LIVE From The 2023 PGA Show!

02/03/23 • 20 min

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!

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

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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 and CEO of TeeMates Golf.

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.

______________________________________________

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

______________________________________________

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.

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 and CEO of TeeMates Golf.

Previous Episode

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

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."

______________________________________________

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+.

Next Episode

NO RISK = NO FUN - Jillian Johnson, Founder of #LEGS, The Ladies Executive Golf Society

"Perfection is the opposite of GO!"... Jillian Johnson - #LEGS Ladies Executive Golf Society

My first job in Jacksonville was caddying at Sawgrass and woman I met at the club said, "I really want to learn how to golf". But you're not going to go out on your own and practice putting. You wouldn't go out on a range if you have no idea what you're doing and no clubs. So figured I might as well start something for all levels. Whether you are a Collegiate golfer or someone who has never touched a club before, the vision was to create an experience where women could really experience the magic that happens on the golf course in a female friendly way.
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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

______________________________________________

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

"If you want something bad enough, you can make it happen"

"How do I want to be remembered? As the insurance lady or for doing something cool and different that makes a positive impact in women's lives?"

"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 Jillian on her bio page, along with checking out the #LEGS website.

Episode Chapters
[04:00] Jillian provides us with an overview of #LEGS Ladies Executive Golf Society.
[06:20] Jillian shares the "AHA moment" that led to the creation of #LEGS.
[07:30] We learn about the people that encouraged Jillian to take the entrepreneurial leap.
[10:00] "It all started with a flyer and a sticker!" We hear about the first #LEGS pilot event in South Florida that helped inform the business model.
[12:50] "Perfection is the opposite of GO." Jillian shares how she applied The Lean Startup approach to #LEGS.
[15:30] Jillian talks about getting over the fear of failure and embracing a mindset of growth and curiousity as an entrepreneur.
[17:00] "So what do women really want from golf?" We learn where Jillian drew inspiration from to create the #LEGS experience.
[21:40] Colin asks Jillian how #LEGS attracts and onboards non-golfing women like his wife.
[28:40] Jillian discusses the #LEGS growth plan for creating chapters in every state of the US.
[31:30] Jillian shares some inspiring #LEGS member success stories.
[34:00] Colin asks how women listening can learn about starting a #LEGS chapter in their community.
[36:10] Jillian talks about the future for #LEGS and the launch of thier upcoming "Swinging To Success" series.
[38:30] Jillian explains the benefits #LEGS offers for golf courses, women golfers and sponsor partners.

Special Guest: Jillian Johnson - Founder of #LEGS - The Ladies Executive Golf Society ⛳️.