Behind the Golf Brand Podcast with Paul Liberatore

In this week's episode I interview my good friend Jake Gordon, the Co-Founder & CEO of Noteefy, the fast-growing technology company helping golf operators fill tee time cancelations more easily. Noteefy (pronounced ‘notify’) has the first automated tee time assistant / waitlist for golfers and golf courses to improve the golfer booking experience, while accelerating course revenue and efficiency. The Noteefy booking assistant (technology is patent pending) enables golfers to input their personalized playing preferences, then get a real time notification when their desired tee time comes available. The golfer then books on the existing POS tee sheet as they normally would and the course keeps 100% of the revenue. Golfers never need to call again, and operators fill every desired tee time. Support the Show.

Nick Bradley’s journey to success began with a bang in 1994, when at 23 years old, he became the youngest director at the world renowned David Leadbetter Academy. His swift ascent through the academy’s ranks earned him a position as one of Leadbetter’s most trusted instructors, guiding golfers of diverse ages, handicaps, and swing patterns. Taking a bold leap in 2005, Bradley crossed the Atlantic from his native England to the United States, where he would ultimately establish himself as one of the most renowned and respected instructors on a global scale. His illustrious client list reads like a who’s who of golfing legends, including Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, and Phil Mickelson. With a coaching resume boasting over 400 professional golfers, such as Justin Rose, Sir Nick Faldo, Captain Paul McGinley, and Seamus Power, Bradley is celebrated for transforming Rose’s career, propelling him from a modest ranking of 125 in the world to an impressive 5th. Beyond the fairways, Nick Bradley boasts an impressive track record as a two-time best-selling author, serving as a global authority on golf education for esteemed organizations like the Golf Union of Ireland, the PGA of Great Britain, The English Golf Union, and the Russian Golf Federation. Not limiting his expertise to professionals, Bradley extends his instruction to golfers of all levels and ages, driven by an ardent passion for helping people improve their game. Always willing to share his wealth of knowledge and experience, he stands as an approachable mentor for all who seek his guidance. A true trailblazer in the realm of golf instruction, Nick Bradley’s innovative methods have nurtured some of the finest golfers in the world. His legacy as a pioneering figure in the field is securely etched, with his techniques set to inspire golfers of all levels for many generations. Support the Show.

Chris Voshall, Mizuno product engineer and marketing manager Support the Show.

In this week's episode, I interview my good friend Brian Mogg, the coaching legend who coached YE Yang to victory against Tiger Woods in the 2009 PGA Championship, and one of Golf Digest’s top 100 for ten years in a row. Brian has taught an incredible 50,000+ lessons, and the results speak for themselves. His students have won ninety tour events. He was named one of Golf Digest’s Top 100 Teachers in America. He’s made Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers list for the past seventeen years. But one of his greatest achievements was helping Bart Bryant go from $200 thousand in earnings to $14 million in his later years. What’s so unique about Brian’s coaching style is that he has over two decades of inside-the-ropes professional experience, and he still competes at the highest level from time to time, giving him an invaluable 360-degree perspective. His Distance Quadrant has changed the way older golfers dial in their swings and gain distance with age. Support the Show.

In this episode, Paul talks with his good friend Clay Hood, the CEO and co-founder of Precision Pro Golf where they discuss how the company was formed, the difficulties of being a business owner, and all the cool new tech they have come out with within the past few years. Support the Show.

In this week's episode, I interview my good friend Eric Cogorno, renowned golf instructor with over 20,000 lessons under his belt and online instructor to over 200,000 players. With over 100k followers on Instagram and almost 300k on YouTube, Eric is the go-to source for golf instruction. His YouTube videos alone have amassed almost 75 million views. Eric has been featured in Forbes, and pioneered the behind-the-reverse Slice Sequence, the Closed Coil System, Lethal Lag, and many more training programs. Eric Cogorno’s dad inspired him to become a golfer when he was twelve. He always saw his father go out with his friends for a few rounds on the weekends, and, as most boys do, he wanted to be just like him. So, his dad bought him a junior set of clubs, and he got to work. By the age of eighteen, Eric was attending college at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and working at a local golf course. As fate would have it, one of the professional instructors came in one day and told him how he’d just made $50 from teaching a golf lesson. It wasn’t long after that that Eric decided he wanted to become a professional golf coach himself. Naturally, Eric began his coaching career at the Bethlehem Golf Club, eventually working his way up to assistant pro. In 2017, he started his very own online training sessions called Eric Cogorno Golf, where he uploads helpful how-to videos for golfers looking to fix their swings and fine-tune their mechanics. In the meantime, Eric has kept the pedal to the metal, pioneering game-changing online training programs like the Support the Show.

Nick Jahnke, the Vice President of U.S. Sales at PXG joins Paul on the Behind the Golf Brand Podcast. Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) was founded in September of 2013 by well-known businessman, philanthropist and golf nut Bob Parsons. PXG was born out of Parsons’ desire to make the world’s best golf equipment. A shared passion for the greatest game ever played and equitable obsession with club technology led Parsons to partner with two highly respected golf club designers to develop the finest equipment on the planet. Parsons demanded of his designers what most golfers dream about: a sexy set of golf irons that look like blades, launch higher, go farther, feel softer and have a sweet spot the size of Texas. "PXG clubs have to feel like butter and the difference has to be noticeable. With no cost or time constraints, the duo began the long process of researching various alloys, exploring new technologies and identifying the unique properties that would make PXG clubs unlike anything else. More than 200 global patents later, Parsons Xtreme Golf has introduced a full line of golf clubs that are forcing golfers to change the way they think about the game. In response to explosive growth since its inception, PXG has quickly become an international brand, with stores, fitters, retailers and distributors around the world. Support the Show.

In this week's episode, I interview my good friend Joshua Jacobs, the Founder and CEO of College Golf Experience. Joshua played collegiate golf and club tennis at Emory University and founded TGA Premier Junior Golf in 2003. In 2007, TGA franchised its junior golf concept and was the first junior golf program to add STEM components. In 2010, Joshua was named by Golf Magazine and Sports Illustrated as one of the Top 40 most influential people in golf under 40, and he created the TGA Sports Foundation dedicated to developing youth of all backgrounds through athletics. In 2012, he orchestrated a National Partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and franchised TGA’s second concept, tennis. In 2013, he was recognized as one of golf’s “Innovators” by Golf Inc. Joshua has served on the World Golf Foundation Advisory Board, USTA’s National School Committee, the PGA’s Golf 2.0’s National Building Blocks Committee, TGA Sports Foundation’s Board of Directors, the Southern California PGA’s Foundation Advisory Committee and the Southern California PGA’s Growth of the Game Committee. He is currently a consultant and a catalyst behind the PGA of America’s Family Cup initiative. Support the Show.

Justin Moore is a Sponsorship Coach & the founder of Creator Wizard, a school & community that teaches you how to find & negotiate your dream brand deals so that you stop leaving thousands on the table. Along with his wife April, he has been a full-time creator for over 7 years and has personally made over $3M working with brands. He has also run an influencer marketing agency for over 5 years that has helped other creators earn an additional $2M. Justin brings a very unique perspective because not only has he been a creator in the trenches doing sponsorships for years but by running an agency, he has insider knowledge of how big brands choose which influencers to partner with and why they pass on others. Justin's mission is to enable creators big and small to land 1 million paid brand partnerships by 2032. Support the Show.

Jake Thurm has been named one of the “Best Young Teachers in America” by Golf Digest for three consecutive years. His students will tell you why. Jake’s instruction offers a unique combination of physical and mental guidance, customized for each student and informed by technology and analytics. He never gives the same lesson twice. A fundamental tenet of Jake’s instruction is that no two players swing precisely alike. Because of this, he works to understand the unique biomechanics of each student. Data allows him to assess and not guess. Then, he tailors his teaching to help his students discover their most natural and effective swing. The Chicago native draws on his deep knowledge of the game as a former all-conference golfer and protégé of legendary instructor Dr. Jim Suttie, as well as from his background in clinical psychology. The result is an innovative mind-body approach that has earned accolades from PGA Tour winners, including Kevin Streelman, James Hahn, Dudley Hart, and Chip Beck. Jake has worked at over 100 PGA Tour events, including all four major championships, and appears on the Golf Channel as an expert commentator. Jake is highly regarded in Chicagoland golf circles as Midwest Director for the USA Junior National Golf Team and Nike Junior Golf Camp Director at Fresh Meadow Golf Club in Hillside. He also operates golf schools at Ruffled Feathers Golf Club in Lemont and is on the Master Staff at Club Champion in Willowbrook. Whether working with PGA pros or promising young players, Jake identifies a common trait in all his students. “They are serious players passionate about improving their game,” he says. “When that’s the case, I’m equally passionate about helping them. And I know I can.” Support the Show.

In this week's episode, I interview my good friend Brixton Albert, the Founder and CEO of Performance Golf. Performance Golf is the leading online golf instruction company that provides golfers of all levels with the tools and resources they need to take their game to the next level. They aim to help 1 million amateur golfers play the best golf of their lives and enjoy every minute. Their library of video training courses features instruction from some of the world’s most prestigious golf instructors and tour pros, including Sir Nick Faldo, Hank Haney, Nick Bradley, Martin Chuck, and David Leadbetter. They also offer a variety of tailored resources to help golfers improve their game, including revolutionary physical products and an exclusive VIP coaching program featuring world-renowned pros. Their founder, Brixton Albert, is a passionate leader committed to helping golfers improve their game. As a scratch golfer, he understands the challenges that golfers face when trying to get better and firmly believes that the best way to learn golf is from the best of the best. Under his leadership, Performance Golf has grown into one of the world's leading online golf instruction companies by consistently providing access to the highest quality instruction and resources available to experienced and novice golfers alike. Support the Show.

In this week's episode, I interview my good friend Rick Versace Jr., the founder of Proud 90. Proud 90 is just a group of guys that love hitting the links. Breaking 90 is considered a win for the day when they go out. Their approach to golf is similar to our approach to life - always have a good time, and don’t take things too seriously. It’s not just about hitting the lowest score out there. It’s about letting off steam after a hard week at work. It’s about kicking back and having a few beers with your buds while playing a game we love. It’s about getting out there and having a great time on the course, regardless of whether we're shooting in the 80’s or the 100’s. At some point, it occurred to them that there was no golf brand for the average weekend hacker just looking to have fun — so they decided it was their duty to create one. And just like that, Proud 90 was born. They think their fierce, bold designs and comfortable, lightweight fabrics reflect how they choose to play the game — sometimes unconventional, but never too seriously. Don’t get them wrong! They are constantly working to improve their game, just as we're always working to enhance their brand. That being said, they know they will never be on the PGA Tour, but that hasn't stopped them from going for it on every shot and having a hell of a good time doing it. Support the Show.

In this week's episode, I interviewed my good friend Rene Delgado, the Founder and CEO of Indoor Golf Shop Like you, the Indoor Golf Shop loves golf, it’s a wonderful game that can bring us together for good times and fierce competition. Like you, the team at the Indoor Golf Shop has played golf for most of our lives – it’s timeless and has given us many great memories shared with friends and family. In 2017, they saw an opportunity to offer golf simulator packages and indoor golf solutions to golfers. It started with their purchase of a golf simulator, and they soon realized there must be a better way than the frustration they experienced during that process. The Indoor Golf Shop was born, and they made the commitment back then that still stands today – their business will be defined by providing extraordinary customer service and offering exceptional products of the highest quality. Today, their team strives to deliver on that promise every day. Within their 50,000 square foot corporate headquarters located in Celina, Texas, just north of Dallas, is our sales office, manufacturing facility, shipping and receiving department, and warehouse. This online store is only part of a diverse business that also includes custom home golf simulator design and installation, commercial golf simulator services, and contract manufacturing for leading golf technology brands. They are fortunate to partner with many inspiring companies and mission-driven individuals and know that their success results from these important collaborations. Because of their incredible partners, talented team, and amazing customers, they earned the No. 400 on the annual Inc. 5000 List, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Support the Show.

In this week's episode, I interviewed my good friend Patrick Keegan, the Founder of Field Day Sporting Co. Field Day, which was created to positively impact the community and share what they can with the people around them. All of their products are crafted with great attention to detail, taking inspiration from sporting greats, American icons, and apparel they've broken into and lived with for years. In 2024 they will be exhibiting at the PGA Show in January, and available for wholesale for golf retailers. Support the Show.

In this week's episode I interview my good friend and fellow YouTuber Matt Fryer who shares his story of how he went from 0 - 215,000 subscribers, and over 32 million views in just a few short years. Matt has been involved in golf for over 20 years, and he has seen all aspects of the market, from playing professionally for 4 years to running a professional shop at a leading resort in the north of England. His passion has always been the game of golf, how it has been played, and how to improve it. With the guidance of his father, Adrian Fryer, a Fellow Member of the P.G.A., Matt has now embarked on the same route, hoping to become a great coach and further his already vast knowledge of the game and help golfers of all levels play to their full potential. With an easygoing yet informative and driven approach to coaching, Matt is quickly establishing himself as a coach anyone would enjoy improving with. Support the Show.

In this weeks episode I interview my good friend Jimmy McDonald, Director of Sales for GolfZon. GolfZon is the #1 golf simulator company in the world, with locations in some 63 countries, with over 12,300 commercial sites. Just in 2022 alone, over 87 million rounds of golf were played on their simulators. And what is really cool is that Golfzon also hosts two professional virtual golf tournaments each year (GTOUR and WGTOUR) with a total prize purse of more than $3.5 million. With the GolfZon 2 Vision, the most realistic golf simulator in the world, and there new Wave, GolfZon is poised to take over the U.S. Market. Support the Show.

In this week's episode I interview my good friend Taylor Crosby, one of Golf Digests “Best Young Teacher’s in America” list. This honor is only given to the select few golf instructors under age 40 who are making the biggest impact on the industry—and in more ways than ever, with the growth of digital and social media.” Crosby played collegiate golf for both the University of Georgia and North Carolina State University. While at Georgia, the Athens, Ga., native played alongside current PGA Tour standouts Kevin Kisner, Chris Kirk, and Brendon Todd. After graduating from N.C. State, he played on mini-tours, served as a head golf professional, and caddied on the Korn Ferry Tour. Support the Show.

Clinch is founded by two Oregon golfers, Matt Mahoney and Jason Desoldato, under the belief that there are better materials from which to make a golf glove. Jason worked for Nike and Burton and had extensive experience with innovative fabrics that help athletes overcome their challenges. Thus, Clinch was born. Clinch focuses on modern performance gloves designed to perform in rain or hot/humid weather. The Pacific Northwest is their home and proving ground - offering a diverse test from seaside mist to high desert heat. If it works there, it works anywhere. Their mission is to bring golfers an innovative product that performs in all conditions. Whether you’re grinding it out on tour or shooting to break 100, they have built this glove for you! Support the Show.

In this week episode I interview my good Akbar Chisti the CEO and co-founder of Seamus Golf. Akbar started Seamus Golf out of his garage with his wife Megan Chisti in 2011. Since the beginning, every product they make is meant to tell its own story. Whether it’s the U.S. Open, The Masters, or a number of custom projects they have pursued for some of the most influential and inspirational people, their company stands to partner with their golfers and give them a way to represent and connect with others. They are proud and grateful to their Makers and Administrative staff who work tirelessly together to overcome the challenges of small business in the modern era. They are grateful to their partners, customers, and vendors who have combined together to embrace and permit them to become the most sought-after accessory maker in golf. Support the Show.

In this week episode I interview my good friend legendary golf instructor Jim McLean, who is one of the most prolific golf instructors of the last 30 years. He is known for coining the phrase “X-Factor”, observing that the greater the differential between the hips and shoulders at the top of the swing, the more power the golfer can create. He pioneered the use of video for golf instruction and was one of the first adopters of radar technology used in swing analysis tools like TrackMan. He is also authored and sold over 15 different books and videos, and taught some of the greatest golfers of our generation. Including, Sergio Garcia, Curtis Strange, Gary Player, Bernard Langer, Al Geiberger, US Open champions Liselotte Neumann, Jane Geddes, Lauri Merten, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Webb Simpson, and Hal Sutton to just name a few. Actually, its over 100 PGA tour players but who is counting. Jim McLean is CEO of the Jim McLean Golf School, which operates from eight locations. Support the Show.