Episode 15: Myrtle Beach Golf History and Industry Stories with Volvik Pres, Pete Kinney!
In this special episode of Tee'd Off, Ben and Aaron sit down with long time Myrtle Beach Golf veteran and new President of Volvik USA, Pete Kinney!
Pete started his career in Myrtle Beach in 1990 as the Assistant Professional at Waterway Hills, a former popular course located on Restaurant Row. Known for it's signature gondola ride across the Intracoastal Waterway to and from the course, Pete said that manning the gondola once a week was the greatest bag boy position in town! To fuel his love for the game and to make ends meet, Pete also worked at a mini-golf course in the evenings, and even provided the famous 49 cent grip changes at Golf Dimensions! After stops at Sea Trail and Tidewater golf clubs, Pete scored his first Head Professional job at Beachwood Golf Club in 1996. During this time, Pete was involved in the inception of the Tee Time Network in the Myrtle Beach area, which was one of the first network-based tee times systems in the country!
Over the next 20 years, Pete shifted into the corporate realm of the golf industry, gaining a wealth of experience in the apparel and equipment sectors with senior sales positions at major brands including TaylorMade, Slazenger, Cleveland, Bridgestone, Golf Galaxy, and Ralph Lauren. During his time with these brands, Pete became obsessed with the development and innovations of the golf ball. In 2023, Pete interviewed for a senior sales position with Volvik. His knowledge for the industry, golf ball manufacturing, and the genuine grass roots tales of his career were more than impactful, and Pete accepted the position of President of Volvik USA in August of 2023!
With an impressive list of accomplishments spanning 4 decades, Pete coined this amazing opportunity with Volvik as his, "last job," but that in no way defines the ferocity and pace at which he has taken to bring a resurgence to the brand. With 13 balls in their lineup, and nearly a dozen special edition balls, Volvik is bringing the word FUN to performance on the links! Pete showed the Tee'd Off crew their new Deadpool gift set to be released with the much-anticipated 3rd film, and he also dropped a bombshell on a new partnership with Disney! With vastly popular franchises such as Cars, Monsters Inc., and Toy Story, be on the lookout for some special edition Volvik balls showcasing your favorite Disney Character. Ben and Aaron hoped that Star Wars balls would soon be available, and Pete intimated that a deal with Lucas Films is not out of the question. How cool would a Darth Vader ball be?! In addition to providing fun, Volvik is looking to tee it up for a cause; their Vista3 Pink 360 BCRF ball gives $1 to each dozen sold for the Breast Cancer Research Fund, a initiative that not only seeks for a cure, but for ways to reduce recurrence of cancer in survivors. Pete and Volvik are off to a wonderful start reshaping the Volvik brand and we cannot wait to see what's next!
Being a person of authority in the golf ball sector, we could not help but ask for Pete's feedback on the golf ball rollback. From the perspective of a PGA Member and Volvik President, Pete is against the rollback, but promises that Volvik will push the envelope of what is possible and maximum the performance of their balls, regardless of any restrictions.
In a very special segment of Tee'd Off, Pete shared hilarious stories about Gary McCord, David Feherty, and Tiger Woods! You will have to tune in to hear these amazing stories!
The package of the episode is the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail Replay Package, where you can get great prebooked replay discounts on nearly 30 of the top courses in Myrtle Beach!
The accommodations of the episode is the Blue Water Keyes in North Myrtle Beach. This oceanfront resort offers some of the most luxurious 2, 3, and 4 bedroom condos in the area, with large floorplans and great bedding options for your next Myrtle Beach golf trip!
