Season 6 our host Colin Weston speaks to Professor Renée Mauborgne, co-author of the best-selling business books Blue Ocean Strategy and Blue Ocean Shift. Renée provides a masterclass on how golf industry businesses and organizations can capture new demand, find new customers and make the competition irrelevant.

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 Renée and Colin cover a wide range of golf industry topics including:
• How non-golf oganizations like Cirque de Soleil, Airbnb and Apple have applied Blue Ocean Strategy to their success.
• How you can shift your organization from competing to creating with tools and a framework in a risk-minimizing way.
• If you want to create a blue ocean, you can’t look at what people are doing in your competitive set. You need to look outside to understand how to shift what you do to creat new value.

To learn more about how Blue Ocean Strategy has unlocked new growth in the golf industry, read Colin's blog post "Turning Green Fairways Into Blue Oceans".

Renée speaks about how successful companies have created new products/services/experiences that appeal to the ocean of "non-customers" that both Topgolf and Cirque de Soleil have captured. Rather than competing over the existing customers your industry fights over, Blue Ocean Strategy allows you to attact a much bigger audience found in the "Three tiers of non-customers".

To learn more about Blue Ocean Strategy, visit their website at https://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/

Special Guest: Renée Mauborgne - Co-author of Blue Ocean Strategy and Blue Ocean Shift.

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.

BONUS Episode: Season 4 Wrap Up / Season 5 Preview

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 15:00:00 -0700

Well, that's a wrap for Season 4 of The ModGolf Podcast! Our passionate team of content creators are feverishly working on your next twelve episodes for Season 5, which launches on October 31. 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.

We are very proud to state that we met our personal goal to have women on as at least half of our Season Four episode. We managed to achieve this goal just as our friends at WE ARE GOLF and The LPGA Women's Network announced their #inviteHER campaign to introduce new women to the game of golf. We will continue to tell golf startup and innovation stories from a women's perspective as the golf industry starts to unlock the underserved female market segment and the massive business potential it holds.

If you didn’t get the chance to listen to all of our twelve Season 4 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

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

Our Season 4 guests were:

Episode 1
National Golf Day 2018
Letting Washington Know About Golf's $84 Billion Annual Economic Impact

Episode 2
Gianna Rojas / Founder, Adaptive Golfers
Giving The Gift of Golf: Passionately Advocating For Golfers of All Abilities

Episode 3
Engage. Empower. Support. - Stories from Women's Golf Day 2018
Covering Women's Golf Day from Fraserview GC in Vancouver BC Canada

Episode 4
Jennifer Poth / Operation Military Support Golf
Reviving The Golf Courses That Revitalize Our Heroes

Episode 5
Jay Karen / CEO of The National Golf Course Owners Association
Innovating and Advocating For A Vibrant Golf Industry

Episode 6
Aimee Cho
"Golf With Aimee" YouTube Golf Instructor and Social Media Influencer

Episode 7
RISE WITH US.
Stories From The Special Olympics USA Games Golf Event

Episode 8
Rhett Evans
CEO of The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

Episode 9
Michael Breed
Embracing Resilience and Gratitude to Shape His Approach to Golf and Life

Episode 10
KINONA
Shaping An Innovative Approach For Women’s Golf Apparel

Episode 11
Donna Hoffman / Founder and President, Women on Course

Episode 12
Innovation Stories From The Las Vegas PGA Fashion & Demo Experience

Special Guests: Aimee Cho - Golf Instruction YouTube Star on "Golf With Aimee", Clint Sanchez - Executive Director, The First Tee of Greater Washington, DC, Dianne Celuch - Co-Founder and CEO of KINONA women's golf apparel, Donna Hoffman - Founder and President, Women On Course, Elisa Gaudet - Founder of Women's Golf Day, Gianna Rojas, aka: The "One Handed Lady Golfer" - Founder of Adaptive Golfers, Jay Karen - CEO, The National Golf Course Owners Association, Jennifer Poth - Founder and CEO, Operation Support Military Golf, Joanne Cloak - CEO and Founder, JoFit, Lewis Myers - Commissioner of The Congressional Golf Association, Megan Coburn - Founder & CEO, ParTee Golf, Michael Breed - Host of "A New Breed of Golf" on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, Rhett Evans, CEO of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, Rich Katz - Katz Strategy, Steve Jubb, PGA - CEO/Executive Director of The National Alliance for Accessible Golf, Steve Mona - CEO of The World Golf Foundation, Tami Fujii - Co-Founder of KINONA women's golf apparel, and Tom Monaghan - President, Monaghan Golf Group.

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.

Innovating and Advocating For A Vibrant Golf Industry - Jay Karen / The National Golf Course Owners Association

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 21:30:00 -0700

On this week's episode, host Colin Weston speaks with The National Golf Course Owners Association CEO Jay Karen, whose Non-Profit Organization is dedicated to innovatively growing the business for the golf course owners they represent.

Episode Highlights
• Jay shares his early love affair with golf, along with the purpose and mandate of The NGCOA.
• We learn the history of The NGCOA and how the organization has organically evolved over time.
• The NGCOA's involvement in the creation of Golf 20/20, WE ARE GOLF and National Golf Day, along with help removing golf from the federal government's "Sin List".
• The value of National Golf Day to help educate legislators on the importance of golf as a $84 billion / year industry.
• NGCOA's mandate to plan and stage events such as The Golf Business Golf Tech Con in Las Vegas and The Golf Industry Show.
• How The NGCOA reconciles the complexity of pursuing environmental sustainabilitiy practices with a sound golf operation business model.
• How enabling data-collecting technology helps golf course operators make better maintanence decisions.
• Jay shares how The NGCOA supports adaptive golf to enable more people with disabilities access and enjoy the game.
• Jay's look into the golf crystal ball to tell us what he thinks the game will look like twenty years from now.

Jay Karen and World Golf Foundation CEO Steve Mona at The 2018 National Golf Day press conference

Special Guest: Jay Karen - CEO, The National Golf Course Owners Association.

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.

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/

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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If you love golf, we have exclusive deals on golf gear and services that we use and support! We launched The ModGolf Pro Shop to offer you - our ModGolfers - 10-20% OFF exclusive discounts using promo code MODGOLF. We have curated a diverse selection of awesome brands like KINONA, deWiz Golf, ODIN Golf, Back2Basics Golf, Deuce and Project72Golf to help you play better and look great while doing it. CLICK TO SHOP AND SAVE.

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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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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.

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.

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

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 21:00:00 -0700

On this week's episode of The ModGolf Podcast, host Colin Weston sits down with Topgolf Media President YuChiang Cheng to learn how his team is tasked with striking the balance between rapid physical and technological expansion while conveying the consistent message that speaks to the quality, culture and purpose of their brand.

Topgolf now has 41 US venues that served over 13 million customers in 2017...and growing. They are expanding globally, starting with Australia, Mexico, Canada and Dubai, along with bringing to market complimentary products, services and experiences.

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

Topgolf Media has been entrusted to not only tell the Topgolf story, but to create innovative brand-extending content such as Topgolf Tour, Chef Showdown, The Hook and the In Focus series. Topgolf Media also helps facilitate new market growth with products such as Topgolf Swing Suites, TopTracer, TopTracer Range and Topgolf Crush.

YuChiang shares how his personal entrepreneurial journey of experimentation, curiosity and the occasional failure has shaped his leadership style that encourages staff members to embrace a startup mindset that looks for new opportunities to make things better.

Some of YuChiang's podcast picks (after The ModGolf Podcast, of course):

Freakonomics

Hidden Brain: A Conversation About Life's Unseen Patterns

This American Life

Special Guest: YuChiang Cheng - President, Topgolf Media.

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!

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.

Grow The Game By Taking It A Little Less Seriously - Shane Bacon / FOX Sports

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 01:00:00 -0700

Shane offers a broad base of knowledge and understanding of golf, having been involved with the game in a variety of capacities. In 2006, he spent the summer working as a caddie at the historic St. Andrews links course in Scotland and also later caddied in tournament events for LPGA tour professionals Irene Cho and the late Erica Blasberg. A low-single-digit handicap player, he also competed on the mini-tour circuit for a short time between 2007 and 2008.

Shane also hosts his weekly podcast "The Clubhouse With Shane Bacon". We highly recommend giving it a listen (after you've binge-listened to every single ModGolf Podcast episode, of course).

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

Bacon began his coverage of the sport as a writer for the AOL FanHouse website in 2008. He held that position until 2010 when he began contributing to the Yahoo Sports Devil Ball Golf blog and later accepted a full-time writing position for the CBS’ Eye on Golf blog in 2011. In 2012, he assumed editor duties for the Yahoo Devil Ball site, penning columns, conducting interviews with tour professionals, covering tournament action and producing video content, while also planning the blog’s editorial calendar and overall content strategy. In 2014, he made his first foray into television, joining DirecTV’s upstart “Back9Network,” a golf and lifestyle cable channel, as an on-air personality. During his time with Back9, he co-hosted the show, “The Turn” from the channel’s Connecticut studios.

An experienced digital scribe and former mini-tour competitor, Shane Bacon is now a golf reporter for FOX Sports. In his dynamic role, Bacon serves as an on-course contributor during the network’s digital presentations of all eight USGA Championships, including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, and U.S. Senior Open, in addition to producing columns and videos throughout the year for FOXSports.com.

On this episode Shane and Colin talk about:
• Shane's early days as a sports blogger and his first time is front of the camera at Back9 Network.
• his 'big break' opportunity to join the FOX Sports Golf team.
• why Shane had to "had to readjust my thinking about golf" when considering the future of the game.
• European Tour CEO Keith Pelley's Golf Sixes, match play and team events.
• how other sports love the underdog but golf fans do not.
• what young people think about Tiger Woods.
• the innovative culture at FOX Sports that gives their golf staff the creative freedom to experiment.
• that people need to remind themselves golf is an escape and we play to get away from everyday life.
• Shane's desire to publish a golf game pamphlet (Shane’s Games perhaps?) as a fun, social alternative to 18 hole stroke play.

Special Guest: Shane Bacon - FOX Sports Golf Reporter.

"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

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: 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

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

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.

BONUS: Season One Wrap Up / Season Two Preview

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 15:30:00 -0700

After taking off the month of August to recharge our batteries and develop our second season, we're excited to back in mid September with a new round of compelling stories and inspirational interviews from our guests.

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

Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone To Create Amazing Experiences - Ron Powers / Topgolf

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 08 May 2017 23:15:00 -0700

Topgolf has created the "convenient and fun delivery system for golf" that eliminates all the barriers to entry the game has suffered from for decades. No complaints of "too slow, too expensive, too hard to learn" at a Topgolf venue. Topgolf has created an entertainment experience that combines hospitality, music, food and drinks with their unique target-based gameplay format that appeals to both the beginner and veteran golfers of all ages.

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!

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