Gather Global Podcast (Colin Bell, Mike Hyde & Adam Keable)

In a searingly honest conversation, Gather co-founders Colin Bell, Mike Hyde & Adam Keable introduce Gather - a new global community for golf industry professionals.

We discussed:

• Why the golf industry is broken, despite there being plenty of great people in the golf industry
• The glacial pace of change
• The easy solution to make the golf industry booming again
• Why do the Gather Values matter so much to us?
• What do we mean when we are talking about trying to be disruptive?
• Our biggest fears
• Who the heck are we to say we should have the right to be the platform for these kind of discussions in the golf industry?
• What EXACTLY is Gather and can it really cut through the noise in the golf industry and make a difference to people?
• What does a Gather Member look like? And what do you get for membership? 
• How can Gather help you meet new people in the industry?

Gather is about taking a broken industry, and saying “it doesn't have to be this way”.

It's about joining a group of like-minded people who agree that it's time to change things for the better.

You can be working at any level of the golf industry, anywhere in the world. We simply want passionate, innovative thinkers who share our values.

Join Gather today: http://www.gather.golf

Jazzaddict's Intro by Cosimo Fogg (201) is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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Agustín Piza is a man of the world. From Scottish academic roots to his international award-winning architecture practice, Agustín talked honestly about his journey to becoming one of the most influential people in the golf industry today.

From unexpected friendships with UK music icons to designing family friendly golf 'playgrounds', Agustin discusses opening our thinking to help us grow as individuals, and to develop the game for the future.

We loved our conversation with Agustin and here’s some interesting bits to listen out for....

2.30mins How CONTROVERSIAL is Gather going to be? How much 'poking of the bear' will there be?

5mins Here's a great intro article to learn more about Agustin from the Edinburgh University Alumni website.

7.50mins Agustin talks about the influence of music on his work designing golf facilities, including his favourite Brazilian artist and Paul Heaton from The Beautiful South here.

13.45mins How can golf develop in Latin America?

15.45mins The Elephant in the Room for this chat and why “the most dangerous thing out there, in any subject, is the illusion of knowledge”.

21.20mins Why the blank sheet of paper for golf in some countries in Latin America, is absolutely a blessing and an opportunity.

27mins How people in Latin America have traditionally “learned” about golf and the goal to build truly public golf facilities around Mexico.

30.45mins The legacy, urban legend and current state of the Olympic Golf Course in Rio, Brazil.

35.25mins Why the ‘one size fits all’ approach doesn’t work for the golf industry in Latin America.

37mins Why would I design for the golfer? I want to design for the non-golfer!

43.30mins How can we build golf courses that are multi-use for all kinds of people?

47.30mins When does creativity stop for us as adults?

53.30mins Agustin’s number one message to people aspiring to progress in the industry.

More interesting links to Agustin’s work:

Wellness Golf Chable by Piza Golf.

First Tee Mexico - the first nine Chapters.

Agustin is involved as an Innovation Consultant for the G2 Academy.

Agustin’s TED Talk (Spanish).

Connect with Agustin:

Website: www.pizagolf.com 

Instagram: @pizagolf

Facebook: @agustinpizaarquitecto

Twitter: @arqpiza

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Currently CEO at The Scandinavian, David Shepherd moved to Denmark in 2016, after eight years at Monte Rei and time at The Belfry.

Perhaps most notably, also David holds the honour of being our first ever Gather member! So, we discussed why he joined the community, as well as looking at the industries that golf could learn from, and how he's crafted a career that's taken him to some of Europe's top venues.

Look out for some key points:

4:15 David's biggest frustration about the golf industry

11:00 How to network more effectively 

16:15 Is it inevitable you need to move around to build a career?

36:15 The Scandinavian's plans to retain members in 2021

44:45 David's biggest career regret

48:30 Are paid boards the future?

Jazzaddict's Intro by Cosimo Fogg (201) is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

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The Gather Global Podcast aims to deliver genuine insight and offer you new perspectives on the golf industry, and this episode with Clare Queen and David Kearney goes above and beyond on both fronts.

Clare is Head of Performance at Scottish Golf, and David is Performance Director at Irish Ladies Golfing Union. The conversation kicks off with an insight from David about the effect of the global pandemic on golf, which goes far beyond the typical commentary about golf 'enjoying a boom'.

As well as discussing the impact of the pandemic on performance programmes - your host Colin Bell, Clare and David visit the culture of national associations, why parents might be holding back elite youngsters, and the benefits of maximising your personal strengths - a principle that is just as applicable to life as to golf.

Timestamps

2:56 How COVID-19 is forcing a (well needed?) re-think about how the top amateur golfers are supported by national associations.

10:36 How a shift in culture, from top down, within a national golf association can contribute towards increased opportunities for former elite female players to remain working in the sport.

21:06 Why do golf magazines not have women on the front covers?

22:26 “The golf club membership situation drives me bonkers!” – hear what a hugely respected industry golf professional thinks about the culture still evident in some clubs and why it would stop him from joining a club.

28:06 Learn about a HUGE rarely-discussed problem in golf. Why a high percentage of young players and their parents do not really understand golf and the significant impact this has on how young golfers develop.

36:34 The benefits of doubling down on your strengths and not beating yourself up in your ‘examination of the self’.

41:21 A very generous offering of help from David to anyone currently struggling in the industry.

Jazzaddict's Intro by Cosimo Fogg (201) is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Grave Matters by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100215

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Sound effect: licensed under Creative Commons from Medartmus

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Colin Bell, Adam Keable and Mike Hyde look back at the first two months of Gather. We report our top five learnings from our members, and some thoughts of our own on the journey we're on the journey we are on with you all, to try and build a better golf industry.

We discuss:

• The geographical spread and vocational breadth of the Gather community
• The similarity of the challenges our members face, regardless of industry sector
• The 'positivity paradox' - social media echo chambers are painting a positive vision of the industry, which doesn't seem to be shared by everyone
• Universal frustration with pace of change
• A shared appetite to genuinely change the golf industry
• Our industry's fear of failure

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Starting in banking, leaving to start up a real estate private equity development fund, training to become a golf professional, summers interning in the US and now currently the Vice President of Sales for Arccos Golf. It’s been a diverse journey, which sees Andrew now working at a really interesting case study of a successful start-up in golf. 

This episode was a little bit like going back to school for us…. We learned A LOT. 

Listen out for:

• Why is nobody tracking the biggest percentage of golfers in the UK? Any sensible business wouldn’t survive without a way to engage with all their customers.
• What is one of the things the golf industry completely undersells to its consumers?
• Start-ups in the golf industry – do they need to be “go big” or “go home” in order to be successful?
• Setting lofty goals vs “achievable” goals, especially if you plan to pitch for investment.
• “Quit your job” – perhaps the first step for someone in their 20’s or 30’s, working in the golf industry and with ambition of starting something up.
• Does Andrew think there is an investment market for big thinking in golf and does golf need more education on what investors look for?
• If you grow up in the golf industry, is there a risk your thinking is institutionalised?
• A great idea from Andrew on how the Gather community could help you to test your business model.

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This one is a bumper one folks! 

Packed full of insights, experiences and advice that many people are unlikely to have heard from the golf culture and the business of golf in the Far East.

As seems to happen on every episode, we feel like we’re going back to school and just learning constantly. The key word for this episode is OPPORTUNITY and if you listen in, you will just hear an awful lot of it! 

Key takeaways include:

• The benefits of the culture-mixing in the Middle East golf and hospitality industry.
• The historical profile of the South Korean golfer.
• How government intervention in South Korea aims to make more golf clubs public and make the game more inclusive.
• The value of gaining career exposure to different global experiences and cultures. Plus...how do you take your first steps towards doing this?
• Understanding how to speak with, connect and influence, board members and influential, wealthy people.
• The critical importance of having a focus on RELATIONSHIPS.
• What you can learn about Asian golfers who travel and why this makes business sense.
• Tim’s best piece of advice for Gather members

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Join us for this intellectual chat with Andrew who has had a foot in both camps of academia and the golf industry for many years. With a career and projects that span various areas of the golf industry, he’s uniquely positioned to delve into some questions we have been itching to ask.

You know those ones that you feel should be raised, but nobody really knows where to start with them? Yeah….those ones.

Open your mind and check this one out, we delved into: 

• “Who owns golf?” and how does this relate to governance, power and influence?
• The question of structures within golf, the history and how forward thinking the governing organisations are.
• How tension within the structures can be helpful.
• Is it fair to expect anything national golf associations to solve all the challenges for golf in a country?
• Are there too many associations within golf?
• Does innovation and innovative thinking have the potential to drive changes in the governance of golf
• What might the future of Higher Education golf programmes look like? 
• How can you create a meaningful and appropriate education and development opportunities for yourself within the industry?

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You know those times when you wish you could hear the chats between the industry leaders on topics that really matter? 

Well, we’re delighted to now offer you that fly on the wall experience as we launch the first in our Gather Ripple Series. 

Jeremy Slessor (Managing Director, European Golf Design) wanted to ask some direct, no nonsense questions to a leading expert in the world of club management. So we recorded his Gather Ripple chat with the experienced Phil Grice (Independent Consultant). 

“Are golf clubs well positioned or not to capitalise on the 2020 ‘boom’ in participation demand?”

Here we're offering up the best bits in under 13 minutes.

Our next Gather Ripple will see Phil’s turn to unearth insights from a respected leader. Who will it be...?

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You know those times when you wish you could hear the chats between the industry leaders on topics that really matter? 

Gather now offers you that fly on the wall experience with our Gather Ripple Series. 

In our second episode, Phil Grice (Independent Consultant) continues the ripple by interviewing international sports branding expert Fred Popp (Partner, ZAG). Fred has worked with a list of stellar clients in his career, including The Open, the NBA, Tottenham Hotspur and the FIFA World Cup.

Explore this fascinating conversation with insights packed into just 15 minutes:

- What is golf's 'stock value' right now?

- How is the golf industry perceived in the wider sports industry? In line or behind?

- How would you adapt professional golf to develop a better green grass landscape?

- What can traditional golf clubs do to change negative perceptions?

Our next Gather Ripple will see Fred turn to another leader to continue the conversation…

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Golf development is not commercially attractive...or is it? 

The phrase golf development conjures split emotions. On one hand we all share the passion to grow the game, but, on the other, we know the rewards will not likely be immediately monetary. It often takes a back seat, becoming a philanthropic afterthought, as the commercial model doesn't seem to stack up

As we move forwards, golf development may become a casualty of the 'golf boom', as facilities understandably feel compelled to make hay while the sun shines. One casualty may be the Get into Golf initiatives which people have driven so hard to develop.

However, is golf development that black and white? How do you convert the buzz around golf to create a win-win?

In this Gather Global Podcast, we sit down with Ray Roessel, who is shifting the paradigm of golf development. Based in China, Ray has pulled together many years in sports marketing, academy management, professional tours and media deals to create products and models that flip the golf development narrative.

When so many people are talking, Ray is doing.

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You know those times when you wish you could hear the chats between the industry leaders on topics that really matter? 

Gather now offers you that fly on the wall experience with our Gather Ripple Series. 

Fred Popp (Zag) and Emma Taylor (former Head of Marketing, Tottenham Hotspur) talk about creating environments and communities for sports fans.

Emma’s amazing time at Tottenham Hotspur saw the club grow exponentially and recently culminated in the opening of a stunning, world-class stadium. She played a lead role in developing the brand experience for this unique sports and entertainment venue and worked as part of the Senior Management Team delivering every aspect of the visitor experience.

Fred has incredible experience of helping global brands in his own right, including The Open. You can find out more from his time as guest on the previous edition of the Ripple with Phil Grice.

Explore this fascinating conversation with insights packed into just 20 minutes:

1.05: Finding the delicate balance between marketing, customer sales and brand building 

3.14: Building multi functionality facilities in line with customer needs

10.09: Adapting existing facilities to be more family friendly

13.12: How can golf appeal to multi-generations?

16.30: How to connect with non-golfers?

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Our chat with golf course architect Kari Haug really made us reflect on our own assumptions about short golf courses, their objectives, how they are assumed to be the solution to increasing women's and children's participation and crucially....why this might not always be the case!

If you care about the growth of the game, or if you are a golf club or facility manager, you should find this to be a fascinating discussion with some questions to consider going forward in your career in the industry. 

Gather member and research expert Sue Shapcott from SportsQuery joined us as Co-Host which made the questions even more insightful and practical.

Key discussion areas:

•Are short golf courses actually the answer to golf's participation needs?

•Can short golf courses potentially be contributing to the further marginalisation of women in the game?

•The number one misconception about shorter golf courses

•What are the top questions that the industry needs to ask itself when considering short golf courses? (Either building new or retrofitting existing 18-hole courses to be more sustainable, inclusive and accessible)

•Why do we still have public golf courses in the US that receive public money, when they are not really accessible to 50% of the population?

•Have resort courses got it right? Why is this and what can private clubs learn?

•What advice and considerations might Kari give to a golfing country where the game is still relatively young if they said they wanted to develop new facilities that are based around getting new people into the game?

•From a town of 600 people and a rudimentary golf course, to designing and modifying golf courses – how Kari's background shapes the way she approaches her work now

•What are the research gaps in this area and how might a different approach to research really help participation drives for more women 

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PARTNERSHIP WORKING 2.0

With vast experience working with partners globally spanning over 20 years, the approach to partnerships continues to evolve for Andy Brown. However, what's next for this space and will we see disruption?

Here's some of the stuff we dig into in this chat, which offers lots of food for thought if you work with partners in your role or want to learn more in this area:

• Golf used to be a lot of handshakes, whereas now communication barriers have been broken down and behaviours have changed. When we consider the evolution of the digital space - how has this changed the role of working with partners in our industry?
• The partnership models across golf seem quite obvious and generic. Are there any collaborations that have had a high impact and break the mould?
• Why do you think innovation and golf rarely end up in the same sentence? The Irrigation & Turf Care Industry is hugely innovative but it goes under the radar. Surely the innovative thinking from this sector could be valuable in other sectors of golf too?
• Driverless cars, green cutting machines, supermarket checkouts! When will we see the robots? Is the agronomy world going to see less human capital and more machine automation?
• What might golf have to do to stay, not only relevant, in 50 years time, but to actually survive?
• In just 30 years, due to climate change predictions, will our sport become as extreme as the 'Urban Golf' concept the recent BBC Sport article theorises?

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Mind. Blown. 

That was how we felt after our shortest Gather Global Podcast yet. 

The reason why? Possibly because we were speaking with an 'outsider' who by his own admission:

"...has been stalking the golf industry for a while, from the outside..." 

Possibly because it was the biggest mirror we've had held up to our golf industry faces since Gather launched. 

This chat is not only about golf. It's about culture, fashion, influencers and OPPORTUNITY. 

If you want to hear a genuinely new perspective, with hope and excitement for the future golf industry, this is the podcast for you. 

If you're like us, then you know there are a number of emerging independent fashion brands in the golf industry. You're aware of the growing influencer culture in the wider society. You've seen various golf YouTube influencers reviewing courses, equipment and providing coaching. You might have also seen various urban golf type ventures popping up around the globe in cities.

If you want some help to contextualize all of this into what this means for the future of golf and where the genuinely huge opportunities lie for you, your work and your organisation or business, then we think the insights and questions raised by Sam Roach from Wavey Golf in this chat are going to help you.

We didn't quite know where this chat would lead when we started, and it was all the better for it.

Open your mind and hear about our future...

Some of the things we dig into:

·      03.48mins:  Does the golf industry as a whole, love the idea of ‘heritage’ too much? Does this hamper our efforts to market the game to a new generation?

·      05.36:  Who’s responsibility is it to genuinely drive change so that golf can captivate this new market that has recently become interested in golf?

·      06.21:  “Go and ask them what they want!” – are governing bodies and golf brands missing the obvious and just sitting in their siloes?

·      10.06:  What does diversity in golf look like from the outside, at the moment?

·      15.26:  “We are in the infancy stage, and it’s only gonna get bigger.” How much of a driver does Sam think fashion might be on golf participation moving forward?

·      21.30:   Does Sam think that people call BS* in the golf industry enough?

·      23.58: So where should we be looking for inspiration at the moment, with new ideas and emerging trends in fashion, culture and music, that relate to the golf industry?

·      25.59:  Who are the movers and shakers in the golf world that are on to something?

·      31.04:  We ask Sam if he thinks he would want to collaborate with existing golf industry players. Find out his answer….

·      32.51: How do we get more of this thinking and questioning and diversity of thought coming into the Gather Community?

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If you are starting your first role, or you're a senior leader in golf, there’s critical insights and learnings in this new episode. They come from someone who has gathered varied experiences and skills, put their hand up and asked for more help to learn and now see themselves in an influential role at a global brand at the age of 35. But still learning and staying humble.

Chris Hedderman has worked as an Assistant Professional at a local municipal course, re-gripping clubs in minus temperatures in the cold of winter. He’s worked at one of the most exclusive clubs in the world, receiving the odd comment about not being the ‘usual’ type of Assistant Pro. He’s been on tour working with players and along the way, developed a wide range of skillsets which led him to his current role as Head of Marketing for EMEA at adidas Golf.

Some very strong messages about why and how to listen to the younger people who love golf and who want to work in golf to help shape our future industry. Also, some learnings about how positive collaborations can be when you have no fear and leave your ego at the door. And of course….we talk about the "big" brand strategy behind the ‘Hoodiegate’ disruption…

Here’s some of the great insights Chris shared with us:

• 02.00mins: “Unhelpful stereotypes!” How far we still have to go to change these? 
• 7.05:  “We’ve created robots” Cool young amateurs and Pro players still conforming to ‘golf fashion’. 
• 17.53: “What are we so scared of?” Why doesn’t golf want to embrace change in what people wear? 
• 21.54:  What is the risk, as a global brand, to adidas Golf doing various collaborations with new independent and smaller brands?
• 35.59: “Huge OPPORTUNITY! Golf shops have “retail-tainment” on a plate!” How many golf pros do a great job of selling apparel and how much revenue are they ‘leaving on the table’? 
• 45.00: “Bring me a ‘Stop the Bus’ moment…” Why we must lift up the voices of younger people in golf and listen to their ideas, for the future benefit of golf.
• 49.02: Understanding the minds of Gen-Z for your future career and business. 
• 56.43: Don’t let your peer group opinions hold you back from putting your hand up to learn more from experienced leaders in the industry. 
• 63.00: How the best disruption happens… The inside story on the strategy for the adidas hoodie with Tyrell Hatton? 
• 78.49: The “Dabblers” and “Potentials” are the MAJORITY of the golf market. (*Note: Not called simply “non-members”).

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In this episode we had the pleasure of speaking with Amir Malik.

Amir founded The Muslim Golf Association (MGA) in the UK in 2020 which is the worlds first dedicated golfing platform that caters for the modern, professional, Muslim male & female golfer.

Check out their website, but also connect with Amir. There could be great collaboration opportunities for you, but without doubt there will be inspiration and some fascinating insights that can help you, your golf club, organisation or business.

Welcome to Gather – What’s Next?

This is your 15min insight into the minds of some interesting, diverse and inspiring people that are doing things within the golf industry and have an innovative perspective on what the future can look like. We kick off all of these conversations with 2 questions:

1. In their view, what’s next for golf in their sector of the industry?
2. A Gather Elephant in the Room question – where we ask about a challenging topic or a difficult question that’s often talked about within the golf industry, but nobody wants to actually deal with it.

What we love most about Amir’s story…is that he wasn’t a golfer 7 years ago.

He’s since fallen in love with the game, learned to play at a local municipal course (where, interestingly he’s found the best customer service compared with many private clubs) and then in 2020, launched the MGA.

He talks about being ignorant to many of golf’s traditions and WE LOVE this. This is a huge strength in trying to achieve his vision with the MGA and….a huge opportunity for us to learn something critical: His observations as a relative newcomer to the sport, compared with many of us who work in the industry that have been fortunate enough to be playing the game for a long time. It’s a fresh new perspective, filled with energy, passion and enthusiasm.

From one chat we could see why Amir and the MGA have been featured already in the BBC, Guardian, National Club Golfer and even in mainstream media in the US.

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What if golf, was just golf?

Not amateur and professional, with so many fragmented organisations. Not with organisations for men and women separately competing for the same commercial sponsors and media outlets?

“We HAVE to look at golf differently now”

This week, we are incredibly excited to share with you our first ever Women's British Open Champion as a Gather Guest, who has some fascinating insights to share from how Australia are challenging the previous norms.

Transitioning from elite tour professional to senior leadership within the golf industry is a rare feat. In addition, being a leader that challenges the norm and trailblazes with new concepts and collaborations, is even rarer. We loved our chat with Karen Lunn (CEO, WPGA Tour of Australasia). Join us as we dive deep into a fascinating conversation on the Gather Global Podcast.

Karen just offered up so many incredibly valuable insights in this conversation, and we're very excited to now share them with you. 

Here's some of the key areas we covered:

• Governing bodies in countries pitching against each other for sponsorship, television coverage and government support, rather than collaborating. "Seems like a no-brainer." Learn why the WPGA and PGA in Australia are doing things differently and what other countries and organisations can learn.
• How would Karen currently score our industry, out of 100, in its ability to collaborate effectively for the benefit of the game?
• The biggest standout from the Australia-wide golfers survey? Hear what the huge opportunity is…and why it’s not about ramming golf club membership down people’s throats!
• Looking at partners with disruptive ideas as an opportunity for the industry, not a threat to the game.
• Hear about the switch Karen has made from an elite player, a major winner, into working as a leader in the sport. Lessons in resilience and keeping your motivation when doors are closing on you. Have former professional tour players honed this skill better than many?
• Do we still place too much value on golfing ability when appointing people into golf industry roles?
• Does the research tell us that PGA training is now focused on the wrong candidates? 
• Karen’s view on the biggest opportunity for the golf community in Australia over the coming 3 years.

Enjoy

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“Golf needs to have the strength of will of character to look beyond the walls of its own self-worth.” Dan Green, Design Director at Zag.

Are you in the mood for some Truth Bombs?

Then this is the 15min audio for you.

1.     What’s next for branding in golf?

2.     Who does Dan seek inspiration from within branding in the sports world?

3.     What’s Dan’s advice moving forward for golf brands to break through with Gen Z?

4.     If anyone listening wanted to do an audit on their golf industry brand, hypothetically what could that look like?

“Golf has always dined out on its history. It’s always an easy target and a quick win. “Ok, we need to create some content around this event or this course, let’s just tell people what happened 150 years ago, or even 20 years ago” which bears no meaning to the vast majority of the audience. And is really just a pat on the back, boys club, kind of a move ultimately and something that I think a lot of consumers are probably sick and tired of.’”

BOOM!

Welcome to: Cutting Through The BS with Dan Green.

In just 15mins, hear from one of the brightest minds in branding, who also happens to love golf.

Headquartered in London, Zag has earned a big-firm reputation with clients including Audi, BT, Discovery, Deloitte, Disney, Facebook, World Vision and Yamaha.

Dan was also part of the project that re-branded The Open and the Women’s Open for The R&A, plus he created an even bigger emerging golf industry brand called Gather 😉

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A massive thank you to those of you that joined us for our recent Mentor Room: LIVE! as we welcomed Nicole Wheatley and Jojo Regan, two Gather members who are at the forefront of brand positioning. Both are passionately helping drive a new image for the game to new audiences.

Listen out for key insights on:

• Investing in branding/marketing/PR - the key decisions and opportunities for more golf businesses to consider.
• How we can speak as an industry to the non-traditional golf audiences?
• The "unknown" golf market. How do you approach the golf audience that doesn't sit within traditional demographics with very little known about them (e.g. GenZ, Millenials) ?
• NFT's and the world of crypto - are there genuine opportunities for golf in here?

Read more and check out the highlights video over on our website.

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Golf is a large global industry. With that comes noise.

Headlines and statistics give short-term industry diagnoses. What these reports miss is a critical analysis of what the headlines or statistics mean for you and your business.

At Gather, we believe golf industry professionals want to cut through this noise and identify what information is specific to their business. 

So, this week we recorded a 28 minute podcast that discussed how to separate the chaff from the wheat when it comes to information. What should the golf industry really be talking about? Of course, we’d love to hear what you think about our discussion. So please let us know your thoughts.

In this conversation, we touch on:

• How can we make golf more entertaining?
• Has a switch flicked within golf? Is it perceived as an attractive commercial opportunity by investors, celebrities, sports stars – instead of a passion play?
• How can we make golf easier?
• The non-traditional golfer market is sizeable. So, what do we do about that?
• Geo-political shifts are moving golf’s power towards the Middle East and Asia. What does this mean for golf going forward?
• Will investment from the Middle East affect the golf sponsorship market?
• Will traditional golf sponsors continue to get the same ROI? If not, what will it mean if traditional sponsors start to step away?
• What are golf's workforce challenges and how are they being addressed?
• Is the golf industry environmentally sustainable? Does golf deserve the criticism it receives?

Enjoy!

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How underleveraged actually is golf?

There’s noise in men’s professional golf right now. And there’s plenty of commentary on whether this is a positive look for our sport, or whether it is damaging.

What about if you take a very positive, but analytical lens on where this current period of flux might lead us? For both men’s and women’s professional golf, and our wider industry.

Our guest this episode is someone who is a joy to listen to in this regard. Well respected, hugely experienced across golf (commentating and analysing) and the wider sports and media landscape. 

Sébastien Audoux is a sports and media expert and has spent over 20 years in the industry. This hour will advance your knowledge and leave you feeling optimistic at where we are heading.

Some key highlights to listen out for:

• Start We know the fragmented nature of professional golf is frustrating to those of us working inside golf, but what about those outside of golf? “Let’s think about people (in media) that are not really following golf that closely….”
• 5.50mins What if all the “disruption” and noise currently in men’s professional golf is what was needed to solve this fragmentation?
• 7.30mins Complacency around the footprint in the US and the UK? “You expect a bigger willingness to try and attack those smaller markets…..we need to push in those other markets like the NFL, the NBA and many other sports have done so successfully.” 
• 8.18mins A belief in golf is that it doesn’t really have a seat at the big sports industry table. Where does Sebastien think that golf now sits in the wider sports business conversation?
• 12mins How underleveraged actually is golf? “Sometimes taking a risk for the long game, but be willing to accept some short term pain”
• 17mins How does Sebastien think that golf stacks up against other tier 1 sports as a field of opportunity for tech companies to invest in? What’s the untapped potential for golf?
• 24.50mins Is all PR, good PR? What’s this ‘stalemate’ between the PGA Tour and PIF going to do for golf’s image longer term?
• 38.30mins What is the opportunity on the women’s side of the game in these areas? Is it an equal size of opportunity, or an even greater one. And what’s stopping this opportunity being realised? “The potential for growth is much higher than the men”
• 55mins The missed opportunity because golf does not really “own” its storytelling…

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In the first of a three-part video podcast series with Gather Collective Member Old Tom Ventures, we look at an emerging trend within the golf industry – a rise in startups.

Many founders and a number of investors have joined the Gather community, leading to interesting conversations about the investment opportunities that golf offers.

Previously, golf was seen as a trophy asset in the portfolio of many investors, rather than a commercial opportunity. Now, given the landscape of golf, we are seeing new stakeholders enter the investment space. One of which is Gather Collective Member, Old Tom Ventures.

Old Tom Ventures sees emerging golf companies as future market leaders. Through their fund, Old Tom Ventures invests in promising startups, guiding them through key growth stages. Old Tom Ventures expects these firms to add billions of dollars in golf market revenue in the next decade. By backing early-stage startups and acting as a syndicate, Old Tom Ventures offers vital support beyond just financial investment.

Evan Roosevelt and Matt Erley from Old Tom Ventures have knowledge across various aspects of the golf industry. So, we wanted to bring you deeper insights from their unique viewpoint.

Here are some key highlights to listen out for:

• 4:00 mins. What is Old Tom Ventures doing for the golf industry and for investors? What are the signals that golf startups are “having a moment?”
• 6.55 mins. Why is there opportunity for new founders in golf right now?
• 10.35 mins. “I have an idea! How can I talk with potential investors and get good advice?”
• 15.56 mins. Why is there an opportunity for investors to invest in golf right now?
• 23.34 mins. How is Old Tom Ventures navigating investment opportunities? If you are a founder, should you try to raise investment? When should you reach out to Old Tom Ventures?
• 29.30 mins. What are some big pitfalls that golf startups fall into?
• 33.42 mins. Not every business is going to be venture scalable. Here’s why that is not a bad thing.
• 35.16 mins. “I want to be a golf startup entrepreneur, where should I start?” 
• 37.14 mins. Incubators and accelerators: do they exist in golf and would they be beneficial for our industry?
• 43.35 mins. What’s one big advantage you have if you are trying to start a company in golf, compared to other sports?
• 46.45 mins. What are the cheat codes for building a business in golf?
• 48.42 mins. What is the spirit animal of the startup founder?
• 49.50 mins. Put in place contingencies along the way to help you qualify your business idea.
• 52.39 mins. Please send us your questions for Episode #2 in the Startup Series with Old Tom Ventures
• 54.15 mins. INVITATION FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS: How to reach out to Old Tom Ventures and discuss some of the best opportunities.

Enjoy!

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Where is golf marketing heading?

In our latest podcast, we spoke with Daryl Evans, Founder of Gather Collective Member Rocket Yard Sports. Daryl is an expert in positioning brands within sports and leveraging sports sponsorship to facilitate business growth.

In this first episode of a three-part series, we delve into the trajectory of golf marketing across three distinct phases:

1. The Past: How was golf communicated and marketed historically?
2. The Pandemic Years: How did the pandemic reshape golf’s communication and marketing strategies? 
3. The Future: What emerging trends are telling us about the future of golf communication and marketing.

Key discussion areas to listen out for:

• ·        4:45 mins. Golf’s evolution since the 1990s and its implications for current marketing strategies.
• ·        8:00 mins. The pivotal role marketing plays in reshaping the perception of golf.
• ·        9:40 mins. Reflecting on Golf Marketing 1.0 and its strategies, investments, and activations.
• ·        11:45 mins. Addressing the fracture in consumer attention and its ramifications for brands.
• ·        14:00 mins. Lessons learned from the Pandemic Years and their impact on marketing.
• ·        18.12 mins. Evaluating the repercussions of discount-focused marketing during the pandemic. 
• ·        21:51 mins. Balancing performance and brand marketing in the golf industry.
• ·        22:30 mins. Relationship funnels or sales funnels?
• ·        25:12 mins. Identifying golf brands that create emotional connections with consumers through narrative.
• ·        28:22 mins. The two most common marketing challenges for golf brands.
• ·        30:34 mins. Comparing advertising on professional golf tours with influencer marketing.
• ·        33:33 mins. Addressing the global reach of golf brands.
• ·        37:00 mins. A 2-minute summary of golf marketing’s future.
• ·        39:00 mins. The critical importance of aligning with brand values when selecting content creators and influencers.
• ·        42:02 mins. Recognizing the benefits of collaborative golf marketing.
• ·        43:55 mins. How golf is a three-dimensional market. What white space opportunities is this creating?
• ·        46:02 mins. Gather’s Non-Traditional Golfer Report. Why Rocket Yard Sports thinks it shows golf’s market opportunity,
• ·        48:27 mins. “There is a disconnect between how brands think fans engage, and how they really engage”. The importance of storytelling-led branding.
• ·        53.56 mins. A final message from Rocket Yard Sports to golf brands: Focus on the stories.

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“Content creators and influencers have essentially become new media – new points of attention for brands that are more effective than broadcast.” 

(Daryl Evans, Rocket Yard Sports)

In the second of our three-part series with Rocket Yard Sports, we welcome back Daryl Evans, joined by special guest Trottie Golf. We delve deeper into the realm of golf marketing; exploring the impact of creator and influencer marketing on golf.

With over 11.8M views on YouTube, Trottie speaks with deep experience about influencer marketing during this podcast.

In this conversation, we talked about:

• How the creator space is changing
• How talent agencies work with content creators to develop storylines for brands. And how those stories are told by the content creators. 
• Trends in the golf creator space

Key discussion areas to listen out for:

• 3:54 mins. Trottie loved working with the world’s best players. But his audience reach is bigger by engaging fans through social media.  
• 8:28 mins. “Content creators and influencers have essentially become new media – new points of attention for brands that are more effective than broadcast. Their audiences never really decline.”
• 12:18 mins. How big is the opportunity for golf brands to have greater impact through relationships with content creators?
• 16:44 mins. The critical importance for content creators to have a brand building strategy.
• 22:05 mins. Who moves the needle when it comes to content creation in the golf industry?
• 25:53 mins. How content creators and brands can leverage relationships with elite tour professionals.
• 27:39 mins. Aligning brand and content creator values. 
• 30:07 mins. “Building brand equity is the equity that matters.” Why brands still need guidance on working with content creators.
• 35:22 mins. Content creators represent both the agency (Rocket Yard Sports) and the partner brands.
• 37:14 mins. How did the Trottie Golf brand come about?
• 39:36 mins. When did Trottie know it was time to double down on building his brand?
• 43:35 mins. How does Rocket Yard Sports help content creators like Trottie build a legacy plan?
• 45:31 mins. Where does Daryl and Rocket Yard Sports believe golf’s content creator space is heading in 5-10 years?
• 48:36 mins. Which Marvel superhero would Trottie Golf be in this future golf content creator universe?
• 49:48 mins. In Trottie’s opinion, what areas will golf content creation move into next?
• 52:18 mins. What are the white space opportunities for the men’s and women’s professional tours? How could they be addressed by working with content creators, influencers and brands?
• 57:21 mins. What happens if you don’t innovate as a brand?

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Storytelling. It’s a buzz word. But what does it really mean, and why is it a superpower?

Effective storytelling can help golf brands connect with consumers. How, you may ask? We asked an expert. 

ASU Professor Kim Holst makes a living from words. Kim is a lawyer who teaches law students to write. She is also working on a PhD in journalism. Whether it’s rhetoric, analogy, or persuasion, Kim is fascinated by effective storytelling.

We asked her: If golf wants to expand its reach, how should we tell stories differently?

This is one of the most fascinating discussions we’ve ever had on the podcast.

Have a listen to find out why storytelling is critical to your business success.

Enjoy.

Key discussion areas to listen out for:

• 5:05 mins. Why Kim loves writing and words.
• 6:52 mins. Why Kim believes words are powerful.
• 14:25 mins. Why words matter in the golf industry, and why we should care about language.
• 26:24 mins. As a consumer herself, how does Kim feel about brands when she sees sloppy writing?
• 27:55 mins. What does storytelling mean to Kim; if Kim worked for a golf brand, how would she use storytelling to connect with consumers?
• 31:57 mins. How do you use stories to change people’s perceptions of your brand? How do your own biases influence the story you are telling?
• 37:10 mins. What brands do storytelling well?
• 41:38 mins. How can golf media be better storytellers?
• 42:52 mins. If golf wants to expand its reach, how should we tell stories differently?

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“We are striving to create an experience so engaging that golfers will never want to leave the game.” 

(Fairgame)

In the second of a three-part series looking at golf’s startup ecosystem, we welcome back Gather Collective Member Old Tom Ventures and their guest Fairgame to talk about their journey so far.

If you read Golf.com, you may enjoy learning that one of Fairgame’s co-founders, Eric Mayville, built Golf.com’s publishing site that provides content to 10 million subscribers. At that time, Eric was a co-founder of Wondersauce, a global agency that now has 130 staff in five international offices.

One of Eric’s other Fairgame co-founders will be familiar to any watch collectors out there. Ben Clymer is the Executive Chairman and Founder of Hodinkee. He’s regarded as one of the leading voices in the watch industry, and brings that experience to golf.

“Golf today reminds me of where watches were 15 years ago.” 

(Ben Clymer, Co-Founder, Fairgame)

The third co-founder of Fairgame is reasonably well known in the golf industry. Despite his day job–being one the most famous international golfers on the planet–Adam Scott plays an active role in both the development of the Fairgame product and the promotion of the brand. In fact, the app Fairgame launched for golfers is helping Adam solve his own problem of staying in touch with golfing friends around the globe.

Old Tom Ventures is one of Fairgame’s first investors. They join Eric and Ben in this discussion to explain what they saw in Fairgame that prompted their investment decision.

Enjoy!

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In the third of Gather's three-part start-up series with Gather Collective Member Old Tom Ventures, we welcome Adeel Yang, Co-Founder of Dryvebox.

Learn about the journey so far including how Dryvebox recently took the decision to launch its franchise model; it has rapidly scaled from its first franchise to eleven across America.

Randi Zuckerberg was an early investor in Dryvebox. Dryvebox also has a wide range of collaborations with the likes of Lululemon, Cobra Puma, Michelob Ultra, Topgolf, Malbon, Topgolf, Barstool, LAGC, Lexus, and PGA Hope.

Adeel has other startup experience and understands the investor landscape; the pros and cons of partnership deals. Couple this with the experiences of Evan Roosevelt from Old Tom Ventures and you have a fascinating conversation packed full of helpful insights and advice.

Key discussion areas to listen out for:

• 3:18 mins. The Fairgame product journey so far – why did Eric see an opportunity to leverage human centric design, a simple user experience, and pair it with a beautiful brand?
• 3:00 mins. What did Old Tom Ventures see in Dryvebox and their Founding team that prompted them to consider investing?
• 7:50 mins. What’s the backstory of Dryvebox and how did Adeel jump from being a doctor over into starting a mobile golf simulator company?
• 12:00 mins. Many businesses start from a Founder’s need to “scratch their own itch.” How powerful a motivation is this if you are starting a company? Is growing a new company as simple as this?
• 15:00 mins. The value of co-founders. Is it important to seek other people to help build a new business?
• 22:40 mins. What has surprised Adeel the most about coming from outside the golf industry and building a business within golf?
• 26:03 mins. Which market currently demands Dryvebox the most: existing golfers, or people new to golf?
• 28:11 mins. Is it less desirable for investors to invest in a company run by a single person rather than investing in a team?
• 31:17 mins. How much of the early-stage decision making at Dryvebox was done through data and insights vs gut instinct?
• 33:20 mins. Does Adeel feel part of the golf industry? Or does Dryvebox feel like an external business with a product partnering with golf industry businesses? 
• 35:30 mins. Was it critical for Dryvebox to start discussing potential partnerships in the business's early stages?
• 39:52 mins.  “Staying Switzerland.” What is the no.1 learning that Dryvebox took from their first few years in the golf industry?
• 42:18 mins.  “Let other people do what they do best.” What is the no.2 learning that Dryvebox took from their first few years in the golf industry?
• 43:48 mins. Company Mission and Values – do they matter more to the next generation of customers?
• 51:02 mins. Was the decision to go the franchise route the biggest pivot for Dryvebox so far? What has Dryvebox learned from this?
• 58:14 mins.  How can you help Dryvebox? Want to discuss potential collaborations?

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Do you use insights to inform marketing decisions?

What do you consider when expanding into new markets?

How do you quantify markets?

Learn the answers to these questions (and more) in just 30 minutes from Cassandra Bausch.

Cassandra is the Director of Marketing at Club Champion. Club Champion delivers tour-quality golf club fittings to high performing, and recreational golfers. Each store has more than 50,000 clubhead, shaft, and grip combinations for golfers to test. Because the company’s approach is agnostic – the fitters don’t favour one brand over another – players find the best combination of components. 

After opening 100 new Club Champion brick and mortar stores in the last five years, the company is expanding internationally.

“We’re always trying to pick a segment that is underserved, or isn’t thought about in the grand scheme of club fitting. Women make up about 35% of the golf industry in general, but if you look at club fittings they are maybe 10-15%. So that’s an underserved market. When we do market analysis, what we’re looking to do is learn how to speak to that segment.” (Cassandra Bausch, Club Champion)

Key discussion areas to listen for:

• 1:08 mins. The similarities of marketing to bowling fans vs. golfers. How helpful is it for golf marketeers to be the target market?
• 7:27 mins. 100 new Club Champion brick and mortar stores have opened in the last five years. What’s the advantages and disadvantages of growing this fast?
• 9:37 mins. How did Club Champion quantify the market opportunity five years ago? Would they assess new growth opportunities using different insights and metrics now?
• 11:49 mins. Personalised club fitting has been available for a long time with club professionals. Why are more golfers getting fitted for clubs, and how is Club Champion capitalizing on this?
• 14:40 mins. What difference is Club Champion seeing with international markets? And how do you change your marketing tactics to succeed in these markets?
• 17:17 mins. When setting customer acquisition goals for a new market, does Club Champion use the same goal setting approach as in a new US state, or different?
• 18:39 mins. Gather’s Sue Shapcott conducted research for Club Champion that specifically looked at the club fitting experience for women and higher handicap golfers. How did Cassandra and the team use insights from this research to inform marketing decisions?
• 20:57 mins. How do you track brand perception and awareness?
• 24:25 mins. What is Cassandra’s framework for taking a brand like Club Champion forward in the future?

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There are two letters that have become particularly famous in recent years:

AI. 

So, we're delighted to welcome our guest JR Charles from ParOne to delve into this theme and help you understand what AI might mean for your business.

JR leads a small team that is flying under the radar, yet ParOne provides services to GOLF, Golfweek, Golftec, SwingU, LET, LPGA, Legends Tour, and LIV Golf.

JR and his team understand the opportunities AI offers to the golf industry. Best of all, JR discusses AI with humility; an outlook we found refreshing during our recent conversation.

Key discussion areas to listen out for:

• 04:04 mins. Every week, ParOne process over 1 billion analytics. Is this what JR and the team originally set out to achieve?
• 09:22 mins. What was the starting point for ParOne with AI?
• 11:08 mins. How a toy dinosaur taught a young JR the power of automation.
• 14:10 mins. JR runs us through a golf scenario to demonstrate how AI can solve golf problems.
• 20:38 mins. Using the science of storytelling; is the result you get from AI only as good as the data you put in?
• 24:41 mins. Fear about AI. How golf leaders can overcome their fears about implementing AI in their businesses to enhance decision making. Will it replace jobs, and will it replace traditions?
• 29:14 mins. Could AI help diversify the golf industry’s future leadership?
• 31:46 mins. “How do you get more golfers into the game?” – how would AI answer this question?
• 35:24 mins. How do we solve pace of play issues that impact course revenue – what would AI say?
• 46:26 mins. How could AI help golf course efficiencies and sustainability?
• 50:08 mins. How could AI help players improve their game?
• 51:24 mins. How could AI improve golf club fitting?
• 55:19 mins. How could AI assist golf course design and re-modelling?
• 56:56 mins. How could AI help with challenges around the ball rollback?
• 58:19 mins. How could AI help golf insurance companies better estimate risks?
• 58:51 mins. How could AI help solve the golf course supply challenge in the US?
• 59:40 mins. How could AI help sponsors that are considering investing in golf?
• 68:47 mins. Where do golf businesses start in AI?

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