Advertise on podcast: Course Record Show

In the first edition of Quick 9—a shorter, more focused version of the Course Record Show—I sit down with Kris Hart, who run innovation at the PGA of America. Kris talks EP Golf Ventures, the organization’s dedicated innovation fund, and how they evaluate opportunities at the intersection of golf, technology, and business. The conversation explores the challenge of separating passion projects from scalable investments, betting on people vs products, and how the PGA’s 30K+ members, Frisco campus, and Championships serve as a powerful real-world testing and feedback network.  Please like, subscribe, and pass along to a friend if you dig our conversation. 

In this episode we connect with Jamie Ledford, President of Golf Pride.  We discuss the golf grip industry, how the product is positioned for golfers, supply chain issues and Jamie's unique career trajectory.  You'll likely think differently about your golf grip after hearing Jamie speak.  Enjoy, tell a friend and subscribe for future content!

In this episode we talk to Jay Karen, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA).  Jay represents the supply side of the golf industry, helping owners and operators collaborate on joint issues that are relevant to the business.  We discuss tee times, the complex governance in golf, congressional hearings and even daylight savings time.  Enjoy!

Michael Jolly is Director of Tour Operations for Cleveland/Srixon Golf.  In our conversation, we cover a lot of what goes on behind the scenes at every TOUR stop, how OEMs spot players to contract as ambassadors and the role that professional golf plays in reaching the general golfing public.  Enjoy!

Matt Welter is CEO of Dormy House (www.dormydevelopment.com), a real estate development company focused on destination golf.  Matt's story as a caddie and relationship with Mike Keiser (owner of Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley and Cabot Cape Breton) led to him solving an underappreciated problem in the golf industry.  Matt shares his vision, founding story and how he sees the housing shortage problem for golf resorts.  Enjoy!

In this episode, Chad Mumm joins Roberto for an in-depth conversation.  Chad shares some behind the curtains views of Full Swing (where he is the Executive Producer), the development of his company Pro Shop and how he sees the opportunity for golf entertainment for the years ahead. Full Swing season 3 drops on Netflix on February 25, 2025.

Golf business stories from 2024, plus some inside the ropes talk. We talk TOUR, LIV, DP World (3:30), big job openings across golf (5:40), Scottie/Xander/Rory (11:00), Nelly/Hovland/Ludvig/Clanton (17:00), Creator/Influencers/SimGolf Market (23:30), and finally...Castro gets back inside the ropes! (31:00).  Thanks to Holderness & Bourne for the support!  Subscribe if you enjoy!

Roberto speaks to Joe Assell, Founder and CEO of Golftec.  Joe shares his journey from PGA Professional to Founder, the expansion of Golftec, how digital plays a role in the company's future plans and more.  Enjoy!

In this episode, Roberto and Dan break down the highlights from the past season in golf and share some of the developments they're looking to keep an eye on over the offseason.

In this episode, we cover the renovation at East Lake Golf Club and the implications for the TOUR Championship.  Chad Parker (GM and President, East Lake Golf Club) and Alex Urban (Executive Director, TOUR Championship) give us their views on how the renovation impacts the club operations, what to look out for when watching the TOUR Championship and what clubs should think about when undergoing such a project.  Enjoy!

In this episode we discuss the book "Deane Beman, Golf's Driving Force" with author Adam Schupak.  We unpack some of the most unexpected plot twists in the book, how the former PGA Tour Commissioner went about his business and the parallels to the state of men's professional golf today.  Enjoy, like and subscribe!

Alex Prasad is CEO of V1 Sports, maker of video swing analysis software apps for golfers and coaches.  In this episode we discuss the origins of the company, what makes golf swing improvement a business opportunity and how Alex approaches his management of the company.  Enjoy! If you like this episode, share it with a friend, subscribe and write a review.

In this episode we speak with Nick Venson, founder and CEO of SWAG Golf.  SWAG is a bold brand in the golf space, selling putters, wedges and accessories with a twist.  Nick shares the origins of the company, how his background helped shape the brand and the twists and turns along the way that make SWAG's story unique.  Enjoy! If you like this kind of content, please subscribe to the show, leave a review and tell a friend.  Thank you!

In this episode, we review "Rainmaker," the recently published book by former golf superagent Hughes Norton.  We cover the major business lessons from the book and highlight the snippets that make the book memorable.  Lots of great nuggets about Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer and the making of IMG make this book unique.  Enjoy the episode!

This episode has something for everyone!  We talk Golf/Succession Comps (1:05) PLAYERS takeaways (10:15) Callaway spinoff (18:07) LA Muni Golf Drama (19:42) then take a deeper dive on Board Governance including the new TOUR structure (24:00) Enjoy, subscribe, send to a friend! #CRS #GolfBusiness #Golf #Business #podcast