Getting Off Course Podcast

Matt Holder is the founder of Loop, a tee time engine that helps golfers book the best tee times at their favorite local courses. In this episode, we discuss Matt's experiences in the world of technology, and how those experiences prepared him to launch this new marketplace.

Topics include:

• Matt's golf origin story
• Matt's relationship to golf today
• Why Matt pursued a BA in Economics
• Working for Trulia, Zillow, Houzz and Cargurus
• Predictions for the future of golf and technology
• Whether or not technology will make us better golfers
• Taking an idea from vision to reality
• Responding to user feedback
• Challenges to building a tee time marketplace
• How Loop is monetized

We finished the episode with a 10 question lightning round that included a few questions about Matt's rec league softball team.

Would Matt rather be known for base hits or home runs? You'll have to listen in to find out.

This episode is presented by Chasing Aces and Par 3 Near Me.

Tony Starks is a copywriter for TaylorMade Golf and a recent contestant on ABC's Holey Moley. In this episode, we discuss Tony's 15 year career in the world of golf, as well as his experience on Stephen Curry's extreme mini golf show.

Topics include:

• How Tony first heard about Holey Moley
• How Tony became a contestant
• The application and recruiting process
• The recording process
• Holes that Tony was hoping to avoid
• Outfit selection
• Bad breaks
• The Morehouse College experience
• How Tony became a golf writer
• Early job takeaways
• Perks of working in the golf industry
• Challenges of working in the golf industry
• A typical day as a TaylorMade copywriter
• Dealing with deadlines
• Other TaylorMade initiatives

We finished the episode with a 10 question lightning round.

How does Tony really feel about playing mini golf with a Callaway ball? You'll have to listen in to find out.

This episode is presented by Chasing Aces and Par 3 Near Me.

Andrew is the founder of The Petcash Post, an email newsletter focusing on the business of athletes and sports. He played division 1 basketball at Boston University and is a great resource when it comes to understanding NIL deals. We talked about his popular newsletter, college basketball, and NIL.

Topics include:

• How Andrew came up with the idea for The Petcash Post
• Building a business through email
• Having an entrepreneurial spirit
• Choosing topics for the newsletter
• Dealing with the pressure of the newsletter
• Growing your subscriber base
• Dealing with criticisms
• Monetizing The Petcash Post
• How Andrew ended up at Boston University
• A D1 basketball player's schedule
• Should college athletes get paid?
• Do NIL deals solve the compensation problem?
• The best ways to profit from NIL
• Setting yourself up for NIL success

We started (and finished) with a 5 question lightning round.

This episode is presented by Chasing Aces and Par 3 Near Me.

Scott is a golf course designer, greenkeeping consultant and retired superintendent. One of Scott's projects includes the recently opened Gravel Pit Golf Course in Brainerd, Minnesota. We talked about this unique project and other design-centric questions.

Topics include:

• Scott's early connection to golf
• Pursuing a turfgrass management degree at Michigan State
• Early lessons as a superintendent
• Exploring golf course design
• The Gravel Pit Golf Course design
• Advantages and disadvantages of building on a gravel pit
• Hours logged in the design phase
• Random tasks and factors to consider
• Finding water
• The short course trend
• Seeing your design work come to life

We wrap everything up with a 5 question lightning round.

Need a few reasons to visit Minnesota? Scott gives his pitch.

This episode is presented by Chasing Aces.

Zach and Andy Pessagno are the owners of Chasing Fowl Photography. These brothers teamed up several years ago to launch a golf-centric photography business that captures moments both on and off the course. In this episode, we talk about how they got started and what they've learned along the way. Topics include:

• Their journey into photography
• Growing up on the golf course
• Who to trust in a life or death golf situation
• Golf misery stories
• Chasing Fowl Photography
• First clients
• Early lessons learned
• Key equipment
• The challenges of sports photography
• Capturing the perfect shot
• Favorite gigs

We ended with a 10 question lightning round.

Which famous musician would Zach like to photograph in concert? I promise you'll never guess this one. Listen in to have your mind blown.

This episode is presented by Chasing Aces.

Abby Liebenthal is President and Founder of Fore the Ladies, Inc as well as the Senior Manager of Championship Marketing for the United States Golf Association (USGA). In this episode, we discuss:

• Abby's career in golf
• Some key takeaways from Abby's jobs along the way
• Identifying skillsets and passions
• Abby's role at the USGA
• Launching Fore the Ladies
• Some of the barriers that keep women from exploring golf
• The growth of Fore the Ladies
• Growing pains
• Content creation for amateur golfers
• The future of Fore the Ladies

We wrap everything up with a 5 question lightning round.

Abby has lived in 8 different U.S. states. Which one is her favorite? You'll have to listen in to find out.

This episode is presented by Chasing Aces.

Lauren is one of the top 100 female golfers in the world, and she was kind enough to offer a quick glimpse into the life of a professional golfer. In this episode, we talk day-to-day life, tournament preparation, sponsorships and more. Discussions include:

• The work that goes into becoming a professional golfer
• Moving to Dallas
• Life on non-tournament weeks
• Life on the days leading up to a tournament
• Tournament questions
• Overcoming bad rounds
• Maintaining momentum during good rounds
• The disparity in LPGA & PGA payouts
• What Lauren does with tournament winnings
• How sponsorships work

We ended our time together with a 10 question lightning round.

Did Lauren cry when the University of Alabama (her alma mater) lost to Georgia in college football national title game? You'll have to listen in to find out.

This episode is presented by Chasing Aces.

Ronan Galvin is the co-founder of Sunday Golf, a company that specializes in lightweight golf bags and other gear for the casual golfer. In this episode, we dive into the world of product development. Ronan offers some great insights for anyone looking to turn a product idea into a reality. Topics include:

• How Sunday Golf came to be
• The first steps for turning an idea into a reality
• Developing a prototype
• Moving into production
• Lessons learned from living in China
• Misconceptions about China
• How to choose a partner for production
• Horror stories
• Sunday Golf's first order
• Finding customers
• Dealing with competitors
• The Loma Bag

We wrap everything up with a 10 question lightning round. 

You'll have to listen in to hear about some of Ronan's memorable experiences with Chinese cuisine.

This episode is presented by Chasing Aces.

Jeff Peart is a former semi-pro basketball player turned golf enthusiast. In 2021, he launched his own golf brand called Chasing Aces. We talk a ton of basketball in this podcast, giving the listener a glimpse into the world of semi-pro competition. We then pivot to golf and talk about the origin story of Chasing Aces. The show covers:

• Jeff's introduction to basketball
• All-star game with Ime Udoka
• Coaching youth basketball in 2022
• Junior college basketball
• Jeff's journey to semi-pro hoops and his takeaways
• Nature vs. nuture as it relates to talent
• Injury and life post-basketball
• Discovering golf
• Golf in the Portland area
• The Chasing Aces origin story
• Successes
• Headaches
• Jeff's favorite Chasing Aces items
• Future plans

We wrap everything up with a 10 question, basketball-centric lightning round.

Jeff may or may not have compared his game to Larry Johnson's. You'll have to tune in to find out.

John is a retired professional golfer with plenty of PGA Tour experience under his belt. He also worked for the Golf Channel and is the author of a new book called Shafted.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Lessons learned as a young golfer on the PGA Tour
• John's incredible comeback win in the 1978 PGA Championship
• Why John found success at the highest levels
• Transitioning away from professional competition
• John's book

We ended our time together with a 5 question lightning round. John shares the most underrated golfer from his era along with his favorite golfer from the current era.

This episode is presented by Chasing Aces.

Matt and a friend launched Cactus Golf Club, an online community that brings golfers together for game improvement and networking. Cactus Golf Club features exclusive monthly deals, fun giveaways, and drills and tips from golf instructors.

• The difference between Indiana golf and Arizona (desert) golf
• Golf accessories
• The genesis of Cactus Golf Club
• The case for joining Cactus Golf Club
• Partnering with smaller golf brands
• Partnering with golf instructors
• Creating an online community
• Future plans for the community

The episode featured not 1, but 2 lightning rounds!

I asked Matt which PGA Tour player he would like to trade places with. Who do you think he chose?

This episode is presented by Chasing Aces.

Michael Wolf is a former college golfer and a current mini tour competitor. The journey to playing golf at the highest levels is a challenging one. I ask Mike a ton of questions related to what it takes to be a professional golfer. Topics include:

• How Mike got into golf
• How someone becomes a professional golfer
• Mike's daily schedule for life and practice
• What practice looks like
• Key terms: Mini tour events, Monday qualifiers, pro-ams
• Choosing which events to compete in
• Mike's favorite climate to play in
• How the PGA uses its money
• How Mike defines his success
• Overcoming adversity in a round
• A tournament story (or two)

We ended our time with a lightning round focusing on mini tour questions and Mike's hometown team, the Cincinnati Bengals. Does Mike think the Bengals will win a Super Bowl in the next 5 years? You'll have to listen in to find out.

This episode is presented by Par 3 Near Me.

Bharat is the founder and chief appraiser at Veristrat LLC. He's a casual golfer and a contributor at Inc.com where he writes about a variety of business and financial topics. In this episode, we talk a bit of golf before diving into the world of business valuations. I had lots of questions about valuing businesses, unique assets and more. Bharat offered some great insights. Listen in, I guarantee you'll learn something!

Topics covered:

• Bharat's relationship to golf
• Pros/cons of an analytical golfer
• The importance of not siloing yourself
• Business valuations: An art or a science?
• Why business valuations can vary between appraisers
• Approaches to valuing a business
• Big companies that Bharat's valued
• Challenges that come with large valuations
• Startup valuations and what to look for in a startup
• Unique assets
• Valuing a golf course
• Maximizing the value of your business
• Teddy Roosevelt

Is owning a golf course a good business investment? That depends. Listen in to hear Bharat's take.

We ended with a lightning round of 8 questions.

This episode is presented by Par 3 Near Me.

Sam Puryear is a former college golfer and a pioneer in the world of golf coaching. Sam coached at Stanford (National Championship winner), Michigan State University (where he was the first African-American head coach at a Power Five School and won a Big Ten Championship), and Queens University of Charlotte. He is now the head of the men's and women's golf teams at Howard University, one of only twenty-five HBCUs with a Division 1 golf program. Sam is also the author of Diamonds in the Rough, an inspirational book that we discuss in the podcast.

Listen in to learn more about:

• Sam's childhood and introduction to golf
• Sam's collegiate golf career at Tennessee State University
• Dr. Catana Starks
• Coaching at Stanford University
• East Lake Junior Golf Academy in Atlanta
• Diamonds in the Rough (Sam's book)
• Faith
• The genesis of the Howard University Golf Program
• Thoughts on Steph Curry (who's funding the program)
• What practice looks like for Howard University golfers
• Goals and expectations

We ended with a lightning round of 5 questions.

#BleedBlue #HowardForward

This episode is presented by SneakaDeal.com.

Kim Lewellen is a former college and professional golfer who now leads the Wake Forest women's golf team. She has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year on four separate occasions. In this episode, we discuss a variety of golf topics including:

• How golf became a part of Kim's life
• How Kim became a college golf coach
• The shift from competitor to the coach of competitors
• How Kim ended up at Wake Forest
• A glimpse into the world of golf recruiting
• International junior golfers vs. American junior golfers
• Division 1 golf practice
• The role of a college coach on game day
• Reasons for Kim's success

Should you choose a school because it has a yogurt machine in the cafeteria? Kim says no.

We ended with a lightning round of 10 questions. Tune in for some of Kim's Winston-Salem restaurant recommendations.

#godeacs

This episode is presented by Par 3 Near Me.

Jared is a former college golfer and the brains behind Perfect Putt, a free weekly newsletter that breaks down the business side of golf. We discuss:

• Jared's D1 golf experiences at the University of Northern Iowa
• Jared's worst competitive round
• The mental game
• Jared's favorite golf memory
• Perfect Putt origin story
• Who the newsletter is for
• Golf trends that Jared's watching
• How to connect with Perfect Putt

We ended with a lightning round of 10 questions, 7 of which focused on golf and 3 of which focused on Jared's home state of Iowa.

If Jared had $1,000,000 to invest in a golf stock, where do you think he would invest it? You'll have to listen to find out.

This episode is presented by Par 3 Near Me.

Sloan Whitaker is one of the owners of BA Carts in Van Wert, Ohio. He wouldn't call himself the king of custom golf carts, but I've seen his work and it would be hard to top. We discuss:

• How Sloan got into the golf cart business
• Lessons learned
• Early marketing attempts
• Where his business sources their used golf carts
• The golf cart restoration process
• Sloan's favorite custom builds
• Sloan's golf simulator

This episode features our second installment of Caddie Corner, a  segment featuring Big G of the Real Life Caddie Podcast.

We ended with a lightning round of 10 questions where Sloan highlights the most important accessory you'll want for your custom build. It's not what you'd expect.

This episode is presented by Par 3 Near Me.

Tucker Booth is an award-winning battle rapper and entertainer. He's also the host of the Rappers Don't Golf podcast. A man of many talents, Tucker offers some great insights into how a creative person can make a living doing what they love. Our conversation covered a broad range of topics including:

• Tucker's first experiences with golf
• The appeal of Topgolf
• A glimpse into the world of a battle rapper
• Finding success as an artist and getting paid for your work
• Pushing through creative droughts
• Mental toughness

We ended with a lightning round of 10 questions.

Need some St. Louis food recommendations? Tucker has you covered.

This episode is presented by Par 3 Near Me.

Dr. Mike Goatley is a Virginia Tech professor who specializes in turfgrass science. He's an engaging guest and I promise you're going to learn something. We discuss:

• Mike's first impressions of golf
• How Mike ended up in the world of turfgrass
• Working with bermudagrass
• Warm vs. cool season grasses
• The "perfect" climate for turfgrass management
• Turfgrass research examples and funding
• How turfgrass developments end up in the real world

This episode also features our first installment of Caddie Corner, a new segment featuring Big G of the Real Life Caddie Podcast.

We ended with a lightning round of 10 questions.

Will Mike ever ride in a self-driving car? Listen in to find out.

This episode is presented by Par 3 Near Me.

Wayne Pettry hops on the show to give us some perspective on golf, his time as a par 3 clubhouse manager and his volunteer experiences with JMU women's softball. Wayne also shares:

• His favorite Jordan Spieth quote (very inspirational)
• His best/worst golf course clubhouse memories
• Reasons for JMU's success
• Insights on other top D1 softball programs

Wayne acknowledges his fear of snakes, but also claims he would be willing to hold a live snake for $250. Write him a check and let's make it happen!

This episode is presented by Par 3 Near Me.