Boldly Creating "The Consumer Reports For The Golf Industry" - MyGolfSpy Founder Adam Beach

11/14/23 • 39 min

"I got sick for a few years and I was getting tired of being in bed thinking about what I wanted to do. So I sent out a focus group study to golfers that had been on a list of mine from my previous business and it was a survey asking them multiple questions about what their pain points were in the golf industry. What I heard was the frustration around not knowing what club to buy, feeling like every club was marketed as better. Marketing had started to become more important than performance. The balance was out of whack. And in a moment it matched with my moral compass. My grandmother taught disabled children her whole life. I was around these kids and I didn't like seeing them being taken advantage of just like I felt golfers are being taken advantage of. I looked at my wife when I was still in bed and I said, "I'm going to start the Consumer Reports of golf" and she instantly said, "yes you are!". So I got my ass right out of bed and got to work."

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

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

We also want to thank Golf Genius Software for supporting The ModGolf Podcast since 2019!

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.

"The Golf Digest Hot List was the bible to tell golfers what to buy as a print publication at the time and they had staked claim to that. But they had yet to lay claim to the digital world, so like the wild west I wanted to put down my flag down before they did. I wanted to build trust with the most hardcore golfers out there, create a place where they could come and trust anything and everything that we put out there. Something that was honest and had integrity behind it rather than run by the manufacturers. I thought it would be 3-5 years before the manufacuturers got on board with it. I knew it would be a bit of a rub but man, was I ever wrong."

"The manufacturers not only didn't like MyGolfSpy, but they hated everything that we stood for. They tried to sue us and use any angle they could to shut us up. Manufacturers keep a lot of the small media companies quiet because of one simple thing: the small media companies and blogs didn't have a legal team but we did. I had a group behind me that knew what I was after and stood up for me as a legal team. None of these manufacturers didn't have a leg to stand on with any of these potential law suits and they knew it, and they wanted to threaten us to keep us quiet. But as soon as we fired back - and our biggest weapon was "if you want to sue us, great. But we're going to make it public and every letter you send us we be public record". To this day MyGolfSpy has never been sued and we have never taken an article down."

"The golf consumer saw that someone who was fighting for them, which is exactly why MyGolfSpy became successful. We put the consumer first and the companies last. I don't care about the corporations, I care about the golfer and how they spend their hard-earned money. I don't want golfers spending more if it does not help them improve compared to what they already own. This is a philosophy that companies are not accustomed to because it has been engrained in us that we need the newest club that comes out."

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

"When I first created MyGolfSpy my vision was to make the cream of the crop rise to the top and have all the junk go away. In order to do that there were small companies like Sub70, Vice and EvenRoll who now have bigger names partly because we leveled the play...

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

Previous Episode

"It's All About The Putt!" - Scott Lundmark, President of Adventure Golf & Sports

"I joined the business over 16 years ago, but even before that my father would talk about potential clients saying "Well, I don't know if I want miniature golf at my Family Entertainment Facility because it's kind of going out of style". But miniature golf is one of those activities and attractions that will never go out of style."... Scott Lundmark, President of Adventure Golf & Sports

Miniature Golf Fun Facts...

There are 4,383 Miniature golf courses in the United States as of September 2023.
The earliest documented mention of a miniature golf course is in the June 8, 1912 edition of The Illustrated London News, referring to a minigolf course called The Golfstacle. Even earlier, William Senhouse Clarke patented the 'Golfstacle' box kit in 1907.
The first miniature golf course in Canada was at the Maples Inn in Pointe-Claire, Quebec. The "Mapes" was constructed as a summer home in the 1890s but was renovated into a club in 1902, opened to the public in 1914, and had a miniature golf course in 1930. The popular nightspot burned in 1985.
Parkside's Whispering Pines Miniature Golf is the oldest miniature golf course in the United States. This historic gem has been entertaining visitors since its opening in 1930.
51 countries have National Minigolf Association governing bodies which are part of The World Minigolf Sport Federation. ______________________________________________

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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.

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

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

"Our business in booming right now. In fact it has grown consistently over the years and with the addition of Putt Shack, PopStroke and The Puttery, combined with the explosion of craft breweries there has been a flood of money pouring in the marketplace for miniature golf. Part of the reason is because it's attractive to all ages from six year old children all the way to great-grandparents."

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

"From a business perspective, miniature golf has high player throughput, little maintenence and low operating costs which are factors that help fuel its growth. And it's even popular for the cool, hip date night people out there!"

Episode Chapters
[02:40] Scott shares his first golf experience at 11 years old at their family run "Arne's Funland Little Duffers Miniature Golf" course.
[05:00] The origin of the family miniature golf business which all started with Scott's dad Arne Lundmark, known as "The GodFather of Mini Golf".
[07:00] Making the entrepreneurial decision around 1980 to sell their adventure park and focus on designing and building mini putt courses.
[14:00] AGS miniature golf products and their new innovations such as "Mini Links" portable golf holes.
[17:00] Who the AGS customers are and how they have expanded and diversified their client base to include cruise ships and rooftop, rollout and pop-up activations.
[22:15] Future trends and predictions on where the miniature golf industry, products and experiences are heading.
[24:45] New tech-enabled growth segments for mini-golf that have been fueled by the emergence of Topgolf, Popstroke and Putt Shack.
[25:35] AGS and Scott's commitment to eco-friendly, carbon reduced, sustainable products as their new Modular Advantage system.
[28:20] How AGS markets their products and approach to customer aquisition and retention.
[30:50] Colin askes about the most ambitious projects the AGS has designed and delivered.
[36:10] We learn the most exotic location that AGS has buil...

Next Episode

What Is Your Superpower? - Amy Bockerstette, I GOT THIS Foundation Ambassador and Down syndrome Golfer Advocate

On Jan. 29, 2019 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open’s Dream Day on the famous 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, Amy Bockerstette, who has Down syndrome, demonstrated to the golfing world what a determined athlete with self-confidence and a positive attitude can achieve.

While playing with PGA Tour players Gary Woodland and Matt Kuchar during the Tuesday practice round, Amy hit the par 3 tee shot 117 yards into a greenside bunker, splashed her sand shot to within 8 feet of the pin, and made her par putt in front of a roaring crowd. The I GOT THIS Foundation was born out of this moment, which was captured on video and has since gone viral, receiving more than 54 million views on social media platforms.

Golf is a sport where everyone plays the same game on the same field. Their vision is that people with intellectual disabilities become included in those games.

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

When I mentioned Amy's episode to the folks at British Columbia Golf they immediately wanted to support it, as one of their goals 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.

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

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

"I am strong, I am confident and I am proud to be happy. I am powerful and love my Power Pose!".... another Amy quote

Amy's dream foursome... Nick Jonas, Grant Gustin (The Flash) and Zac Efron (and PGA Tour pro and friend Gary Woodland)

Amy is active on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Click on the image below to watch our extended conversation with Amy and Joe Bockerstette on our Youtube Channel!

Episode Chapters
[02:40] Amy's introduction to golf, how old she was and who helped make it happen
[04:40] How The I GOT THIS Foundation was born from Amy's experience at The 2019 Phoenix WM Open
[08:00] Joe shares what happened after Amy made her amazing par at The Phoenix Open
[09:25] Amy and Joe talk about the friendship that blossomed with PGA Tour player Gary Woodland
[12:25] The decision to start and the effort needed to build The I GOT THIS Foundation
[15:35] Amy's superpowers and her speaking engagements in support of neurodiverse people
[18:15] Amy's "Superpower club", her favourite shot type and the most memorable shots she has hit
[20:40] Who's in Amy's "Dream Foursome" SPOILER Nick Jonas is one of them!
[22:00] Future goals and aspirations for Amy and The I GOT THIS Foundation
[25:50] How society has changed it's perception regarding what people like Amy can accomplish
[26:50] "Amy's Village" and the community surrounding her with support and encouragement

I GOT THIS Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, has a mission to promote golf instruction and playing opportunities for people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities.

By providing golf instruction, playing opportunities, and organized events, they strive to teach...