The ModGolf Podcast - Episodes Tagged with “Usga”

The Power of a Growth Mindset - Joe Assell, Co-Founder/CEO at GOLFTEC

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 13:00:00 -0800

From the episode of The ModGolf Podcast featuring Joe Assell, CEO of GOLFTEC, here are three key takeaways that you will discover:

1 Embracing a Growth Mindset: Joe emphasizes the importance of a growth mindset within GOLFTEC's culture, which has been crucial for their innovation and expansion over the past 30 years. This mindset not only drives the company to continuously improve its offerings but also fosters inclusivity, allowing them to reach a broader audience in the golf community.

2 Evolution of Golf Technology: The podcast delves into the fascinating history and evolution of golf technology, highlighting how GOLFTEC has adapted and integrated new advancements. Joe discusses the transition from traditional methods to modern, data-driven approaches, including the use of their proprietary OptiMotion technology, which measures thousands of data points in a golfer's swing.

3 Future Trends in Golf: Joe shares insights on the future of golf technology, including the increasing role of mobile applications and remote coaching. He discusses the upcoming launch of GOLFTEC Anywhere, which aims to provide golf lessons and coaching through smartphones, making the game more accessible and engaging for players everywhere.

These takeaways reflect the dynamic nature of the golf industry and GOLFTEC's commitment to enhancing the golfing experience through innovation and community engagement.

If you enjoyed our podcast with Joe, we encourage you to watch our extended conversation on The ModGolf YouTube channel as Joe offers up insightful lessons for innovators looking to navigate the complex and sometimes overwhelming entrepreneurial world. Click on this link or the image below to watch our video FIVE KEY THINGS EVERY ENTREPRENEUR MUST KNOW.

If you would like to connect with Joe, visit his bio page for contact information. To learn more about GOLFTEC and SkyTrak click on the image below to visit their websites.

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.

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... plus you can 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

We want to thank our friends at Golf Genius Software who have supported The ModGolf Podcast since 2019!

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 Guest: Joe Assell - Co-Founder and CEO, GOLFTEC.

Embracing Innovation While Honouring Tradition - Hoyt McGarity, President at 8AM Golf

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 12:15:00 -0800

Are you an innovator who is struggling to a move your venture forward? I get it. I've been there. In this episode you will discover three key entrepreneurial takeaways from guest Hoyt McGarity to help you find clarity and inspiration:

1. Embracing Innovation While Honoring Tradition: Hoyt emphasizes the importance of balancing the rich traditions of golf with innovative practices that can help the sport grow. 8AM Golf aims to support and celebrate golfers through a collection of brands that provide tools and experiences designed to enhance enjoyment on the course. This approach reflects a commitment to making golf more accessible and fun for everyone.

2. The Power of Community and Mentorship: Hoyt shares his personal journey in golf, highlighting the significant influence of mentors like his grandfather and Rick Hartman, who guided him through his early career. This underscores the value of community and mentorship in fostering talent and passion within the sport, which is essential for the next generation of golfers.

3. Strategic Growth Through Synergy: The conversation reveals 8AM Golf's strategic approach to acquisitions and partnerships (like they have with Justin Timberlake and Tiger Woods), focusing on brands that complement their existing portfolio. Hoyt discusses the importance of aligning new ventures with their core values and ensuring they enhance the overall experience for golfers. This strategy not only strengthens their brand but also creates a cohesive ecosystem that benefits all stakeholders involved in the golf industry.

These takeaways reflect Hoyt's entrepreneurial journey and business leadership insights, offering valuable lessons for anyone looking to navigate the entrepreneurial world, particularly in the golf industry. Hoyt's episide showcases the dynamic nature of the golf industry and the innovative strategies being employed to ensure its growth and sustainability.

If you enjoyed our conversation with Hoyt, we encourage you to watch our extended conversation on The ModGolf YouTube channel as Hoyt offers up insightful lessons for innovators looking to navigate the complex and sometimes overwhelming entrepreneurial world. Click on this link or the image below to watch our video FIVE KEY THINGS EVERY ENTREPRENEUR MUST KNOW.

If you would like to connect with Hoyt, visit his bio page for contact information. To learn more about 8AM Golf and the companies they own click on the image below to visit their website.

Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... plus you can 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: Hoyt McGarity - President at 8AM Golf.

If You Don't Love It Don't Do It - Barney Adams, Founder of Adams Golf and CEO, Breakthrough Golf Technology

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 11:00:00 -0700

"In my mind, you don't design golf clubs, you design clubs for hitting a particular shot"... Barney Adams, Founder of Adams Golf Tight Lies Fairway Woods and CEO, 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 episodes provides you with lessons learned, key takeaways and nuggets of wisdom from one of golf's most successful entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

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

"I had made the decision: "I'm all in!" We inherited desks with the company purchase and we owned this metal building in a field. So I grabbed a desk, opened the lower left-hand drawer and it was full of paper. The top page was a Demand Notice and it turned out that the employees had not paid any bills and had squandered all the income. Not only did I not have the money I thought I had to get started, I was six figures in the hole at 5:30 in the morning. That was my opening day.

And I tell people that story because if you're not a nut case, passionate, over the top, you've got no chance. Then I thought "okay, how do we get a handle on this?" I'm going to write a letter to the people I owe money to tell them what happened and that I'm going to pay them but just not now. That was the first week of starting my own business." ... Barney Adams, Founder of Adams Golf and CEO, Breakthrough Golf Technology

A Bit About Barney
Barney started Adams Golf in 1988. He specialized in custom fitted golf clubs. The company rapidly expanded after the explosive success of the Tight Lies Fairway Woods. Adams Golf was selected as Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young. Barney also received the Ernie Sabayrac Award for lifetime contribution to the golf industry by the PGA of America. Barney served as Chairman of the Board of Adams Golf until June 2012 when Taylor Made purchased the company.

He an avid golfer and fisherman and active with two charities, The Ryan Foundation and Folds of Honor. Adams book, The WOW Factor, is an insiders look at the golf industry and offers business advice to entrepreneurs.

Barney has always had the unique ability to see what is missing in golf equipment. He started Breakthrough Golf Technology after seeing that no significant innovation has been made putter shafts for decades.

You can also find out more about Barney on his bio page.

Want to learn about Breakthrough Golf Technology and their innovative shaft designs? Have a look at the BGT website for more.

We want to thank our partner British Columbia Golf for presenting this episode of The ModGolf Podcast!

British Columbia Golf's main goal is to create a sport that is accessible and inclusive. They strive to create a golf environment that is respectful of participant's personal goals and is free from all forms of maltreatment. As a provincial arm of Golf Canada, British Columbia Golf supports women golfers and players of all ages and abilities, while continually working to improve partner relationships to increase participation in the sport.

If you're looking to plan your next amazing golf trip, British Columbia Golf is the place to explore and book from the over 300 golf courses they support across our beautiful province. To learn about the impact they are making and to discover your next golf adventure, check out their website at www.britishcolumbiagolf.org.

Special Guest: Barney Adams, Founder of Adams Golf and CEO, Breakthrough Golf Technology.

A Non-Profit On a Mission To Revolutionize The Golfing Experience - Nick Darby with Get Golfing

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 22:30:00 -0700

It's funny how random, accidental conversations morph into something special. While returning from The 2024 PGA Show Demo Day in Orlardo on a shuttle bus, host Colin Weston sat beside someone and asked how his day went. That young man was Nick Darby, who was attending on behalf of Get Golfing which is a UK non-profit that acquires and revitalizes distressed golf properties. After an engaging bus ride conversation, Colin asked Nick if he would tell the Get Golfing story on The ModGolf Podcast. Fast forward and here we are. We hope you like this inspiring episode as much as we enjoyed making it.

"Here in the UK we have this issue which I don't see too much globally, where lots of our golf courses are either financially suffering while the land value is increasing. So many golf courses are being bought up, slabbed over with cement and housing estates are being built on them. We are on a mission to change this trend."

"So on the charity side of it, we reinvest and try to acquire golf courses that are going under and put money back into them, back into the communities and really get that golf course to prosper."

Big thanks to 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.

"We took over these seven golf courses and we just looked at ourselves and said "Can we actually do this?" We thought "If we don't do this, these golf courses are going to be given to somebody else not necessarily to grow the game of golf." Then we just put our hearts and souls into it."

"It sounds like it's an impossible task because we've only ever operated one golf course to then knowing that we had another golf course that was 300 miles away. It was exhilarating. It was fantastic to go into these golf clubs and say to the staff "You've still got a job, come and work for us. It's going to be fantastic." And then also tell the members of the golf club. "Hey, you're not going anywhere. You're going to stay right here. Your golf course is going to stay open". And that feeling is just incredible and that's why we do what we do. It's because golf is just so important and we owe so much to the game of golf and this is how we give it back".... Nick Darby / Get Golfing

Episode Chapters
03:40: Nick provides an overview of what Get Golfing does and why they do it
05:15: How and when Nick was introduced to golf and who invited him
06:25: The story of the "AHA Moment" and launch of Get Golfing
08:20: How Get Golfing Founder Edward Richardson acquired Redlibbets Golf Club in Kent England
10:15: How during the pandemic Get Golfing went from operating one golf course to seven
13:10: Using Redlibbets GC and the non-profit test case that led to tripling the club membership
30:50: The Festival of Golf... August 2024... 3 day Ladies European Tour Access Series event... includes Night Golf, a Golf Sixes event
32:00: Hosting the first global Ladies Disabled Golf Tournament
39:40: Nick discusses the future of Get Golfing, that includes partnering with innovative technology companies like our show sponsor Golf Genius Software!

FREE membership for ALL junior golfers...2,500 and counting!

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

On this episode Nick shared that their August 2024 "Festival of Golf" weeklong activation will feature a Golf Sixes event. One second ever ModGolf Podcast episode back in 2017 was with then DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley, who talked about their first Golf Sixes event. Click on the image below to listen to this engaging episode.

Want to learn more about the impactful non-profit work Get Golfing takes on, perhaps book a tee time or just hang out at one of their welcoming clubhouses? Have a look at the Go Golfing website or email Nick Darby at nick@getgolfing.org

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

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

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

Special Guest: Nick Darby - Golf Retail Sales Manager at Get Golfing.

Turning a Homemade Golf Game Into a Global Business Venture - Tyler Simmons, Founder of BucketGolf

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 17:00:00 -0700

At the annual PGA Show late January in Orlando I always make a point of taking the 30 minute bus shuttle out to Demo Day to kick the tires of the golf industry's latest equipment at the 360º range facility. The product that really caught my attention had nothing to do with hitting balls across the 400 yard diameter driving range. Off to the side was a compact setup that exuded a fun vibe where people were hitting oversized plastic whiffle balls with an oversized plastic club.... at buckets with flags in them.

This was my introduction to BucketGolf. After playing a quick round I struck up a conversation with Founder and CEO Tyler Simmons to learn about how BucketGolf came to be. Tyler's entrepreneurial journey aligns nicely with the stories we showcase on The ModGolf Podcast, so I had no choice but to invite him to share it with all of us.

"I figured out after looking at my roommate throw his clothes into his pop-up laundry hamper that I should just make pop-up buckets which solved a ton of issues for us. The game became cheaper because the box is much smaller and it cut the price in half. Two years in is when the snowball started rolling down the hill. Once I figured out the social media side, marketing strategy and of how to get the game out there, it all clicked at the same time."... BucketGolf CEO and Founder Tyler Simmons

I discovered BucketGolf and Tyler at the 2024 PGA Show Demo Day, where we created a couple of videos for our ModGolf Instragram. Click on the image to watch and give it a 'Like' and follow us while you're there!

We want to thank our Episode Presenting Partner 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.

You can also learn more about Tyler on his bio page and purchase your own BucketGolf set from their website.

"The hardest part in the beginning was how long it took me to learn how things work. We really didn't see any success for the first two years. I was trying as hard as I could and put everything I had into BucketGolf outside of my regular day job. The biggest insight for me was learning that shipping is very expensive. You need your box to be small. The light bulb moment that took us from "not doing too much in sales for the first couple years to starting to go upward" was the buckets used to be a soft flexible plastic and the box they shipped in was too big."... Tyler Simmons

Episode Chapters
[03:10] How and when Tyler was introduced to golf and who invited him
[04:20] The "AHA moment" that led to the creation of BucketGolf
[06:50] What it's like to play BucketGolf and set up a course
[09:55] Tyler shares stories of the most amazing BucketGolf shots he has seen
[10:50] We learn about the BucketGolf ball and clubs
[12:45] How BucketGolf opens the game up to people who have never played before
[13:40] The story behind coming up with the brand name "BucketGolf"
[14:40] How "BucketGolf Glow" allows people to play at night
[16:30] Tyler discusses why they decided to attend The PGA Show and value it provided
[18:50] BucketGolf's B2B marketing strategy to sell to businesses, schools and organizations
[20:20] Tyler's background and experience before launchnig BucketGolf (hint: he had a lot to learn!)
[21:10] Steps and sequencing Tyler took to design and manufacture the orginal BucketGolf product
[23:00] The design pivot Tyler took that changed the pricing and sales volume for BucketGolf
[25:50] The BucketGolf manufacturing process
[29:00] The Power of Partnerships to accelerate BucketGolf's growth
[31:00] BucketGolf tournaments, events and social media content creation
[32:40] The best user-created BucketGolf courses that Tyler has seen

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: Tyler Simmons - CEO and Founder of BucketGolf.

Find Clarity Through Action - Steve Madden, Co-Founder of Swingtweaks

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 09:15:00 -0700

Colin met Steve Madden at The 2023 PGA Show in Orlando and after hearing his entrepreneurial story over a couple of pints of Guinness we had to invite him on the show to share his experiences with you.

"Five years ago my ex-girlfriend's dad invited me for a round, so I played an 18 hole round at Mountainside golf course. The next day I went and played the par 3 course there which had the massive holes and I became addicted to golf that weekend. When I got back to Calgary, I played three or four rounds next week and then I joined a golf course for the remainder of the season. Once new golfers feel that awesome shot or they hit that really close approach, smash that driver or make a long putt, that addiction really hits you. I made a decision a few years ago that I wanted to create a lifestyle, or a job where I could golf and do my own thing tech-wise. I've had two apps now that revolve around golf and Swingtweaks is the second one."... Steve Madden, Co-Founder of Swingtweaks

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

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Episode Chapters
[03:00] Steve opens the show by sharing his level of play after picking up golf only a couple of years ago. Spoiler alert - his handicap is waaaay lower than Colin's. 😂
[04:20] Steve tells us how a rugby-playing lad from Ireland ended up becoming a tech entrepreneur in Calgary Canada by way of Vietnam.
[05:20] Colin asks Steve to share his first golf experience five years ago and who invited him to try the game.
[06:50] Steve gives us the "Elevator Pitch" for his latest golf venture Swingtweaks.
[09:10] Steve talks about the rise in popularity of golf lesson and training technology ventures such as Sportsbox.ai
[10:05] We learn the back story and AHA moment of Swingtweaks
[12:45] Steve shares business model, user experience, value proposition and customer profiles for Swingtweaks.
[16:40] Colin asks Steve to share how they came up with the name Swingtweaks and the concept of users purchasing "Tweaks".
[18:45] Steve talks about how Swingtweaks generates revenue and how they developed the pricing model cost per "Tweak".
[22:00] Colin asks about the Swingtweaks strategy to acquire new users, retain/engage existing ones and how they incentivize PGA teaching pros to join the platform.
[27:00] Steve shares some stories from satisfied users and the most unexpected places around the world that golfers are using Swingtweaks.
[28:30] We learn about the future plans for Swingtweaks and which markets, countries and languages they look to expand into next.
[30:50] Steve shares some positive user experiences and how they are building community on Instagram and Reddit.
[33:00] Steve offers you - our ModGolfers - 20% OFF your first Swingtweak using promo code MODGOLF.*
*(FYI we don't receive a commision if you buy one! 😎)

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

To learn more and get 20% OFF your first Swingtweak using promo code MODGOLF, check out the Swingtweaks website.

You can also connect with Steve on his bio page.

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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

Special Guest: Steve Madden - Co-Founder of Swingtweaks.

Time is Our Most Precious Commodity - Brian Esposito, Founder/CEO of Esposito Intellectual Enterprises

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0700

Colin met Brian Esposito on a HYPE Sports Innovation "Ask Me Anything" webinar and was so impressed with his genuine desire to help entrepreneurs and their companies that we had to invite him on the show to share his experiences with you.

"I have a simple rule with what I build. When they're my companies it's my ass on the line, so it's my rules. But when they are other people's companies like the great startups that I get to work with its their vision, their passion. I'm there to support them and be a turnkey resource for whatever needs to be done, a utility player. I know what they need because I needed it for most of my career and I didn't have it. So it's very rewarding for me now to take all of my learning experiences and help guide these companies to success and be a complete soundboard and resource for them and keep it fun for them."

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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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"I need to make sure that tech founders don't dilute themselves out of their own company. I tell them to get off this BS "raise money/run out of money/raise money/run out of money" hamster wheel because they can't be half pregnant. You're either out there, raising money or you're running your business. You can't do both at the same time. So I've been through hell and back, I made every mistake you can think of and I'm honoured and excited to share those experiences with the great companies that they get to work with."

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

Brian shared a couple of companies and products that Esposito Intellectual Enterprises invests in and advises on, including Virtual Stax. Virtual Stax allows fans to participate in the athlete's journey with blockchain verified digital trading cards.

To learn more, check out the Virtual Stax website.

You can also connect with Brian on his bio page, along with checking out the Esposito Intellectual Enterprises website.

Episode Chapters
[02:30] Brian opens the show by sharing his connectivity to golf and his first golf experience.
[04:20] Brian tells what he and his team have built with Esposito Intellectual Enterprises and what motivates him to help founders create sustainable businesses.
[08:30] Colin asks Brian to share his insights regarding the future of web3, blockchain, NFTs and cryptocurrency, using the company Devour (a web3 food ordering and delivery marketplace) as a case study.
[11:45] We learn about Brian's investment in Virtual Stax, where people can buy virtual playing card assets of athletes that are already famous or are just getting their careers off the ground.
[17:30] Brian describes how professional sport leagues and team are focusing on increasing fan engagement in a web3 environment, the learning curve they face and what is needed for them to succeed.
[20:45] Brian talks about his investment in Metasport Arena, where you create, trade, collect and play in the first sports and entertainment virtual world as part of a community competing to build the best city.
[27:00] Brian shares how he believes The PGA Tour, LIV Golf, The LPGA and golf entertainment venues can tap into the potential of web3 to engage both existing and new fans.
[30:30] Colin presses Brian to share his thoughts on LIV Golf - what they are doing right, what they got wrong and what they need to do to create a sustainable business.
[34:30] Brian describes how LIV - as a startup - has the ability to be nimble and quick in the creation of digital assets as compared to a "legacy company" like The PGA Tour.

Special Guest: Brian Esposito - Founder and CEO, Esposito Intellectual Enterprises.

Breaking Down Barriers To Create The Next Generation of Golf Legends - Jewel Love / Society 61

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 08:45:00 -0800

"We are very clear and incredibly focused. We're not playing around because this is not a little thing. This is big in our minds and we are giving everything we have because we believe in and know that these young people, they deserve to see this industry in a way that we have not."... Jewel Love, Board Member and Advisor for Society 61 and The Society 61 Foundation

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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 know the golf industry has to be updated, the culture of it. When saying they want to diversify, then that means that you're willing to make changes that you not ever thought of making. You're willing to think differently and open up your mind in different ways. We tend to be pretty straight at it and transparent. We're here to say this is about the next generation of Legends. We made a commitment to be in the game in that way. Not half in it, but all the way in it."

About Society 61...
Through the year 1960, a clause in the Pro Golfers Association (PGA) guidelines - Article III Section I - stated only Caucasian males 18 and older were eligible to receive their tour card. There were amazing men and women golfers from all cultures whose talents went unrecognized nationally until 1961, when African American golfer Charlie Sifford broke that color barrier by receiving his PGA card and opened the door for golfers of all ethnicities to officially compete on the tour.

THEIR MISSION
Society 61 is a clothing brand for golfers designed to honor the pioneers from the past who paved the way for the culturally diverse sport that golf is today. Society 61 was cultivated not only from a love of golf but also a love for our culture. Our company was named in homage to that barrier breaking year, 1961, and we launched our business in 2021 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of that historic moment. We combine traditional style with the modern look and feel of today's best sports materials and fabrics. We look forward to being your go-to clothier for everything golf and more.

I want more women out doing business on the golf course. I was in sales and calling on all these large organizations to find that there were hardly any female CEOs. I thought, "what can we do to continue to lift up women towards leadership through golf?" Because I think the world would be a better place, but my natural tendency is towards fun. So my goal: why don't we try and do this and accomplish this mission but have some fun while we're at it.

You can also connect with Jewel on her bio page, along with checking out the Society 61 website.

Special Guest: Jewel Love - Board Member and Advisor with Society 61 and The Society 61 Foundation.

LIVE From The 2023 PGA Show!

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0800

Wow, what a week in Orlando at The PGA Show! Colin met up with old friends, met plenty of new ones and found some time to squeeze in a couple of ModGolf Podcast recording sessions. It was great to see the golf industry back in full force! 💥⛳️💥

What do you do when you get stood up for a live podcast recording session? Rather than pack up and move on, Colin walked out on the exhibitor floor that resulted in an accidental collision with previous show guest Lydia Davies. This encounter led to a spontaneous, fun conversation about how Lydia's startup Teemates has expanded into Teamates and the rise of pickleball. They also talked about entrepreneurship and the innovation ecosystem/sport tech scene in Houston Texas, along with what they saw as the most interesting products/companies from the over 800 exhibitors at The PGA Show.

But that's not all! Billy Brown - previous guest and Founder of The Golf Sanctuary - suddenly drops by to talk some nonsense with Lydia and Colin.

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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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Find out more about Billy Brown and The Golf Sanctuary by listening to his full ModGolf Podcast episode.

Want to learn more about Lydia and Teamates? You can also connect through her bio page, along with watching our previous conversation on The ModGolf YouTube channel.

We had a full four days at The PGA Show attending Demo Day on the Tuesday, followed by three days at The Orange County Convention Center. Tons of golf industry conversations, relevations, inspirations and validations is what The PGA Show is all about!

Special Guests: Billy Brown - Founder and CEO The Golf Sanctuary LLC. 2x Amazon Best Selling Author, Real Estate Investor, and Entrepreneur and Lydia Davies - Founder of The Osprey Collective and TeeMates Golf.

Perseverance, Pivoting and The Ability to Continuously Adapt - Ryan Engle, Founder and CEO of GOLF+

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 17:15:00 -0800

Ryan Engle's love for golf started at age 11 after watching the movie Happy Gilmore. Fast forward almost two decades later finds Ryan combining his love for computer science, writing code and golf to become the Founder and CEO of GOLF+, who are leaders in VR golf with a mission to grow the game by making it more accessible.

"My first virtual reality putt was 20-footer uphill with a left-to-right break. I hit it and put it 6 inches past the hole, burning the edge on the left. I thought, "Wow that felt exactly like hitting a putt." After that magical moment I said to the team "okay you know what, we're going to pivot 100% into VR."

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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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"I spent a lot of time building out this putting physics model that felt very accurate. I ended up having a 3D model of hole seven at Pebble Beach, so I took Tiger's four putts from the US Open, set them up so the flag and his starting point were in the same spots. This made you think, "I'm going to stand in the shoes of Tiger and hit his putts!" I took the handheld controller that weighs a couple of ounces and I found a bike clamp and I clamped it to my putter. I'm holding my putter in virtual reality and when I move it I see the virtual putter moving exactly the same way."

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

"The Oculus Quest VR headset was a gamechanger as it was a standalone product that didn't need to be connected to a computer".

To learn more, check out GOLF+ for the Meta Quest. https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/2412327085529357/

You can also connect with Ryan on his bio page, along with checking out the GOLF+ VR website.

Episode Chapters
[02:40] Ryan shares his first golf experience and the movie that made his fall in love with the game.
[06:20] Ryan talks about the WORST job he ever had and what he positively learned from it.
[09:00] Ryan tells us how he got into the golf business and his first golf startup venture.
[15:00] Ryan and Colin discuss the challenges that entrepreneurship presents, and the difficult decisions one has to make when deciding whether to continue grinding on what you are creating or to pivot and build something else.
[17:45] Ryan describes the Oculus Quest headset that redefined the virtual reality landscape and how it is a gamechanger for GOLF+.
[23:00] Colin and Ryan talk about the importance of timing when launching a product, along with the other factors that make for a successful startup venture.
[25:30] Ryan shares the power of partnerships and how they added value to their collaboration with Topgolf.
[31:00] Colin puts on his investor hat to ask Ryan about the GOLF+ revenue model and who their users are.
[35:40] Ryan talks about the size of the VR gaming market, the projected future growth and the demographics of their users.
[39:00] Ryan shares how GOLF+ incorporates various player modes so that the experience applies to both beginner and accomplished golfers.

Special Guest: Ryan Engle, Founder and CEO of GOLF+.

Scaling a Golf Startup With Partnerships - Nick Conrad, Founder of Twilight Golf Association

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 15:15:00 -0800

"I quickly realized that golf is a great equalizer sport where people with different ages and skill levels can all coexist on the course at the same time. No matter if you're a really skilled player or a new beginner, everyone's always working on something and has that common thread of constant improvement."... Twilight Golf Association Founder Nick Conrad

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"I thought it wasn't crazy that you could pull together lots of strangers and create a league out of it. That it didn't have to always be based on gender or senior groups or for players of a certain skill level, which is how fragmented most leagues are. That it really can work just like public golf. If could you allow those people that regularly fill out the tee sheet to create organized games, that really would resonate. At the most fundamental level Twilight Golf is taking the folks who normally want to play during their available hours and trying to structure it where there can be a reason to keep them coming back."

Episode Chapters
[02:16] Nick shares how he was introduced to the game and describes his first golf experience.
[06:48] Colin asks Nick "what was the WORST job you ever had and what positives did you take away from it?"
[09:50] Nick' gives us the "elevator pitch" for Twilight Golf Association of what they do and why they do it.
[15:00] Nick shares the origin story of Twilight Golf Association and the "AHA moment" that led to creating their first pilot program.
[20:50] We learn how Nick got buy-in from golf courses to partner with Twilight Golf and the value proposition he offered them.
[23:48] Nick tells us about their pricing model and the befenits Twilight Golf members receive by being part of their community.
[28:32] Nick shares how and why Twilight Golf Association became part of Golf Genius Software and the value of this partnership.

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

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

Special Guest: Nick Conrad - Founder and General Manager of Twilight Golf Association.

Do a Common Thing In an Uncommon Way - Bob Winskowicz, Founder of SQAIRZ

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 17:30:00 -0800

"When Ely Callaway created the Big Bertha and Karsten Solheim created the Ping irons, they went to work on a driver and an iron that had perimeter weighting. And when they got done, the club looked the way it did because that's the way perimeter weighting looked. It wasn't the other way around. They didn't worry about the fact that this Big Bertha was an oversized metal wood that looked like a snow shovel with no hosel and then the iron looked like something that an alien designed. They had something that was radically different, but they could back it up with performance and they didn't worry about the looks. The looks was secondary to performance. Match it up with a quote from Booker T Washington, which is to "Do a common thing in an uncommon way". So when you mix those two things together and that's where SQAIRZ came from." - Bob Winskowicz, Founder of SQAIRZ
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"A gentlemen I once worked for called me up and said "Bob I want you to work with me in the golf industry". He invited me to attend The PGA Show in 1995 and once I walked in it was like entering golf heaven. I was overwhelmed. I left there and said to him " I don't care what you pay me - I'm in! I want to work for you!". From that day on I never looked back."

Episode Chapters
[02:18] Bob shares being introduced to the game and his first golf experience.
[04:50] Colin asks Bob "what was the WORST job you ever had and what positives did you take away from it?"
[06:35] Bob's early professional work expience in the consumer goods sector and how that set the stage for a career shift into the golf industry.
[10:40] Bob tells the story of joining The Arnold Palmer Golf Company and the impact that "The King" had on his entrepreneurial endeavours.
[15:30] We learn about how outside influences like the creation of the Callaway Big Bertha driver shaped Bob's design philosophy for SQAIRZ.
[21:30] Bob tells us the exciting news about the next sport outside of golf that SQAIRZ is entering the high-performance shoe market.
[30:30] Bob shares his approach to empowering his team to embrace a culture of continuous learning, experimentation and innovation.

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

"I have the privledge of being around Arnold Palmer and one time I presented a new set of irons we were ready to launch and The King said to me "what is in it for the consumer?" I stumbled because I focused on the look of the clubs. We lost sight of how they benefited the golfer. So once I launched a shoe company I always asked the question "What's in it for the consumer?"

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

Special Guest: Bob Winskowicz - Founder of SQAIRZ.

Connecting Golfers With Likeminded Playing Partners - Kat Ramirez, Founder of Golfing Buddy

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 17:30:00 -0800

"They did not make me feel like I was part of our foursome. I felt like the outsider who wasn't good enough. It's bad enough that women already feel like they're not worthy in the golf world. If you have one bad experience, you're never gonna go back. You're not." - Kat Ramirez, Founder of Golfing Buddy
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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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"Why would you allow yourself to be compromised or up against something like that? Golf is a great game to get to know people. That's why people go on the golf course and get to know other people and spend four hours with that person. It's because they want to get to know them and really have a good time, not to be feeling like you're not good enough. So Golfing Buddy was created to empower people to find other people just like them to go play golf with."

Golfing Buddy was created for a couple of reasons:

• to help Women, Minorities, Veterans and Juniors play more golf without feeling intimidated at the course by being uncomfortably paired with people they don’t want to play with.
• to help people like Kat's boyfriend find other golfers to play golf with so they can play more golf with fun, likeminded people.
• to help golf facilities get more people paired up to play at their course with the type of people they want to play with.

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

"It was a summer weekend in Midwest Milwaukee and fabulous outside, but I had to get a project done I couldn't get out and play. My boyfriend wanted to get out and play so badly. He called all of his buddies but no one could get out to join him for a round. He was pouting and moping around the house and I felt really bad for him so I said, "hey wouldn’t it be awesome if we had an app or website where you could find a golfing buddy?" And BING BING BING Golfing Buddy was born!"

You can also connect with Kat on her bio page, along with checking out the Golfing Buddy website.

Special Guest: Kat Ramirez, Founder of Golfing Buddy.

Making a Difference: Supporting The Recovery of Injured Veterans Through Golf - John Simpson, Founder of On Course Foundation

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 12:00:00 -0800

"I was golfing and one of the chaps I was playing with asked me if I'd come and speak to some of his people. He worked at Headley Court which is the British Military Rehabilitation Center. This was in 2009, at the height of what was going on in Afghanistan. When I went in there and saw how many young people - some with horrendous injuries - I just thought "I'm in a great position working in the game and can help in some way". - John Simpson, Founder - On Course Foundation

The On Course Foundation supports the recovery of wounded, injured and sick Service Personnel and veterans through golf. The Foundation's mission is to build confidence and self-belief in their members through golf skills and employment events, and set them on the path to meaningful full-time employment opportunities in the golf industry.
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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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"Being disabled myself, I had a chat with a few of the injured veterans there and described what had happened to me. I saw some of them looking back at me and I realized that golf was something they could do. And that's when I thought, "if we could start a charity which teaches golf on a long-term basis, with the idea of then getting them in some form of employment within the golf and related industries, that if we could do that, that would be quite something". And that's where it all started."

At the 18 minute mark John shares two inspirational stories of how On Course Foundation has positively impacted the lives of injured servicepeople.

‘’It initially gave me confidence that I can achieve again, taught me a new skill and has given me the drive and motivation back that I had lost following my illness. It has given me competition back that I thrive for and also a continual aim. I feel comfortable around OCF members and the worries of disfigurement and scarring disappear along with any apprehension of being judged by others."
Kate Surman - On Course Foundation beneficiary

"The most important thing is when a woman or man looks you in the eye and says 'The On Course Foundation saved me", it's very powerful stuff".

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

"And this is what On Course Foundation is all about. We give them the joy of playing golf and all that goes with it, but then to work in the industry and rediscover a sense of purpose and to show your family that you can meaningfully contribute by providing a salary, that's how these heroes reintegrate back into society."

At the 22 minute mark John tells us about The Simpson Cup, their flagship event where the competitors involved in the are all beneficiaries of On Course Foundation UK and their sister Foundation in the USA. It is an annual tournament and fundraiser between teams of 13 injured Service personnel and veterans from the UK and their American counterparts.

The Ryder Cup style tournament showcases the unique position of golf as one of the few sports where players of all skills and abilities can play together on a level playing field, because of the official golf handicap system.

You can also connect with John on his bio page, along with checking out the On Course Foundation US or On Course Foundation UK websites.

Special Guest: John Simpson - Founder of On Course Foundation.

SEASON 12 WRAP-UP / SEASON 13 PREVIEW

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 12:15:00 -0700

That's a wrap for Season 12 of The ModGolf Podcast! Our team is currently working on your next twelve episodes for Season 13, which launches early December 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.
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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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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.

How a Simple Invitation Becomes a Powerful Way To Grow Golf - Laura Diaz, Sr. Director of Community & Inclusion With The LPGA

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 11:15:00 -0700

"If we go back in history, systemically with PGA of America's "Caucasian Only Clause" that was in effect till 1960, which was not that long ago. So if you look at that, you really didn't see that many black, brown, Hispanic people in the game. Fast forward to me growing up, people still didn't have that representation. I'm a big believer in "If you can see it, you can be it" right. If I can see somebody that looks like me, if I have that representation that I can get into this sport, or I can see a career in it." - Laura Diaz, Sr. Director of Community & Inclusion With The LPGA
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Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

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

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"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.

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Attention all you fabulous women golfers - we are partnering with our good friends at KINONA Sport to offer 20% OFF your purchase using promo code MODGOLF! CLICK TO SAVE on tops, shorts, pants, skirts, dresses, skorts, jackets, vests and accessories!

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

Building a Bridge That Connects Golfers, Caddies and Clubs - Brett Jaffee, Co-Founder of Caddy Time

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 11:45:00 -0700

"Caddies are wonderful for golf and yet only available one percent or less of the time. To the everyday golfer like myself, caddies were never offered to me. No matter what your reason for playing golf, a caddy enhances it." - Caddy Time Co-Founder Brett Jaffee
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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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"Sometimes golfers need a competitive caddy, but also there are huge benefits to enhance the experience for senior's play, junior play, woman's play and beginner golfers. Caddies are a terrific bridge to the golf facility."

"Talking to golfers, course operators and caddies led us to create an instrument where people could connect with the golf-savvy community. Professional and recreational golfers would be able to add a caddy to any golf outing that they chose and that's where Caddy Time came from. Where Caddy Time adds value is as an on-demand caddy platform that delivers the highest quality caddy to whatever that golfer needs."

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

You can also connect with Brett on his bio page, along with checking out the Caddy Time website.

Special Guest: Brett Jaffee - Co-Founder of Caddy Time.

Combining His Love of Golf and Entrepreneurship - Markus Westerberg, Co-Founder of deWiz

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 10:30:00 -0700

"I can only do so much and I am happy to let in anyone who can help us and who knows their area of expertise better than me. There's no ego motivation here. We just want to help golfers get better, grow the company and reach out to more golfers. We have the love of the game and that's our driving force. I think that's a strength that we have, the strength to know what we don't know and not have the vanity of trying to show something else." - deWiz Co-Founder Markus Westerberg
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Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

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

                                        ______________________________________________

"I started that round with an incredible start and have learned through experience not to then play conservatively in order to protect a good score. Hitting "pause" and trying to get off the golf course by making pars is the wrong mindset. If you do that you are sure to make bogeys so I knew I had to push myself. So I kept pushing and pushing into that "Zone of Discomfort", didn't bail on myself throughout the round and gave myself a chance to shoot 59 with a putt on 18. I'm really proud of that round as it was a magically exhilarating experience."

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

"We launched about a year ago and today and we are now 14 employees in the company. I'm not saying that we built deWiz all by ourselves. We are team players. I know some things and I don't know a lot of other things". I know golf and I've learned a lot about tech. I have a bachelor's degree in Psychology, which ties in very good to deWiz."

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

"Golf is an individual sport but no single tour golfer is out there alone. There is a family behind them, friends, a manager and multiple coaches that make up the team. So to suceed, you have to be able to handle your team regarding the physical, mental, financial and logistical challenges that arise. Golf is a brutal game and it's a game about managing mistakes. Looking at a professional golf career, you have more failures than successes and that gives you a thick skin that builds up your resilience. Golf gives you 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."

Special Guest: Markus Westerberg, Co-Founder of deWiz.

Entrepreneurial Lessons Learned on The Trading Floor - Eileen Jurczak, Founder and CEO of Xonic Golf

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 11:30:00 -0700

"At that point in my life I was working on the trading floor for many years with BMO and had been introduced to artificial intelligence in the financial realm. Not in sports but AI nonetheless. The two came together and I said "wait a second, I wonder if there's a product here? I wonder if we can bring together AI and this passion for golf? That would be a dream come true if I could start a golf related business!". That's where the seed of the idea came. There has been a lot of work and learning since then, but that was the AHA moment for Xonic Golf." - Eileen Jurczak, Founder and CEO of Xonic Golf
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Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

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

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

"A lot of people don't know this about the scock exchange trading floor. While it's in a large financial institution, it's a very entrepreneurial atmosphere with dozens of small businesses being run by a handful of people. We're responsible for wearing multiple hats in each of these businesses to market it, to grow it, to manage the finances. You're doing everything and you're working hard! The idea of "Hey, we want your ideas, bring them to the table" fosters that innovative entrepreneurial mindset. I'm using all the skills and experience that I've built up my entire life and career. It's incredible."

You can also connect with Eileen on her bio page, along with checking out the Xonic Golf website.

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Eileen is passionate about giving back to the community and has founded and built a successful not-for-profit company that addresses the need for youth financial services education. Established in 2015, the Bay Street Deconstructed workshops have now reached over 10,000 Grade 10 students across Canada, with a priority of reaching students with diverse cultural backgrounds in less affluent areas, helping all students to be better prepared for their futures.

Special Guest: Eileen Jurczak - Founder and CEO of Xonic 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.

Relationships Are The New Currency - Ty DeLavallade - Founder and President of Deuce

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 13:00:00 -0700

"I challenged myself and said, "I may not have all the financial capital to do it, but I have teeth to cut in the steak and I have the resources and access to the golf industry because I've been in golf for twelve years now". I can figure something out." - Ty DeLavallade - Founder and President of Deuce
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"I did some research to find out what other black-owned businesses are there out there. To be fair, I didn't find any. I decided that night was I going to call it Deuce and did not know what the logo was going to look like, but I wanted to somehow leave a legacy for my son. I've called him Deuce since he was three. It's a cool name. What I realized was that when you're building a company, you're really building a tribe. You're really building a support group around you of people who are proud to wear the hat because it's cool brand. They wear it because of the quality. Whatever it is, I'm okay with that."

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

You can also connect with Ty on his bio page, along with checking out The Deuce Am Tour (which I hope to be at mid-September for the LA stop!) and Deuce Cares https://deuceamtour.com/deuce-cares/

Special Guest: Ty DeLavallade - Founder and President of Deuce.

Sponsored By:

Zencastr: Connect your business to a new audience with Zencastr’s Podcast Marketplace!

Building a Women-Led Company That Positively Disrupts The Golf Industry - Jess McAlister, Founder of Digital Golf Collective

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 22:15:00 -0700

"When we say positively disrupt, we want to show that there are alternative ways of doing things when it comes to being creative and marketing to today's consumer, fan, as well as the industry. And with both of us being experts in our space, we knew that our brains coming together could ultimately do that."
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"Especially coming into a space that is truly based on tradition, we wanted to respect that. So we use positively disrupt because we're both severe crazy golf fans, love what is there and what it's based on. But with where technology and society are going, it's kind of an adapt or die situation as we are currently seeing in the industry today. And we felt we can positively disrupt while loving and respecting the sport we love so much and fighting to ensure women athletes get what they truly deserve."

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

Want to learn more about Jess and Digital Golf Collective? Visit their website to learn how they are creating effective developmental programs and technology to introduce and guide anyone in playing the game of golf.

You can also connect with Jess on her bio page.

Special Guest: Jess McAlister - Founder of Digital Golf Collective.

Sponsored By:

Zencastr: Connect your business to a new audience with Zencastr’s Podcast Marketplace!

Building a Scalable Business That Introduces 1,000,000 New Golfers to The Game - Matt Reagan, Co-Founder at Operation 36 Golf

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 14:00:00 -0700

Getting good at golf is hard. Figuring out how to make it fun and engaging for kids is even harder. As Matt Reagan and his Operation 36 Co-Founder Ryan Dailey looked to solve this problem over 12 years ago, they saw how other sports - especially martial arts like Taekwondo and Karate - would progress through levels of mastery by testing students once they had acquired the necessary skills. The result was creating a 10 Division, variable distance gameplay format where students need to shoot 36 over nine holes in order to graduate up to the next level. Listen in as Matt shares the startup journey of Operation 36 Golf.
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"We got three kids to sign up and join the program and that was how the concept started. And then we'd say "oh crap, what do we do with them every week? How do we show they're improving, what do we teach? How should we be testing them and show parents they're getting better? How do we make it fun every step of the way?"

"The first five years of our existence we worked on building the program and trying to figure that out. We'd sit down before class, plan for an hour and a half and then kids would show up. We'd run it and say "well that sucked, let's try it again!" and then we would experiment with different ideas. So we had this pretty cool environment where we were just testing group programming with kids and trying to figure out what works to make it fun, but also make sure they are getting better and turning into golfers. And then showing parents, who are the ones signing the kids up for the program, that this is working."

Want to learn more about Matt and Operation 36 Golf? Visit their website to learn how they are creating effective developmental programs and technology to introduce and guide anyone in playing the game of golf.

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

You can also connect with Matt on his bio page.

Operation 36 takes the traditional model and flips it on its head. All new players begin on the course. Instead of starting at the tee box, they play from 25 yards away from the hole. Once the player shoots par (36) from 25 yards, they back up to 50 yards, and so on, until they are shooting even par (36) from the full tee box. It’s timely, it’s fun, and it provides step by step improvement.

Special Guest: Matt Reagan, Co-Founder at Operation 36 Golf.

Harnessing web3 To Reimagine The Modern Golf Club Experience - Cooper Sherwin, Co-Founder and Head of Community at LinksDAO

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 12:45:00 -0700

"Being an NFT member of this community automatically and from the beginning has brought value, even before we acquire the golf course, That's our North Star. We're still heading there. But the team is working really hard to continue forging these partnerships because everyone we talked to in the golf world is really excited about what we're doing".... Cooper Sherwin, Co-Founder and Head of Community at LinksDAO
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Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

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

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"It's been really positive the responses we've gotten. Folks who are excited about new technology, about new approaches to the game and about building the sport of golf have been very receptive to what we're creating."

So what does the DAO is LinksDAO mean? It stands for a "Decentralized Autonomous Organization" and Cooper nicely explains it around the 10 minute mark of this episode.

Want to learn more about Cooper and LinksDAO? Visit their website to see how LinksDAO is engaging a global community of thousands of golf enthusiasts to create the modern golf and leisure club.

You can learn more about and connect with Cooper on his bio page. Cooper just attended the 2022 NFT NYC conference, which you can check out at https://www.nft.nyc

Special Guest: Cooper Sherwin - Co-Founder and Head of Community at LinksDAO.

Sponsored By:

Zencastr: Connect your business to a new audience with Zencastr’s Podcast Marketplace!

Applying a Tech Investor Mindset to Support "Early Stage" Golf Athletes - Donnie Dotson, Founder and CEO of Carry

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 13:15:00 -0700

"I was thrilled and inspired to see that we had people going from almost complete strangers to forming meaningful bonds over golf. And my goal is to be able to somehow 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."
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I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

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"We played The Cradle and Number Two at Pinehurst, we played, followed by a wonderful dinner in Donald Ross' backyard for the Monday night closing event. There was a moment where two of our players who are on the Korn Ferry Tour had to leave as dinner was wrapping up because they had an early flight to their next event. Potential investors were standing up, clapping, a bit of a standing ovation, high fives and saying "hey, we're rooting for you guys, we're cheering you on, will be following along!" They didn't know who these players were other than by name 48 hours earlier and that was cool to see.

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

Want to learn more about Donnie and Carry Golf Investments? Visit their website to see how Carry Golf Investments is taking a tech startup venture capitalist approach to funding and supporting elite athletes.

You can learn more about and connect with Donnie on his bio page.

Special Guest: Donnie Dotson - Founder and CEO of Carry Golf Investments.

Building an Engaging Platform For The Everyday Golfer - Jordan Lunetta, Co-Founder of ODIN Golf

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 17 May 2022 16:45:00 -0700

"We're on the course one day and we're not having a great round. We're donating to the lake and the forest. We look at each other and say, "Why aren't we losing our own golf balls? Why are we losing golf balls of brands that are old?" They're stuffy and they don't speak to us as digital natives. We are the next generation of golfers who are the rebel rousers in a good way, who are consuming things in much different ways. And given the four of us built and scaled tech companies we said "before we do anything, what are our ambitions?" And we have big ambitions to take ODIN to golfers across the globe. We have a vision of building a platform for the everyday golfer."
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Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

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

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"Why are we using expensive gear from old, stuffy brands that don’t really speak to us? So what the old stuffy incumbent brands are doing for the PGA Tour, we're doing for everyone else. That's our sweet spot in the market, which is really exciting." Jordan shares how they apply a tech startup approach to disrupt the traditional golf product space, are early adopters experimenting with NFTs and much more.

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

Want to learn more about Jordan and ODIN Golf? Visit their website to see how ODIN is putting their fun, irreverent spin on golf balls, apparel and community building experiences. You can also learn more about the ODIN Founding Membership NFTs at https://futureofgolf.co.

You can learn more about and connect with Jordan on his bio page.

Special Guest: Jordan Lunetta - Co-Founder of ODIN Golf.

SEASON 11 WRAP-UP / SEASON 12 PREVIEW

The ModGolf Podcast — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 13:30:00 -0700

That's a wrap for Season 11 of The ModGolf Podcast! Our team is currently working on your next twelve episodes for Season 12, which launches early June 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.
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Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

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

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If you didn’t get the chance to listen to all of our twelve Season 11 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 11 guests were:

Episode 1
Deborah Smith - Prosthetics Entrepreneur and Adaptive Athlete (with guest host Dr. Greta Anderson)
Click to listen >> EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THROUGH ADAPTIVE GOLF

Episode 2
Chris Kallmayer - Co-CEO at Golf Genius Software
Click to listen >> FOSTER INNOVATION AND GROWTH BY LISTENING TO CUSTOMER NEEDS

Episode 3
Jeremy Callahan - aka "The App Man", Co-Founder and CTO at Golf BPM
Click to listen >> THE 2022 GOLF APP REVIEW EPISODE

Episode 4
Lydia Davies - Founder and CEO at TeeMates Golf
Click to listen >> CREATING THE "LINKEDIN FOR GOLFERS"

Episode 5
Mark Mattingly - EVP at Landscapes Golf Management
Click to listen >> WHAT YOU WANT SITS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HARD

Episode 6
Charlie Klaus (SPARK Golf) and Patrick Farris (EUFOREIA Golf)
Click to listen >> CONVERSATIONS FROM THE 2022 PGA SHOW

Episode 7
Jim Beatty - Executive Director, African American Golfer's Digest
Click to listen >> TAKING A POSITION TO HELP CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE

Episode 8
Guillermo Heredia - Managing Director with HYPE Sports Innovation
Click to listen >> HOW THE METAVERSE AND NFTS WILL AMPLIFY GOLF FAN ENGAGEMENT

Episode 9
Alyson Ramsey Johnson - CEO at Gilly Group and Co-Founder at White Tee Partners
Click to listen >> CREATING PHENOMENAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES THROUGH GOLF

Episode 10
Jim Plumb - Co-Founder and FORE! SIXTY
Click to listen >> BUILDING COMMUNITY AS A "SENIOR-PRENEUR"

Episode 11
Tom Naramore - CEO at D3Golf.com
Click to listen >> TURNING A $3 WEEKLY GOLF BUDDY BET INTO A SCALEABLE BUSINESS VENTURE

Episode 12
Steve Tooshkenig - Golf Teaching Professional and Inspirational Indigenous Speaker
Click to listen >> CREATING A SUSTAINABLE GOLF FUTURE THROUGH THE "SEVENTH GENERATION PRINCIPLE"

Special Guests: Alyson Ramsey Johnson - CEO at Gilly Group, Co-Founder of White Tee Partners, Charlie Klaus - Co- Founder and CEO at Spark Golf, Chris Kallmeyer, CEO at Golf Genius Software, Deborah Smith - Adaptive Athlete and Prosthetic Resources Consultant, Guillermo Heredia, Managing Director Global Brands, Metaverse & Blockchain at HYPE Sports Innovation, Jeremy Callahan - a.k.a. The App Man, Jim Beatty, Executive Editor with African American Golfer’s Digest, Jim Plumb, Co-Founder of FORE! SIXTY, Lydia Davies - Founder of The Osprey Collective and TeeMates Golf, Mark Mattingly - Executive Vice President at Landscapes Golf Management, Patrick Farris - Euforeia Golf Co. Founder / CEO, Steve Tooshkenig, CPGA Golf Professional and Inspirational Indigenous Speaker, and Tom Naramore - CEO at D3Golf.com.

Turning a $3 weekly golf buddy bet into a scaleable business venture - Tom Naramore, CEO at D3Golf.com

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 13:00:00 -0700

"There is a standard side game that many people play called the Nassau bet. There's a wager on the front nine, a separate wager on the back nine and then you add them both together in match play and whoever wins the most holes wins the overall. So it's three separate bets. Craig and I used to play a dollar-dollar-dollar game. That's what we would call it on the first hole. He'd walk up, look at me and say "dollar-dollar-dollar?" and I'd respond "Absolutely!"
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I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

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"I had software clients out golfing at the same time that (my now Co-Founder) Craig had financial clients out and we serendipitously wound up at the same restaurant. He saw me, walked up and said, "hey, we should have been able to play our dollar-dollar-dollar game on two different courses" and I snap answered him and said, "Man, I can build that, that's a mobile app. No problem!" ...Tom Naramore, CEO at D3Golf.com

"I met a gentleman by the name of Peter Meng and he spent half an hour showing me his tech. Afterwards all I said to him was, "What do you think about a virtual wallet in a mobile app, two guys playing golf either on the same or different courses? They play, the app does all the math and then the app sends the money to the winner." And that's all I said to him. 24 hours later he called me back. He wrote a business plan, a technical road map for me, a basic marketing plan and voila, the company was started."

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

Want to learn more about Tom and D3Golf? Visit their website to see how D3Golf has created the mobile app for monetary side games on your local golf course or remotely with players around the country.

You can learn more about and connect with Tom on his bio page.

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

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

Special Guest: Tom Naramore - CEO at D3Golf.com.

Building Community as a "Senior-preneur" - Jim Plumb, Co-Founder of FORE! SIXTY

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 21:15:00 -0700

"We were going to call the company FORE! FIFTY, but we did a lot of surveys and 50 year olds still think they're 20, but 60 year olds are realistic. That's why we want to cater to that crowd of 60 and over."... Jim Plumb, Co-Founder of FORE! SIXTY

FORE! SIXTY is a unique online community dedicated to enhancing the game for golfers sixty and over with age-relevant information, videos and a wide selection of curated value offerings on golf equipment, natural, anti-inflammatory pain relief and Sun Smart UPF50 sun protection apparel.

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

Want to learn more about Jim and FORE! SIXTY? Visit their website to see how they are creating an engaging community for senior golfers.

"We've all failed at times and built up businesses. We understand the economics behind it so we're not afraid to go after new products, investigate new areas. I love the entrepreneurial world and am looking at other things that I want to do beyond this business. You never know what's going to come up next, but you always got to keep your doors open and keep looking for that good opportunity."

You can learn more about and connect with Jim on his bio page.

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: Jim Plumb, Co-Founder of FORE! SIXTY.

Sponsored By:

Zencastr: Click on the discount link for 30% off a Zencastr Professional account using the promo code THEMODGOLFPOD. Promo Code: THEMODGOLFPOD

Creating Phenomenal Customer Experiences Through Golf - Alyson Ramsey Johnson, CEO at Gilly Group and Co-Founder at White Tee Partners

The ModGolf Podcast — Sun, 13 Mar 2022 18:00:00 -0700

"I always knew I wanted to be a boss. I didn't know of what but I had that calling to want to help brands and businesses, create these phenomenal experiences for their customers through golf, whether that was sponsorship activation, hospitality or promoting their brands. So I knew I needed to get more of a differentiator for myself in the golf industry, especially as a woman."

"I knew I had the itch to do it. I just needed to get more experience under my belt. So when I launched Gilly Group I took all my favorite experiences, I left behind HR Communications, the ice cream socials, the investor relations and never looked back. Honestly it's really been my greatest joy to do this because I love working in golf. I love the people that I know and it's just a lot of fun to bring that to the end consumer."

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

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

We're excited to announce that our very own podcasting platform, Zencastr has become a new sponsor of the show! Click on the discount link for 30% off a Zencastr Professional account using the promo code THEMODGOLFPOD.

Zencastr is an all-in-one podcast production suite that gives you studio quality audio and video without needing all the technical know-how. It records each guest locally, then uploads the crystal clear audio and video right into the suite so you have high-quality raw materials to work with.
Zencastr: It’s time to share your story!

Want to learn more about Alyson and Gilly Group? Visit their website to see how Alyson and her team deliver marketing strategy, business development, sports marketing and sponsorship activation solutions for their golf industry clients.

On the podcast Alyson discussed the value of finding a likeminded partner with a complimentry skill set when starting a new business venture. She co-founded White Tee Partners with good friend LeslieAnne Wade, where they deliver awareness and exposure to products, brands, leagues, and talent within the golf space using rich storytelling and engaging content while utilizing their extensive network within the golf industry.

Click on the image below to learn more about White Tee Partners.

You can learn more about and connect with Alyson on her bio page.

Special Guest: Alyson Ramsey Johnson - CEO at Gilly Group, Co-Founder of White Tee Partners.

Sponsored By:

Zencastr: Click on the discount link for 30% off a Zencastr Professional account using the promo code THEMODGOLFPOD. Promo Code: THEMODGOLFPOD

How The Metaverse and NFTs Will Amplify Golf Fan Engagement - Guillermo Heredia, Managing Director at HYPE Sports Innovation

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:00:00 -0800

The Metaverse. NFTs. Blockchain. Cryptocurrency. Web 3.0
You have probably heard some or all of these terms over the past couple of years and may scratch your head in bewilderment as one of your friends tries to explain them to you. After listening to this episode you will be enlightened by the insights from our guest Guillermo Heredia, who is the Global Brands, Metaverse & Blockchain Managing Director at HYPE Sports Innovation.

"The Metaverse. It's not like different Metaverses, it is one Metaverse like there is one internet and then you have different platforms. The Australian Open replicated the grounds in Decentraland and you could see and enter the Rod Laver Arena and see all the sponsors. You could go to the shop, you had some gamification around but they were not the only ones. The NFL did it for the Super Bowl and they created an area in Roblox wherre they had a store. They again have ramification, you could see all the brands and the clubs that are in the NFL. So it is a new way for fans to interact with the brands and with the sport properties. So you have endless opportunities."

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

Want to learn more about Guillermo and HYPE Sports Innovation? Visit their website to see how HYPE has become the Global Sports Tech Arena with over 100 top sports brands, clubs, and federations as partners.

One example of golf entering the Metaverse is GOLF+, where you can play an immersive round of 18 holes, putting competitions or experience TopGolf in a virtual reality environment. Click on the image below to learn more about GOLF+.

Web 3.0 represents the next iteration or phase of the evolution of the web/Internet and potentially could be as disruptive and represent as big a paradigm shift as Web 2.0. Web 3.0 is built upon the core concepts of decentralization, openness, and greater user utility.

You can learn more about and connect with Guillermo on his bio page.

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: Guillermo Heredia, Managing Director Global Brands, Metaverse & Blockchain at HYPE Sports Innovation.

Taking a Position To Help Create Positive Change - Jim Beatty, Executive Editor with African American Golfer’s Digest

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 20:30:00 -0800

At The 2022 PGA Show in Orlando I had the opportunity to reconnect with Jim Beatty at The Diversity and Inclusion Forum, which he was co-hosting. Jim Beatty wears several hats, including Executive Editor for the African American Golfer’s Digest (www.africanamericangolfersdigest.com), President of Jim Beatty Golf Ventures (www.jimbeattygolfventures.com) and Chair of The We Are Golf, Recreational Play Subcommittee, Diversity Task Force (www.wearegolf.org).

"I'm fueled by the fact that so many people came before me like Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder, Althea Gibson, Teddy Rhodes, Renée Powell. What they had to endure makes what I'm doing just not that hard. It's time consuming true, but I have to take the next steps and recognize the great people. People that came before me - both black and white - that stood up, took a position, maintained it and created change."

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

Jim is also the founder and organizer of the African American Golf EXPO and Forum. This is a multi-day event held to promote the business and economic opportunities for African Americans in the $84 Billion Golf Industry.

To learn more about and to register for the 2nd annual EXPO August 27-31 2022 in Charlotte NC, visit their website.

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

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: Jim Beatty, Executive Editor with African American Golfer’s Digest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What You Want Sits On The Other Side of Hard - Mark Mattingly, EVP at Landscapes Golf Management

The ModGolf Podcast — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 11:15:00 -0800

"At the green grass level we recognize that we have to make a conscious effort to make others feel welcome. That was one of the things that I believe we missed in the 90s. We made a lot of hard golf courses, a lot of challenging facilities, but we didn't really create a safe place for people that were new to the game to come in feel welcome who didn't understanding etiquette or even where to begin. A lot of those things that cause people embarrassment we are able to address early on and doing that to create safe ways for them to learn the game, making them feel like they belong as they make their way from the putting green to the range and ultimately for just one hole or two holes at a time until they get comfortable. Give them ways to have success and feel welcome at the facility from the very beginning."

Friend of the show Rich Katz - Founder of Katz Strategy - takes on the guest host duties to lead a fast-paced, informative, entertaining, practical and educational conversation with Mark Mattingly, Executive Vice President at Landscapes Golf Management.

"If you're going to get into the golf business, you need to love seeing other people get that spark in their eye and really have joy in experiencing this great game. And if you love to do that, you'll go the extra mile to provide that programming and on-boarding. All of these technology solutions have all been developed to help people better understand and fall in love with the game the way that I have. So that is what I think is most important. "

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

A PGA Professional since 1994, Mark has served as a General Manager, Regional Manager and Regional Operations Executive for private and public facilities alike with a strong emphasis on business-building programming and membership growth. As part of the Landscapes team, Mark is centrally located in Indiana where he also served on the Indiana PGA Board of Directors for three consecutive terms (2005 – 2012) during which time he chaired committees dedicated to education, scholarships, Special Olympics and growth of the game initiatives.

To learn more about Landscapes Unlimited, visit their website to see how they has grown over the past forty years from one man with a pipe wrench and a pickup truck, to four industry leading companies dedicated to delivering golf industry expertise.

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

Special Guest: Mark Mattingly - Executive Vice President at Landscapes Golf Management.

Foster Innovation and Growth by Listening To Customer Needs - Chris Kallmeyer, Co-CEO at Golf Genius Software

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 17:15:00 -0800

Chris Kallmeyer, Co-CEO at Golf Genius Software joins us to share how the company continues to expand their product offerings through a simple success formula: earn the trust of existing customers by observing how they operate, asking what their biggest pain points are and serving their unmet needs.

Chris provides valuable insights to how they "future proof" the business, such as diversifying their revenue model by "white-labelling" software products to larger organizations, aquire companies that strategically compliment their product portfolio and building partnerships with industry players like The USGA and Golf Canada to help amplify their reach. He also shares how Golf Genius Software's culture of innovation allows them to simultaneously enhance existing products while bringing new enterprise products to the golf marketplace.

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

Want to learn more about Chris and Golf Genius Software? Visit their website to see how Golf Genius powers tournament management at over 10,000 private clubs, public courses, resorts, golf associations, and tours in over 60 countries.

You can learn more about Chris on his bio page.

Show Notes and Chris Quotes
"We believe that it's never been more important for golf professionals to have tools that save them time and help them deliver great experiences to golfers. That's where we come in to the picture. So that's really the growth part of it. Of the pandemic the question then becomes retention. How do you keep these folks engaged? That really comes down to what type of experience is the golf course delivering. You get folks out there for a league or for nine holes or a practice session. What brings the back, what's going to turn them into golfers for life? What's going to turn them into folks that are going to play say 10, 15, 20 or more rounds of golf a year because that's really the name of the game."

Special Guest: Chris Kallmeyer, CEO at Golf Genius Software.

Creating a Business Model That Makes Golf Accessible to Everyone - Kathy Erikson, The Short Game Place

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0700

After the sudden passing of her beloved husband Mike three years ago, Kathy Erikson made a life-changing decision: dedicate her energy to crate a golf experience that appeals to everyone, year round, 24 hours a day. We sit down with Kathy Erikson to learn about the passion that drives her to create an indoor golf arena that started with an AHA moment almost thirty years ago.

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

Learn more about Kathy on her bio page.

Want to learn more about The Short Game Place? Check them out at https://theshortgameplace.com

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/

Special Guest: Kathy Erikson, Owner/Creator/Designer of The Short Game Place.

Understanding Customer Needs To Create Value For The Golf Industry - James Cronk, Co-Founder of Golf Industry Guru

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 22:00:00 -0800

"I'm pretty good at dreaming stuff up, but more importantly you need to be able to execute, to make stuff happen." We sit down with Golf Industry Guru Co-Founder James Cronk to learn how his team puts the customer first to create new value in a traditional market space.

Want to learn more about Golf Industry Guru? Check them out at https://www.golfindustryguru.com/

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

Show Notes and James Quotes...
After trying out of the University of British Columbia golf team (and unfortunately not making it), James met legendary Canadian golf icon Jack McLaughlin who helped jumpstart his golf industry career. After university James focused on acting, theatre and managing restaurants before deciding he wanted to apply the skills and knowledge gained in these professions to the golf industry.

James relied on the book "What Color Is Your Parachute?" by Richard N. Bolles https://www.parachutebook.com/ to help shape his golf career path, which led him to seek employment with one of the best industry people in Canada: Tim Tait, who is the Head Professional at The Marine Drive Golf Club.

"I was attracted to the culture of golf. I was attracted to being outside and the fact that the golf industry has so many facets that make every day different."

"I came to the conclusion that a lot of people are in the golf industry because they love to play golf. Not many people are in it because they want to run it like a business. I saw this as an opportunity to fill that gap."

Special Guest: James Cronk - Co-Founder & President, Golf Industry Guru.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Building Educational And Entertaining Content For Passionate Consumers - Malcolm Scovil, Imagine Golf

The ModGolf Podcast — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 10:00:00 -0700

“The biggest mistake I’ve made in my entrepreneurial endeavours is to have a product idea and just run at it as opposed to starting with a curiosity approach and asking open-ended questions. It also helps from a marketing standpoint. You start to write down the things that people are saying and it helps you when you’re putting together the story so that you're speaking in the voice of the customer rather than the one that’s in your head.”

Host Colin Weston sits down with Imagine Golf Founder Malcolm Scovil as he shares how embracing patience, curiosity and tenacity have helped guide him along his entrepreneurial journey. Malcolm is the Founder of TLDR which stands for “Too Long - Didn’t Read”. TLDR's first product Imagine Golf reflects this “Give it to me quick, give it to me clear” content delivery philosophy.

Imagine Golf is currently on Apple iOS but will be available on Android soon. You can follow Imagine Golf on Instagram at @imaginegolfers

Check out our extended conversation with Malcolm on our Youtube Channel!

Quotable Nuggets of Entrepreneurial Wisdom From Malcolm...

"The vision behind TLDR is to build entertaining, educational content that we deliver through mobile apps around passionate pockets of consumers. One of our first products is Imagine Golf, which is focused on “snackable audio content for golfers of all skill levels” to help golfers improve their performance and enjoy the game more."

“Im always tinkering with small products and testing things out with friends. I think there’s a natural tinkerer in us folks who are entrepreneurial. Once of the things in my endeavours I found is getting close to the student or the customer is what helps quiet that voice of doubt or insecurity in the entrepreneurial mind."

"With Imagine Golf we really spent a lot of time before we had any product talking to golfers and asking them questions - not about a product that we are thinking about building but why do you play golf, what got you into golf, what are some of your highlights in your career for amateurs. What are you working on in your golf game? Where are you trying to go in you game? What are some of the ways that you think might accelerate you in getting there? So it’s really applying a curious mindset to the product development process, which leads to all types of unexpected discoveries through the nuggets of insight that you uncover.”

“Once you have a direction the real focus is on building a quality-first product. I think the only way to do that is with simplicity. Something I’ve been guilty of in the past is trying to do too much too early in an entrepreneurial venture. With my latest venture and all my future projects, it’s how do you cut through in a very noisy, cluttered market with a consumer experience that really resonates and adds value to people’s lives. Almost always simpler is better, that focus on simplicity and what adds value.”

“I think why most companies fail is either there’s not a customer or they haven’t been able to find that customer. To big things to in the early days of a startup are can you make something people want and the other part is can you get in front of folks, can you find ways for them to discover it? This is as important as building something people want.”

“For successful new products and companies like Sarah Blakely with Spanx who had a very clear proposition for the consumer by scratching the itch of a personal pain point to create something that wasn’t on the market.”

Reid Hoffman: “if you’re not embarrassed by your first product you shipped it too late.” It takes a lot of bravery to put something out there.

“The best advice I got was to get just one customer, get one person to pay you then the next one and the next one. What it forces you to do is create something of value. That first person you ask to pay ten dollars for your product and they say no, then you need to ask why, what’s missing right now? This combination of our intuition and the data gathered both qualitative and quantitative, those are a couple of ingredients for success."

“Customers are your best partners. Folks that are using and paying for your product are the best source of ideas and ways to grow. Without question, we get the best ideas for new content or courses we should create from the current member of the Imagine Golf community and we are very grateful for that”.

"Being an entrepreneur is tough and it creates a lot of doubt. Although it can be lonely it can also be very rewarding and fulfilling."

“As in business, the biggest barrier to athletic success is our mental game. It’s what separates the Tiger Woods, the Michael Jordans, the Oprah Winfreys and the Elon Musks of the world from the rest of us.

“I recommend that new entrepreneurs do not try to reinvent the wheel or start building something from scratch. Instead create something in your own unique way, find inspiration in something that already exists and do it differently and better.”

Special Guest: Malcolm Scovil - Founder, TLDR and Imagine Golf.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Season 7 Wrap-up / Season 8 Preview

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

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

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

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

Our Season 7 guests were:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NewClub Golf Core Values

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Empowering Women Through Golf - Shella Sylla / SisterGolf

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Special Guest: Shella Sylla - Founder/CEO of SisterGolf.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Season 6 Wrap-up / Season 7 Preview

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

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

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

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

Our Season 6 guests were:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learn more by visiting www.golfpay.co

Special Guest: Dale Merritt - CEO of Golfpay.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By The Numbers - Youth On Course Growth and Traction Data

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Special Guest: Rich Katz - Katz Strategy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click to watch the TEE IT FORWARD YouTube explanatory video

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

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

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

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

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

Connecting Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sport - Gina Rizzi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kevin talks about the succes of The RBC PGA Scramble

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

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

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

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

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.

Season 5 Wrap Up / Season 6 Preview

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

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

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

Our Season 5 guests were:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PGA Merchandise Show Recap - Part 2

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

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

Latina Golfers Association

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

Tagmarshal

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

Golf Scope VR putting App

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

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

New Balance Golf Shoes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marc Simon aspired to be both a meteorologist and a PGA Tour Pro. Turns out his actual "Dream Job" is doing what he does now: running the two biggest and most innovative golf industry shows in the world. As Event Vice President of PGA Golf Exhibitions for Reed Exhibitions, Marc has a clear understanding of the golf industry trends and contributors that are evolving the game he loves.
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This week our host Colin Weston speaks to Marc before the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando to learn what it takes to put on a Business-to-Business conference of this magnitude and what industry insights has he acquired over his 20 years working on it. To learn more about The PGA Merchandise Show, check out their website and this short YouTube video.

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

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

HYPE Sports Innovation Partner Ilan Hadar

Main Entry To The PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando

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

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

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

The Exhibitor Floor at The PGA Merchandise Show

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 20 Most Important Changes to The Rules of Golf 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Images from Shots In The Night

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Special Guest: Dogu Taskiran - CEO of Stambol Studios.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inclusive Team Experiences That Connect Young Adult Golfers - Kris Hart / Nextgengolf

The ModGolf Podcast — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 08:15:00 -0700

Live Life. Play Golf. This is the philosophy Nextgengolf passionately applies to their mandate to grow golf in the 18 to 39 year old US market sector.

Nextgengolf originated as a Boston-based affordable golf membership program for recreational college students called CollegeGolfPass, which helped make golf more affordable for college students. The company expanded nationwide after merging with The National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA) in 2013. In the first year of the merger, the company started 100+ new club golf programs and supported over 10,000 student golfers.

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Over the next two years college golfers kept coming to them saying “thanks for all the help in college”, but kept asking “what do I do now?” after graduating. CollegeGolfPass and NCCGA rebranded as Nextgengolf in January 2014, knowing they could help graduating college golfers. As a result, in 2014 they developed the Nextgengolf City Tour which provides team-based golfing opportunities for young adults in their 20’s and 30’s near major cities.

Between the NCCGA and City Tour, Nextgengolf is the leading entity for golfers in their 20’s and 30’s in the US. At the core of their organization they run great golf tournaments and are in the golf experience business. Beyond running great events, they work hard to provide meaningful content and information to young adults and the golf industry at large. Nextgengolf does not focus on the best golfers, rather they support “the rest” and care about the future sustainability of golf.

This YouTube video explains what Nextgengolf does and why they do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB-tC6B3hBE

In this episode we discuss how in six years Nextgengolf has created a solution that responds to the pain points facing young golfers and their desire to get involved in an engaging, inclusive, team-based golf tournament format. Topics include:

• The history behind and the inspiration that motivated Kris Hart to create Nextgengolf.
• The National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA), an event platform to grow and support the college student golf community.

• The creation of CityTour, summer golf tournament team events for 20-39 year olds. https://nextgengolf.org/city-tour/

• The power of strategic partnerships the help move your startup forward. Nextgengolf national partner Srixon http://www.srixon.com/ and Cleveland Golf http://www.clevelandgolf.com/ along with supporting partners 18 Birdies https://18birdies.com/ Oxford https://www.oxford.co/ and Golf Channel http://www.golfchannel.com/ help provide the resources and promotional reach to grow their audience.

• Kris' desire to give back to the game he loves by taking personal responsibility to help grow golf. Kris co-chairs the Millennial Task Force for the golf industry, along with speaking engagements at the PGA Merchandise Show each January and providing thought leadership through the Nextgengolf blog. http://blog.nextgengolf.org/

• Nextgengolf's mandate to create the future of golf by innovating to align with contemporary lifestyles while respecting the proud traditions of the game.

Golf Digest wrote a very informative article on the NCCGA called "The laid-back, but competitive world of college club golf". http://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-laidback-but-competitive-world-of-college-club-golf

You can find out more about Nextgengolf and be part of the conversation on social media. Twitter https://twitter.com/nextgolfer Instagram @nextgengolfclub and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nextgengolfclub/

Special Guest: Kris Hart - Co-Founder & CEO, Nextgengolf.