Cadi is an unattended, automated kiosk that allows golfers the ability to demo, compare and purchase golf equipment at unbeatable pricing in the ideal environment, right on the course. At the same time, Cadi is a new direct to consumer channel that allows the golf equipment manufacturers (OEMs) the ability to get their product into more customers hands, collect valuable data all for a fraction of the cost. Cadi is a Demo day, Every day. Cadi is targeting Public courses and public golfers. The vast majority of these courses do not offer golf equipment and the OEMs have given up on selling through this channel for the most part.
There is currently one active full-functional unit located in Orange County, CA and plans to add five more this year.
A great talk with Tyler, exploring whether this is the future of golf retail.
Rick is joined by PGA Tour’s Justin Thomas this week.
Justin is known for his ball striking and his play along with his attire, on and off the course as he represents Ralph Lauren.
A former World No. 1 and one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour. In 2017, Thomas experienced a breakout year, winning five PGA Tour events, including the PGA Championship, his maiden major championship, and also winning the FedEx Cup championship. In May 2018, Thomas became the 21st player to top the Official World Golf Ranking.
Each week, golf fans wonder what Justin will be wearing as he drives, chips and putts. Rick talks about he love for fashion and more this week on Tech of Sports.
Rick talks with Steve Mays of Tee Time Central this week on Tech of Sports.
Tee Time Central is a software service designed specifically for the golf industry. The powerful golf course management suite includes booking engine, central reservation system, call center, and package company platform. They will equip your golf course with the latest technology to help increase efficiency, reduce costs, boost revenue, and improve customer service. Tee Time Central will help meet the needs of a golf business.
Tee Time Central has the ability to book multiple courses at one time, among other features, and that is potentially a very big deal for traveling golfers.
Mays is a veteran of the golf industry and based in the golf MECCA of Myrtle Beach, SC. He is an established marketing and sales executive with over 20 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry building a proven record of success in planning and leading comprehensive marketing strategies in support of business goals. He also ran the Myrtle Beach World Am for years.
His focus now is Tee Time Central and that makes him the perfect Tech of Sports guest!
Florida’s First Coast of Golf is designed to promote Amelia Island, Jacksonville and The Beaches, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, Clay County and Palm Coast & The Flagler Beaches as the premier destination for Florida golf vacations. We also partner with Jacksonville Aviation Authority, THE PLAYERS, the World Golf Village along with the region’s golf courses and accommodations partners.
David plays an integral role with golf in this region of Florida.
Reese is an experienced sales and marketing professional with over 16 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. Currently, David is the president of Florida’s First Coast of Golf, a golf destination marketing company located in Jacksonville Beach. He oversees the operation of the 501(c)6 organization that is designed to promote golf tourism to the First Coast. The foundation is built on cooperative marketing/public relations efforts for 61 industry partners, 5 counties, and the State under a unified brand. The accomplishments of the organization revolve around solid strategic, marketing/public relations plans and intense volunteer involvement.
David began his career as a convention sales manager for the Jacksonville Convention and Visitor’s bureau. David earned his bachelors degree in marketing with an emphasis on hospitality management from Florida State University.
As an active participant in the community David serves on the Board of Directors for International Association of Golf Tour Operators 2001-present, is a member of the Gator Bowl Association, VISIT FLORIDA’s Board of Directors, Visit Jacksonville’s Board of Directors, member of the Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair Association, President of the SKAL Club of Jacksonville and a committee member of Visit Florida.
Great to be joined by David to talk about the state of golf on Florida’s First Coast and the challenges he and his organization face. It was an honor to meet and talk with David while at THE PLAYERS.
Rick is joined once again this year, from the PGA Show in Orlando, but PGA Tour great and one of the nicest guys in golf, Chip Beck.
Chip is once again at the show serving as a brand ambassador for Pitchfix.
Pitchfix USA, a global market leader in switchblade divot tools and other golf products, introduced new products at the 2019 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando (Jan. 22-25). In addition to the Pitchfix Tour Edition and Tour Edition 2.5 divot repair tools, the Pitchfix 4 in 1 MultiMarker Chip will make their debuts at booth #2015 at the World’s number one golf merchandise show.
The Pitchfix Tour Edition divot repair tool is the first non-switchblade metal product from Pitchfix. Two versions are available, one with the traditional fork (Tour Edition) and one with the award winning RepairtecTM pins (Tour Edition 2.5). Both have a club rest and removable ball marker. Each model has a combination of treated finished steel and soft feel plastic. The manufacturing process allows for special color combinations, personalization as well as adding logos for branding and promotional uses.
The Pitchfix MultiMarker Chip is an alternative to the standard poker chip ball marker. With the same diameter as a poker chip, the Multi Marker Chip is easy to find in your pocket and has a small magnetic ball marker that’s useful when you are close to someone’s putting line. The MultiMarker Chip has a ‘tee toss’ function on both sides and a putting alignment function on the reverse side. The multi marker chip is available in a wide range of colors.
“We’re excited to introduce three new quality items to our extensive, award-winning product line,” said Bart Fokke, president, Pithfix USA. “We look forward to sharing the capabilities of these products and demonstrating them to PGA professionals and buyers at the PGA Merchandise Show and through our distributors worldwide.”
About Pitchfix
Founded in 2005, Pitchfix is the market leader for switchblade divot tools and other golf green related products in Europe and Asia and is renowned for its high standards in design and product quality. It aims to be the market leader in divot tools and other golf related products in the United States by designing, manufacturing and distributing an ever-growing line of high quality and innovative European designed products through selected distribution partners.
Pitchfix currently offers an array of diverse and innovative products for golfers worldwide: Twister 2.0 Divot Tool; Classic Divot Tool; Hybrid 2.0 Divot Tool; XL 3.0 Divot Tool; Alignmee Marker Alignment Tool, Hatclip Ball Marker, The Tour Edition and Tour Edition 2.5 Divot Tool, and the Multi Marker Chip.
The Pitchfix Fusion 2.5 was named “Best Divot Repair Tool” by Golf Digest in its 2018 Editors’ Choice Awards for the second consecutive year.
Pitchfix currently has operational and manufacturing facilities in Hong Kong, China, the Netherlands and the U.S. In the U.S. the company recently opened three fulfillment centers with five customer facing/support employees to facilitate custom order processing and fulfillment. Custom orders are fulfilled within two to eight days of receipt. For further information go to www.pitchfixusa.com.
CHIP BECK
At the youthful age of 10, Chip Beck’s mother first introduced him to golf by taking him to a junior clinic. Little did she know the impact that day would have on him. After a successful junior career, Chip enrolled at the University of Georgia where he would become one of the most decorated golfers in UGA history. As a three-time first team All-American and five-time tournament winner with more top ten finishes than any other player in the school’s history, Chip Beck decided it was time to test his skills with the best players in the world on the PGA Tour.
Chip had four PGA Tour victories and twenty runner-up finishes during his playing career. He won the Vardon Trophy in 1989 and spent 40 weeks in the top 10 of the World Golf Rankings from 1988 to 1989. Additionally, he was the second player to ever shoot ’59’ in a PGA Tour tournament. Several players have accomplished this feat on the PGA Tour, but only Al Geiberger and David Duval have also reached that magical thirteen under par number. Prior to the Las Vegas Invitational, the Hilton family said anybody who could shoot a 59 would win a million dollars. Despite never having seen the course before, Chip had five pars and 13 birdies (a PGA Tour record for birdies in one round), including a three footer on the 18th hole to shoot a 59. Beck finished tied for third in the tournament, but half of the million dollars he won ended up funding the Chip Beck Scholarship. Since 1991, this scholarship has run in conjunction with the Evans Scholars Foundation with the Western Golf Association and still continues today.
In addition to his PGA Tour accomplishments, Chip Beck is also well known as a three-time Ryder Cup member, especially as a crucial player in the 1993 Ryder Cup, the last time the United States won on European soil. His all-time Ryder Cup record is 6-2-1, with a point percentage of .72. Furthermore, Chip is one of two people to ever have a hole in one on a par four, which he achieved on the 314-yard 9th hole at the 2003 Omaha Classic. Although Chip has never won a major, he was the runner-up in three Majors and one Players Championship. (1986 US Open, 1989 US Open, 1989 Players Championship and 1993 Masters).
To many around the world Chip Beck is simply known as ‘Mr. 59,’ but ask him and he will tell you he is just another guy who loves God, his family, and the game of golf. Chip is currently an ambassador for Arcis Golf and for PitchfixUSA, the company that manufactures the Golf Digest award winning Fusion 2.5 Divot Repair Tool.
As we approach the PGA Golf Show in Orlando, Rick is joined by Brendan McCarthy of KemperSports. Brendan is the National Director of Marketing and Sales and there is no better person to talk the business of golf as we look ahead to 2019.
Brendan McCarthy joined KemperSports in 2009 as a Regional Sales and Marketing Director and was promoted to serve as the National Director of Marketing and Sales. Mr. McCarthy has over 20 years of hospitality industry experience driving revenue and brand engagement results for resorts, private clubs and daily-fee operations. Brendan specializes in using data analysis to drive marketing and sales improvement. Previously, Brendan was a Director of Marketing for Vail Resorts and he earned both his MBA and BSBA from the University of Denver. Brendan is married with two young children living in the greater Chicago area where he volunteers as a youth sports coach and has served on the Youth Advisory Board for the First Tee of Greater Chicago and as a Commissioner for the Village of Wilmette Transportation Commission.
Founded in 1978, KemperSports has a rich history as a family-owned business with more than 7,000 staff members. From our first development project at Kemper Lakes Golf Course to our award-winning portfolio of over 130 facilities, including many nationally-ranked courses and tournament venues, our clients are at the core of the KemperSports family.
With a longstanding history of innovation and superior client solutions, KemperSports takes a unique, customized approach to each client. We employ the best people in the industry and provide ongoing education and continual review of processes to provide our clients with operational excellence and exceptional customer experience.
Mr. McCarthy is based in the KemperSports Northbrook, IL office.
He and Rick talk about the state of golf, what KemperSports is looking to do in the future and getting the word out about being a lifetime and family sport.
