The ModGolf Podcast talks with golf's top influencers, entrepreneurs, innovators and disruptors about their vision and ventures that are re-imagining, transforming and growing both the game and $100 billion/year industry. The ModGolf Podcast has been ranked #4 on 2025 most comprehensive list of Top 25 Golf Podcasts, based on our quality and consistency of posts, industry expert reviews and social media influence/popularity. Please subscribe to The ModGolf Podcast to help us grow and move up the rankings in 2026! We'd love to hear from you! Have any ideas or guests you'd like to hear on future episodes? Contact Colin directly here (https://modgolf.fireside.fm/contact) or on Instagram @modgolfpodcast (https://www.instagram.com/modgolfpodcast/) to start the conversation.
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The ModGolf Podcast talks with golf's top influencers, entrepreneurs, innovators and disruptors about their vision and solutions to re-imagine, transform and grow the game. Host Colin Weston explores the future of golf through conversations with the visionaries and influencers that are shaking up the sport. Thanks for joining us and please subscribe to our newsletter for your chance to win golf products we love in our latest #ModGolfGiveaway contest!
Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!
As the creator and host of The ModGolf Podcast and YouTube channel I've been telling golf entrepreneurship and innovation stories since May 2017 and I love the community of ModGolfers that we are building.
I 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.
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.
I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin
We'd love to hear from you! Have any ideas or guests you'd like to hear on future episodes? Email me at colin@modgolfpodcast.com to start the conversation.
Want to listen to our most downloaded episode? That would be our conversation with Blue Ocean Strategy co-author Professor Renée Mauborgne! Click to listen in.
Special Guests: Jared Solomon, CEO and Co-Founder of Five Iron Golf and Renée Mauborgne - Co-author of Blue Ocean Strategy and Blue Ocean Shift.
SEASON 15 WRAP-UP / SEASON 16 PREVIEW
Season 15
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 • Duration 25:19
That's a wrap for Season 15 of The ModGolf Podcast! Our team is currently working on your next twelve episodes for Season 16, which launches in mid September 2024. We heard some amazing stories from a diverse group of guests who discussed how inclusion, technology, entertainment, music, celebrity, hospitality and community building intersect to shape the future of golf.
We want to thank Golf Genius Software for presenting this episode of The ModGolf Podcast!
Are you a golf course owner, manager or operator looking to increase both your profit margins and on-course experience? Golf Genius powers tournament management at over 10,000 private clubs, public courses, resorts, golf associations, and tours in over 60 countries. So if you’re a golf professional or course operator who wants to save time, deliver exceptional golfer experiences, and generate more revenue, check them out online at golfgenius.com.
If you didn’t get the chance to listen to all of our twelve Season 15 episodes, this bonus show gives you a recap of the great conversations I had with some of the golf industry's top influencers, innovators and entrepreneurs. Hopefully this will inspire you to listen to a couple of the episodes listed below. Let us know which ones you enjoyed the most and why you liked them!
Our Season 15 guests were:
Episode 1 David Hinkle and Rio Valeriano - T36 Golf Co-Founders
"We’re flipping the script on traditional golf and redefining the sport for a new generation of golfers" T36 Golf Co-Founders David Hinkle and Rio Valeriano join host Colin Weston to share how their "Double Loop" design delivers a full 18-hole game experience with a smaller environmental footprint and shorter playtime. Click to listen >>CREATING A NEW TYPE OF GOLF
Episode 2
- CEO and Founder of BucketGolf
"Seeing my roommate throw his clothes into his pop-up laundry hamper, I realized that I should instead make retractable pop-up buckets which cut our product cost almost in half." Tyler Simmons - CEO and Founder of BucketGolf shares how they have created a portable, fun golf game that anyone can enjoy almost anywhere.
Learn By Doing And Just Keep Moving Forward - Jared Solomon, CEO and Co-Founder of Five Iron Golf
Season 15
Tuesday, April 30, 2024 • Duration 39:18
"We made a million-dollar mistake on the build-out. We thought plumbing could work one way. It couldn't. It's tough for a company that was started with the money that we had at the time, but you make those mistakes and move on, learn from it and don't dwell on it."
Jared's Five Iron Golf story begins in early 2015 with Mike Doyle teaching simulator lessons in the back of a men’s clothing store in midtown Manhattan. As the demand for Mike’s lessons grew throughout 2015 and 2016, Mike and student Jared started dreaming about an indoor facility where Mike could teach more lessons and golfers could work to improve their games — all while flipping standard golf culture on its head and appealing to everyone.
We want to welcome our new Episode Presenting Partner Synthetic Turf International!
Synthetic Turf International - also known as STI - is the industry’s premier producer and supplier of high-quality, natural-looking grass products for residential and commercial applications, both indoors and out.
I have collaborated on projects and ventures with STI for over 10 years through my Sport Entertainment company, so I have seen first hand how innovative, passionate, and creative they are.
Speaking of Synthetic Turf International clients, Five Iron Golf has installed their turf products in the majority of their venues.
If you are considering an artificial landscaped grass lawn, a putting green, golf tee lines and hitting mats, a synthetic sports field, playground turf or a dog park, then I highly recommend STI for your next project. And all of STI's grass products are crafted completely in-house and proudly made in America.
To learn more about the endless synthetic turf application and installation possibilities that Synthetic Turf International has to offer, contact them at .
Creating The Next Generation of Golf Entertainment Experiences - David Grieshaber, Gamerz Golf
Season 8
Wednesday, December 2, 2020 • Duration 36:36
How do you create new value in the expanding $10 billion golf entertainment sector? Our host Colin Weston sits down with entrepreneur, investor and Gamerz Golf CIO David Grieshaber to learn they are combining mobile gaming, user experience design, augmented reality, environmental sustainability, eSports and architectural design to create the next generation of Golf Entertainment Centers.
"Where I see this market going is the games will become more video game-like, they’ll become episodal, iterative, level based and more addictive. All the venues currently in market have taken the model of a driving range or golf game and tried to create a video game built upon that. Where we differ is that we’re in the heart of Xbox, PlayStation and mobile game land. We’re going with that direction. We’re going to take video game quality, PS4, PS5 type of games and downgrade them to become driving range games. That will be a major differentiator in what we are doing with the technology."
"You can hit the ball and look up as the ball is flying through the air you’d see a tracer following it as it lands in a target and you see explosions everywhere with points flying up in the air. So that is what’s called a “Glasses-less AR (augmented reality) experience”. That’s the direction I think is coming to this scenario in the future and what we’ve been working on as a solution for several years."
Click on the image below to check out our extended conversation with David on our Youtube Channel!
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To learn more about Gamerz Golf, visit their website >> http://Gamerz.Golf
Enter our latest #ModGolfGiveaway Contest to win an Edison Wedge!
Sign up to our newsletter () to enter for a chance to win an Edison Wedge. You choose the loft, shaft type and grip to customize it to your liking!
How A Human-Centered Design Approach Leads To Innovative Golf Products - Scott Moore / Garmin International
Season 8
Tuesday, November 17, 2020 • Duration 29:23
"If you don’t have a “Why Garmin?” then why are we even proposing to make this? So when I go to pitch any product idea, for say the next generation golf watch, I can’t just state “let's make this just because we’re Garmin and we have a lot of success with the last one”. I have to propose some benefit for the customer which is why they will be compelled to buy this. Our host Colin Weston sits down with Golf Product Manager Scott Moore to learn how Garmin approaches their design process through rapid prototyping, user experience feedback and a passionate desire to continually innovate.
"Why will the customer go from the previous version or a competitor’s product to this one? That mentality that we have of always trying to add benefit to our products and not just churn out a bunch of similar products and put lipstick on it and say it’s good now, we are looking to add value every time we create a new product. It’s not just something our leadership says, at every level we always ask that question “Why Garmin?”.
Click on the image below to check out our extended conversation with Scott on our Youtube Channel!
Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!
As the creator and host of The ModGolf Podcast and YouTube channel I've been telling golf entrepreneurship and innovation stories since May 2017 and I love the community of ModGolfers that we are building.
I'm excited to announce that I just launched our ModGolf Patreon page to bring together our close-knit community of golf-loving people! As my Patron you will get access to exclusive live monthly interactive shows where you can participate, ask-me-anything video events, bonus content, golf product discounts and entry in members-only ModGolf Giveaway contests.
I'm offering two monthly membership tiers at $5 and $15 USD, but you can also join for free. Your subscription will ensure that The ModGolf Podcast continues to grow so that I can focus on creating unique and impactful stories that support and celebrate the future of golf.
Powering PGA Tour Fan Engagement To Expand Tournament Viewership - Reid Fowler / DraftKings PGA Analyst
Season 8
Monday, November 9, 2020 • Duration 39:41
What can golf learn from other pro sport leagues when it comes to how content is consumed, fan engagement is amplified, and collective experiences are heightened? Host Colin Weston speaks with DraftKings PGA Fantasy Sports & Betting Analyst Reid Fowler as he shares how they create fun, memorable experiences for every demographic of sports fan.
Want to see what all the fuss is about with the DraftKings One Million Dollar Masters Contest? Or like me, you want to dip your toe in the sports betting pool and place $20 on a six player Masters "team"? Then check out the DraftKings website or mobile app to put some skin in the game and have some fun!
DraftKings’ has launched the first ever multi-sport $100K free-to-play pool combining The Masters and NFL Sunday. Also, in a study of over 1,000 fans of both football and golf, DraftKings found 77% are interested in engaging with multisport gaming.
Click on the image below to check out our extended conversation with Reid on our Youtube Channel!
Our Top 3 Reid Fowler Quotes From This Episode
Number 3
“How do you capture pro golf coverage without spending a ton of money on infrastructure and technology? The logistics of how you film golf at a PGA tournament, you’re talking about acres and acres of land. It’s just not feasible. How do you increase engagement on a Thursday and Friday at a golf tournament? Well there has to be a push on how golf is being consumed. When I was at Sawgrass for The PLAYERS Championship, they were pushing the technology so that you could see every single shot from every player, whether it be live or you click on the player to see that shot. Now at The Masters, they’re introducing an app so you can choose your favourite golfers and follow them and see every shot. That is going to increase viewership and the ability to engage. When looking to monetize golf tournament viewing, there are a lot of opportunities with this. That is where golf needs to progress. While the tournament is being played, how do get golf on TV and digital platforms sooner rather than later."
Applying a Startup Mindset To Innovate Club Experiences - Robert Sereci, Medinah Country Club
Season 8
Monday, October 26, 2020 • Duration 42:53
“In any industry, especially in our industry one needs to have an entrepreneurial mindset. But the challenge is this: in most clubs it’s not that my fellow club managers lack imagination or innovation. They are pretty bright folks. It’s through no fault of their own but the challenge is that we work in an environment where we change boards frequently, presidents every couple of years and the fear of failure in most clubs is so high that it prevents the management team from experimenting and innovating because the tolerance for failure is very small. Fortunately for us at Medinah we have educated and have the support of the board so that I have a pretty large safely net. So for as many ideas that have succeeded we have an equal amount that have failed. But you know what, it’s okay. We want our employees and our team to think outside the box because just like I have a safety net, I want to provide them with a safety net as well.”
Host Colin Weston speaks with Medinah Country Club GM/COO Robert Sereci to learn how he took an innovator's mindset to transform the iconic golf venue to become a vibrant, welcoming, experience-based community.
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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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Hired at Medinah in 2015, Robert is a strong collaborator and team builder, and has worked to strengthen and empower the Medinah brand. In 2016, Robert worked with his board, management, and membership to roll out “Medinah 2020,” a comprehensive $25 million phased club improvement plan. All of these investments will move Medinah Country Club into a more modern era of membership enhancements and strengthens its community.
Harnessing A Love For Golf To Fuel Their Entrepreneurial Hustle - Is and Kat Shee / Shee Golfs
Season 8
Tuesday, October 13, 2020 • Duration 35:12
“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 YouTube channel, where they provide helpful golf tips and create fun, engaging content with their female golf friends.
Building Educational And Entertaining Content For Passionate Consumers - Malcolm Scovil, Imagine Golf
Season 8
Wednesday, September 30, 2020 • Duration 34:57
“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.”
Applying 40 Years Of Golf Entrepreneurship To Innovate Wedge Design - Terry Koehler, Edison Golf
Season 8
Monday, September 21, 2020 • Duration 36:06
“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.
Episode 3 Nick Darby - UK non-profit Get Golfing
"It was such a shame seeing all these beautiful golf courses going downhill. So our job is to save as many courses as we can to keep golf flourishing." - Nick Darby with UK non-profit Get Golfing shares how they are on a mission to revolutionize the golfing experience. Click to listen >> A NON-PROFIT ON A MISSION TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE GOLFING EXPERIENCE
Episode 4 Jared Solomon - CEO of Five Iron Golf
"It doesn't matter that we made a million dollar mistake, let's keep moving forward and learn as we go". Jared Solomon - CEO of Five Iron Golf joins host Colin Weston to share how four co-founders built a successful indoor golf entertainment business starting from the back room of a Manhattan men's clothing store. Click to listen >> LEARN BY DOING AND JUST KEEP MOVING FORWARD
Episode 5 Carolin Pinegger - "The Golf Pitch Challenge"
"I felt like I was treading water and not because I wasn't working hard enough. I was doing my very best and wasn't getting where I wanted to be. I needed to pivot and change!" Golf entrepreneur and Ex-Pro Golfer Carolin Pinegger shares her personal story and latest collaborative venture: The "Shark Tank for Golf Innovators" called The Golf Pitch Challenge. Click to listen >>EMBRACE CHANGE TO FUEL ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS
Episode 6 Ann Liguori - Author of "Life On The Green"
To celebrate her recent book "Life on the green - lessons and wisdom from legends in golf" host Colin Weston creates a game show called "Who Said That??" to test Ann's ability to recall quotes from the dozen stories told. We hope you like this fun and inspiring episode as much as we enjoyed making it! Click to listen >>TAKING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL APPROACH TO BUILD A CAREER IN SPORT JOURNALISM
Episode 7 Igor Vainshtein - Founder GolfTrak.app
Entrepreneur Igor Vainshtein joins us to share his incredible journey that started when his parents immigrated to Australia from the former USSR with $200 and no English skills whatsoever. We discuss the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and Igor's passion to constantly innovate and create products that customers want. Click to listen >>EMBRACING LESSONS: WISDOM GAINED FROM FAILURE
Episode 8 A BRIEF HISTORY OF SYNTHETIC TURF
Known initially by names such as AstroTurf, ModSod and Artificial Turf, we explore the origins of synthetic sport surfacing with a focus on applications in the golf industry. Host Colin Weston speaks with subject matter experts Bob Johnston (Principal, JSA Sport Architecture) and Jeffery McDaniel (Synthetic Turf International) to uncover the history and explore the future of this multi-billion dollar industry. Click to listen >>A BRIEF HISTORY OF SYNTHETIC TURF
Episode 9 Tim Briand - Foresight Sports
So how do golf launch monitors work and what is the technology behind them? Tim Briand with Foresight Sports joins host Colin Weston for an engaging and in-depth conversation about the massive growth in the launch monitor sector for both the professional player on the range and the recreational player having fun in a golf simulator. Click to listen >>TECH-DRIVEN PRODUCTS THAT BOTH TRAIN AND ENTERTAIN
Episode 10 Kevin Carpenter - The GratiDude / Grateful 4 Golf
"I am perfectly content helping one person at a time, as every ripple makes a wave". Kevin Carpenter, aka The GratiDude joins us to share the impactful work he takes on through his Grateful 4 Golf non-profit program and his discovery of "The superpower of meditation". Click to listen >>SHARING AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
Episode 11 Jeff Nicholson - VertaCat Mobility Riders
Stand tall, roam free, and “Stand and play the VertaCat way”. Jeff Nicholson joins host Colin Weston to share how their 70 year old manufacturing company saw an opportunity to give back to the sport they love by creating the VertaCat all-terrain mobility rider for paraplegic athletes. Click to listen >>"THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE MY LIFE!"
Episode 12 Barney Adams - Adams Golf Founder / CEO of Breakthrough Golf Technology
We are joined by golf industry icon and entrepreneurial legend Barney Adams, who shares the trials, tribulations and successes he has encountered over his career that spans more than five decades. This episode provides you with lessons learned, key takeaways and nuggets of wisdom from one of golf's most successful entrepreneurs. Click to listen >>IF YOU DON'T LOVE IT DON'T DO IT
Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!
As the creator and host of The ModGolf Podcast and YouTube channel I've been telling golf entrepreneurship and innovation stories since May 2017 and I love the community of ModGolfers that we are building.
I'm excited to announce that I just launched our ModGolf Patreon page to bring together our close-knit community of golf-loving people! As my Patron you will get access to exclusive live monthly interactive shows where you can participate, ask-me-anything video events, bonus content, golf product discounts and entry in members-only ModGolf Giveaway contests.
I'm offering two monthly membership tiers at $5 and $15 USD, but you can also join for free. Your subscription will ensure that The ModGolf Podcast continues to grow so that I can focus on creating unique and impactful stories that support and celebrate the future of golf.
I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin
Special Guests: Ann Liguori - award-winning sport’s talk show host, Barney Adams, Founder of Adams Golf and CEO, Breakthrough Golf Technology, Bob Johnston, Principal at JSA Sport Architecture Inc., Carolin Pinegger - CEO of David Leadbetter Entrerprises / The Golf Pitch Challenge / Online Golf Coach, David Hinkle - Co-Founder and Principal at T36 Golf, Igor Vainshtein - Founder of GolfTrak.app, Jared Solomon, CEO and Co-Founder of Five Iron Golf, Jeffrey McDaniel - Global Director of Business Development at Synthetic Turf International, Jeffrey Nicholson - Chief Marketing Officer with VertaCat, Kevin Carpenter, The GratiDude / US Managing Director for AM GOLF, Nick Darby - Golf Retail Sales Manager at Get Golfing, Rio Valeriano - Co-Founder and Principal at T36 Golf, Tim Briand - Director Of Business Development at Foresight Sports, and Tyler Simmons - CEO and Founder of BucketGolf.
"At our Las Vegas location we originally had a putting green in the center. We realized that nobody wanted a putting green. And so we put in shuffleboard. Nobody wanted shuffleboard and we put in the high top tables where people could just drink and were like, "Okay, this is what people want". And I like to believe that I've cultivated the spirit with the other Founders that it doesn't matter what happened, let's move forward. We're literally inventing a concept over here. The best thing that we can do is test and fail, test and fail and move forward and take everything that we've learned and hopefully use those for the franchises and our own future corporate stores and do the best that we can."
Episode Chapters
03:20: How and when Jared was introduced to golf
04:40: The Five Iron Golf origin story. Spoiler: it involves hitting balls in the back of a Manhattan men's clothing store!
07:15: Jared explains how he and the three other co-founders mustered up the courage to launch Five Iron Golf
10:10: The story behind the first Five Iron Golf location opening in mid-town Manhattan
12:50: How Five Iron creates experiences for both the casual and passionate golfer without alienating either one of the groups
16:15: "We want our Five Iron locations to look like modern art museums". Jared discusses their design guidelines and how grafitti art became the focal point for their brand vision
19:10: How Five Iron finds and hires artists to collaborate at each of their venue around the US
20:45: Selection of the Five Iron Golf name and logo design
23:40: How Five Iron scaled from one location to 25 and counting
26:50: Jared's thoughts on starting a company and when to bring in outside investment
28:10: Franchising vs the owership model for venue locations
29:30: Mistakes made along the way and what the leadership team has learned from them
32:50: The power of partnerships and collaborating with golf brands and influencers
34:10: What the future has in store for Five Iron Golf
You can also learn more about Jared on his bio page.
Want to learn more about Five Iron Golf, find out if there's a location near you and to book a fun experience for you and your friends? Have a look at the Five Iron Golf website or email Jared Solomon at jared@fiveirongolf.com
With Mike and Jared clueless as to how to actually execute their grand idea, the final two co-founders, summer camp friends Nora Dunnan and Katherine Solomon (also Jared’s wife) entered the scene. With Nora operating the ship and Katherine navigating through some early legal storms, Five Iron Golf was launched and open for business in mid-2017.
Five Iron has quickly re-shaped Manhattan's golf culture, growing from Mike’s original lesson crew to a re-imagined, high-tech, inclusive urban golf experience for golfers and non-golfers alike. Five Iron is for everyone.
For the serious golfer, Five Iron hosts ten Full Swing simulators, a Trackman lesson studio, four teaching professionals, lessons, club storage, showers, practice time, leagues, 100% top-of-the line clubs to use (complimentary), and in-house club fitting specialists Club Champion.
We want to thank Golf Genius Software who have supported The ModGolf Podcast since 2019!
Are you a golf course owner, manager or operator looking to increase both your profit margins and on-course experience? Golf Genius powers tournament management at over 10,000 private clubs, public courses, resorts, golf associations, and tours in over 60 countries. So if you’re a golf professional or course operator who wants to save time, deliver exceptional golfer experiences, and generate more revenue, check them out online at golfgenius.com.
Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!
As the creator and host of The ModGolf Podcast and YouTube channel I've been telling golf entrepreneurship and innovation stories since May 2017 and I love the community of ModGolfers that we are building.
I'm excited to announce that I just launched our ModGolf Patreon page to bring together our close-knit community of golf-loving people! As my Patron you will get access to exclusive live monthly interactive shows where you can participate, ask-me-anything video events, bonus content, golf product discounts and entry in members-only ModGolf Giveaway contests.
I'm offering two monthly membership tiers at $5 and $15 USD, but you can also join for free. Your subscription will ensure that The ModGolf Podcast continues to grow so that I can focus on creating unique and impactful stories that support and celebrate the future of golf.
You can also enter the contest by subscribing to The ModGolf YouTube channel and leaving the comment "Enter me in The #ModGolfGiveaway Contest!" for the Edison Wedges ModGolf Product Review video.
Contest closes at 11pm ET Friday December 11 2020.
Special Guest: David Grieshaber - CIO at Gamerz Golf.
I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin
Special Guest: Scott Moore - Product Manager at Garmin International.
Number 2
"When you're watching sports - and maybe it’s just bragging rights with your buddies - but when you have a stake in the game it makes it way more engaging and entertaining. DraftKings has created a platform to amplify the fan engagement around the PGA Tour, especially during those early rounds of a tournament."
Number 1
"Golf is the closest to NFL football when you talk about how fans interaction with fantasy games. The cadence on how someone builds a fantasy football lineup is so similar to golf because it is week-to-week. I saw this correlation and said this is something we should really focus on because engagement heavily increased in the 18 to 35 year old demographic, especially on the Thursday and Friday of a PGA event when viewership is historically the lowest over the four days of a tournament."
At the end of this episode I ask Reid about DraftKings' role as an ethical corporate citizen regarding gambling addiction. I was pleased to hear that DraftKings takes this seriously and continues to expand their education and support for people struggling with with a gambling problem. While the vast majority of people enjoy gambling without falling into addiction, the prevalence rate for persons who veer into pathological gambling and potential life-ruining consequences is about 2.2 percent in the U.S., per 2014 findings by the National Council on Problem Gambling.
With an expansion of legal sports wagering in the U.S., a new cohort of citizens, however small, will get introduced to sports betting and struggle to find the line between entertainment and addiction. If you or someone you love struggle with their relationship with gambling, please reach out to Gamblers Anonymous
Special Guest: Reid Fowler - DraftKings PGA Fantasy Sports & Betting Analyst.
Prior to Medinah Country Club, Robert was GM of The American Club in Hong Kong, a 3000-member club founded in 1925. He has been COO of Northwood Club in Dallas and Gaillardia Country Club in Oklahoma City. In addition to being a Certified Club Manager, Robert holds a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Cal Poly Pomona and an MBA from Georgia State University.
Check out our extended conversation with Robert on our Youtube Channel!
Special Guest: Robert Sereci - GM / COO at Medinah Country Club.
Special Guest: Is Shee - Golf Entrepreneur and YouTube/Instagram Influencer.
“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.”
“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.
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.
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Spotify
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