Tag Archives: Golfers

Episode 76: Gamification Makes Learning The Golf Swing Fun | Nancy Dunn Kato, Published Author and CEO at SwingPlay.com

Nancy Dunn-Kato is a very well respected golf instructor, one ot the top junior golf instructors in the country. In our interview she talks about the gamification of teaching the golf swing; how she makes these simple little games to help kids learn the golf swing. There’s a movement in education about gamification, working to make the learning experience more fun and enjoyable.
Nancy Dunn-Kato of SwingPlay.com talks about the Gamification of the Golf Swing
Nancy Dunn-Kato has been a Certified Class A LPGA Teaching & Club Professional Member since 1989. She has played and taught golf for over 24 years.

Nancy’s company SWINGplay and its concepts are a direct result of her dedicated work with junior golfers and a real, practical, understanding of what works best. SWINGplay’s unique programs are specifically designed to focus the learning needs of young and adult golfers at all levels from beginner to advanced players. The SWINGplay systems and methods reinforce the play in golf – to keep the learning experience fun, positive, and filled with success that grows naturally out of children’s play. Skill and ability grow quickly through the game-play!

SwingPlay fun ways to teach the golf swing.Zeb’s Take

It’s obvious that Nancy really understands the golf swing, and how to teach the golf swing. She made a lot of good points; young golfers teaching other young golfers how to play the game and how young kids can teach parents and how valuable that can be and how you can bring the family together.

The thing she talked about that I want to expand on is making the golf swing fun. She talked about breaking it down into little smaller components, and then teaching that in a fun game type of way – gamification. She’s talking about making rainbows, knocking out shark’s teeth, dragons, Leprechauns, shooting spray guns. I’ve actually had a chance to see some of the stuff she is talking about and it’s very cool. I can see how young people can accept and understand it all very quickly because of the way she sets up these little games.

In education, we get so much information from so many different resources. Before the internet, teachers were more on their own. Now, there’s someone like Nancy who creates this killer program about how to teach the golf swing to young kids. She can take that and give that to golf instructors across the country and they can understand. I think this gamification of learning coincides with our social culture and the way that we are able to share knowledge today. It really enhances the learning experience, I think education needs to go that way. Having a teacher that stands in front of a class and lectures is like if Nancy were a golf instructor that stood there and just tells you what you’re doing wrong. Versus, talking about rainbows and dragons, you can imagine the difference that would have on a little child. You can teach the golf swing, just like you can teach anything else, through this gamification process.

What do you think about this gamification process?

Find out more about gamification of the golf swing, Nancy, and SwingPlay

Visit SwingPlay.com or email Nancy at Nancy@SwingPlay.com

Quotes

  • “It was really frustrating. I never wanted anyone to feel that way. I believed in my heart that I could find a way to make it much more easy for other people.”
  • “Golf has been made too hard to understand and it doesn’t have to be that way; it could be easier.”
  • “I love teaching teachers.”
  • “They’re learning and they don’t even know their learning. That’s the fun part.”
  • “I really really wanted to create something different.”
  • “People helping people and using golf as a way to get the community together.”
  •  “I just wanted to make something that makes the world a little better.”

nancy

 

More From the Interview

Nancy got involved in golf in college when a couple cute guys invited her to play at Torrey Pines. She borrowed a pair of clubs that morning and finished the day with a couple pars. When she told her golf buddies it was her first day, they were impressed. She checked out the golf scene and had the idea to become a pro in one year. She found a golf instructor, worked hard and reached her goal in a year and a half. She made several mini tours and was on the top ten list.

After her swing, put a coke can on her pitching wedge and she had to balance it, that was the start of all the games she began creating. It was about finding a way to make it fun after the lesson so she could understand it.

“When we were on the mini tour, none of us could afford golf lessons. So whoever would go get a golf lesson they would come and teach us what they learned.”

She got to train with Derek Hardy, who taught her a lot, she could have gone on and qualified for the tour, but she wanted to get better and shoot under par more often, but that wasn’t happening. She changed her path.

Golfs Greenland Book by Nancy Dunn-KatoShe wanted to become a teacher, so she could understand why the lessons were so confusing. “I would cry in front of Derek Hardy all the time, because I couldn’t understand what he was saying. It was really frustrating. I never wanted anyone to feel that way. I believed in my heart that I could find a way to make it much more easy for other people.”

She joined the LPGA, started as an apprentice, and was able to move up. She was lucky to be able to study under Chuck Hogan. He was part of the LPGA teaching them how to become better teachers. He was all about making things fun, and to do it through games. When she asked him how to be a better teacher, he said don’t just tell people what to do, they need to know why they should do it.

She started on a path where I broke down the whole game.

“It’s just taking old terminologies and making everything easier and something that people can put their thoughts around and understand really quickly and it’s kind of amazing if you can use games or sensory perceptive play, which is what I love to do.”

What is SwingPlay?
She took every part of the game and separated it into modules. Then broke it down into simple understandable sensory perception with a skill game, a sound game or anything with the senses. She uses story telling. With young kids she teaches them how to make rainbows and their club is the paint brush; there’s all kinds of different rainbows for the different golf swings. She is telling them how to make rainbows, but they’re learning about a golf swing.

Kids have hands-on experiences and they become more self aware. They get to experiment all through play and self discovery. The kids have a great time. They’re learning and they don’t even know they’re learning. That’s the fun part.

She says, the educators of the world, they get it. It’s the 21st century of learning; it’s more hands on and discovery, let the people figure it out for themselves.

I’ve had high school kids and college kids help mentor these younger kids with table top projects. These kids get to be mentors and as they are helping the younger kids they are learning too.

What do you enjoy most about teaching golf?
Watching people’s reaction when they get it.

What life lessons and values do you think golf teaches?
Patience, love, respect. One thing about a golf course is, it’s like a park, it’s green and beautiful. Teach them to pick up trash and take care of the golf green. It’s a place where kids can go and be in nature.

Her book, Golf Greenland, is a 4 hour lesson all about putting, through story-telling and games. The fundamentals you learn in putting just go larger as you go up the game.

She wants to find a good home for her program. She’s really excited that Newport Beach YMCA is excited about it. She’d like to see it at more places libraries, schools, and places like restaurants. Maybe even try to standardize golf using everything she has created, make it more fun and get more people involved.

 

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Episode 60: Golf is Social | Kevin Flanagan President of USGLL

Golf is social. Kevin Flanagan is the President of the USGLL which is a golf league for juniors.  Kevin talks about the social aspects of golf and how golfing can help bring people together.  Learn how Kevin is helping to grow golf by listening to Episode 60 of the Defining Success Podcast.

Kevin Flanagan Golf is Social USGLL

Kevin Flanagan

USGLL, Inc, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing national team competition for young golfers.  Since 2008, their Team Match Play format offers boys and girls, ages 6 to 18, the opportunity to compete at all levels. Players receive instruction in the etiquette and rules of golf, learn mutual respect and teamwork and develop important social skills. These relationships and sense of integrity are a solid platform that will last them the rest of their lives.

Kevin was in the trade show and transportation industry for over 20 years.  Once he retired he decided to get involved in golf and became a teaching professional.  He realized that a lot of young golfers were leaving the game.  He approached the city and said he wanted to start a golf little league and they worked on a way to figure out how to manage it.

The USGLL opened in April 2008 and now Kevin is running the business and the USGLL is growing rapidly.

The USGLL is trying to get more and keep more kids in the game of golf.  We’re targeting the 85 – 95% of the kids who haven’t had the opportunity to expose kids to the game.  The matchplay format helps young kids and parents understand the game.

One of Kevin’s mentors, Tom Addis, the president of the Southern California PGA and a former president of the PGA.  And he asked “What are you going to do to grow the game?”  Kevin really took that to heart and he decided to start this junior program.

The biggest obstacle Kevin faced was missing out on money that was promised to him before the economy tanked in 2008 for the USGLL.  He then committed to multiple programs and faced a lot of roadblocks due the economy.  Currently, other programs have started up which are similar to Kevin’s, but they’re taking away from the focus of the USGLL.

Kevin is always looking for sponsors to see how they can make golf affordable for some of the parents.  Some companies realize if they get a kid interested in golfing when they are young that there is a lot of potential for their businesses.

When Kevin was in business, you could decide on the golf course whether you wanted a guy to go in business with.  It’s a sport that all ages and all groups can play together.

The first child that teed off in the USGLL program in 2008.  He made multiple All-Star teams and lost his father last year.  They mentored him in the program and the child is going to be their first inductee into the USGLL Hall of Fame.  Another girl, who’s a freshman is playing in the finals in High School.

The national website is being changed over so it will be a lot easier for golfers to get in.  Parents can go to the USGLL.org to work to set up a golfing program for younger golfers.

Kevin Flanagan USGLL Golf is Social

Kevin Flanagan

Engaging Discussion Questions:

  • How important do you think being social can help a business?
  • Do you think golf is social?

Links to Great Stuff:

  •  USGLL – “Our national strategy endeavors to increase our footprint from coast to coast, in all 50 states. Along with the USGA, PGA, LPGA and the NGCOA, we are committed to increasing youth involvement in the game of golf throughout the U.S., its territories, and, eventually, internationally.”

Success Quotes:

  • “Success is finding something and someone that you love to do and be with all the time.”
  • “The motto of the USGLL is teamwork, respect and integrity.”
  • “Girls can now compete with the boys at this level.”
  • “(The USGLL) started on a paper napkin after a golf lesson.”
  • Between golf courses and golf players, we’re losing (golfers) left and right.
USGLL Junior Golfers Kevin Flanagan Golf is Social

USGLL

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Board of Advisors for EZeeGolf

As listeners of the Defining Success Podcast, you may remember Steve Fluke (Episode 45: Listen to Your Market).  Steve was the owner of EZeeGolf.  EZeeGolf is a golf club that can propel the ball without a traditional golf swing.  The club acts more like a gun where you press a button and can hit your ball between 50 and 225 yards down the fairway.

The main goal of EZeeGolf is to help golfers who can no longer enjoy the game because of their physical limitations enjoy the great game of golf.  By using this tool golfers who can no longer swing because of shoulder problems, disabilities, or old age can now still get out on the golf course and enjoy a round with their friends and family.

After our interview on the Defining Success Podcast, Steve and I have gotten to know each other much better, so much so that Steve invited me to be on the Board of Advisors for EZeeGolf.  In my current position, I’ll be working with Steve to help increase and enhance the online and social media presence of EZeeGolf in a consulting role.  If you haven’t checked out EZeeGolf, please do.  You can visit their the EZeeGolf website, Facebook page, and/or YouTube page.

Zeb Welborn from the Defining Success Podcast Named to the Board of Advisors for EZeeGolf

EZeeGolf

I’m really looking forward to working with Steve and EZeeGolf to help those individuals who enjoy the game continue to get out on the golf course and enjoy the experience with their families and friends.

If you have any ideas about how we can market and promote EZeeGolf, please let us know on the Defining Success Podcast Facebook page.  We’d love to hear your thoughts about this new golf club!

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Bunkers Paradise Charity Golf Tournament at San Dimas Canyon Golf Course

Bunkers Paradise held their first annual Bunkers Paradise Charity Golf Tournament for the Special Olympics of Southern California at San Dimas Canyon Golf Course on Sunday, October 13.

For a first year tournament, Bunkers Paradise had close to 50 golfers playing for the Special Olympics of Southern California, including two previous guests of the Defining Success Podcast, Ken Lee (Episode 9) and Kate Hughes (Episode 26).

Ken Lee is the Editor-in-Chief of Bunkers Paradise and worked with San Dimas Canyon Golf Course to help put on the event.  Welborn Media and 19th Hole Media are currently working with San Dimas Canyon Golf Course on their social media presence.  Check out the San Dimas Canyon Facebook page to see how we can help build and grow the online presence of any golf course. Kenny Donovan Zeb Welborn Mike Quiroz Gary Christman Surprisingly enough, with the help of Gary Christman, Kenny Donovan and Mike Quiroz, the Welborn Media and 19th Hole Media ended up shooting a 14-under par to tie for the lead at the tournament and each of us won brand new Cleveland XL Drivers thanks to the folks at Bunkers Paradise.

Kate Hughes was in attendance as a contributor to Bunkers Paradise and an advocate of the Special Olympics and golf.  All in all, the tournament was a great success and we were happy to be a part of it!  Even happier that we ended up winning the first ever Bunkers Paradise Charity Golf Tournament!

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New Client! Greenskeeper.org Facebook Page

We’re very excited to announce that we were recently hired by Greenskeeper.org to help manage the Greenskeeper.org Facebook page.

John Hakim from Greenskeeper.org on the Defining Success Podcast with Zeb Welborn Know Before You Go

Greenskeeper.org

After appearing as a guest on the Defining Success Podcast, Johnny and I have become great friends and are even working on a book together on how golf courses can use the Internet to reach more golfers and encourage more golfers to play at their golf course more often.

Johnny is the owner of Greenskeeper.org, a website made for golfers with an almost unlimited amount of features that golfers can use to enhance their enjoyment of the game.  Golfers can post scores, review golf courses, learn of golf course conditions and interact with others in the Greenskeeper.org community.

The members who use the site regularly refer to themselves as GKers and even have regular golf outings where GKers can interact, get to know each other and play some golf.  As a lover of golf and promoter of the game, I am extremely excited to be working with Johnny to help more people interact in the GK community, reach more golfers and give golfers a better experience when they do decide to get out and play.

Johnny Hakim | How to Make Your Customers Become a Part of Your Business | Greenskeeper.org

Johnny Hakim

Many of you may remember Johnny Hakim as our guest in the 35th episode of the Defining Success Podcast.  His episode was titled, Episode 35: Making Your Customers a Part of Your Business | Johnny Hakim from Greenskeeper.org where he talked about how he’s been able to build a community around Greenskeeper.org and get more members active and involved in the GK Community.

We’re really excited to be managing the Greenskeeper.org Facebook page and encourage all of you to visit the page, like it, and interact with other GKers.

If you have any questions about how we can help you reach more customers, encourage customers to buy more and build a strong online presence for your business, please visit Welborn Media or contact me by email – Zeb@WelbornMedia.com

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Episode 26: Breaking Out of Your Shell | Kate Hughes from Vision FORE Success

 

Kate Hughes

Kate Hughes

Teaser:

Kate Hughes was unbelievably shy when she was younger, but grew up into an amazingly charismatic woman who was able to succeed on the LPGA Tour and help youth golfers develop a strong mental game.  Learn more about Kate and how you can break out of your shell in Episode 26 of the Defining Success Podcast.

Recap:

Kate Hughes is a former LPGA Tour Player with 2 top 10 finishes and 1 victory in Japan.  She’s now mentoring, counseling, and guiding young men and women golfers to become great High School players, top student/athletes at all collegiate levels and by those who want to become Tour Professionals.

Kate Hughes picked up golf at an early love for sports.  Her parents would often bring home sports equipment for her brother and she would always end up playing with those.  Her first experience golfing, she took a swing and connected and fell in love with the game at an early age.

She used to be a professional LPGA player, and could have been a lot better but had to have five surgeries during her time as a player.  She played golf in Minnesota at the collegiate level and broke several records while she was there and they encouraged her to go out on tour and she made it in her first try.  As a result of making the tour she gained self-confidence, maturity, friendship and camaraderie.

In golf, you’re your own business and in the end you’re the one that’s responsible for your own destiny and it’s a great mind game.

In college, Kate was playing in the NCAA Championship and on her last shot everything just stopped.  It was an uphill shot and Kate visualized herself shanking the shot.  For whatever reason, she turned her back on the hole and took five steps away and looked up at the sky and saw a plane flying through the clouds and it calmed her.  She told herself she was going to knock it next to the pin and make the putt for a birdie and she did and finished in third place.  To her, it didn’t feel like anything.

Kate is the owner of Vision Fore Success.  Vision Fore Success helps younger players with their mental game to help them improve their golf game.  Kate has been on the journey from High School, to College, to the Professional tour and she wants to help young players make the transition from High School to College to the Pros as well.  She helps players get in touch with their anger, frustration and get them into a better frame of mind.

Kate Hughes and Ken Venturi

Kate Hughes and Ken Venturi

Kate also does a lot of networking to help her golfers get more exposure and she also shares every bit of knowledge she has to help them “play from inside out.”

Kate belongs to the Aliso Viejo golf club and a lot of her friends at the club recommended she pursue this path.  A young person at the course continually lost her cool on the golf course and she sat down and chatted with her and her handicapped dropped and she become very successful.  That student then began telling others and word of mouth helped her decide to turn Vision Fore Success into a business.

Word of mouth and social media have really helped her grow her business.

Young golfers have a lot of pressure.  They often have a lot of external pressure from parents and the parents want their kids to achieve certain things that their kids don’t wan them to achieve.  The pressure and stress are huge for students competing to make teams.  At times, Kate has had to sit down with parents to teach them how they can help their young player.  Sometimes they get so frustrated that they start to give up.

If you look at scholarships there are six scholarships for women and four for men, because there are more scholarships available for football.  The pressure, intensity and stress they put on themselves early on is too much.  One experience Kate had was with a player who could have been a top 10 player in the world, but her father would stand behind her and yell at her for not being able to execute a shot that he wanted her to take.  She left the game because it wasn’t fun for her.

Kate used to be very, very shy.  She could not speak in high school and college classes. And to graduate she needed to take a speaking class and getting inside the ropes and helping to find her own person she was able to blossom.  She learned self-respect and confidence.  She learned that people can literally do anything they put their minds to.

Engaging Discussion Questions:

  • How important is the mental game in business?
  • How do you think you can help others “break out of their shell?”

Links to Great Stuff:

  • Vision Fore Success – “Kate’s experience and success enables her to provide real world expertise to the next generation of World Class golfers. She utilizes her knowledge and Mental Training Certification to assist her players in developing skills sets to optimize their playing potential into the collegiate golf arena and beyond.”
  • Bunkers Paradise – “To provide a community to give golfers the ability to learn from other golfers who enjoy and love the greatest game in the world!”

Success Quotes:

  • “Success is something that you make on your own, you can have help, but it’s really up to you.”
  • “Being successful is going to bed every night knowing that you’ve done everything you can to achieve your goals.”
  • “Building the confidence with younger players from the inside and projecting it outwards so they can be and do anything they want.”
  • “With the iPhone or the Androids . . . we can continue to stay connected, but we’ve got to shut it off at some point.”
  • “Social media is where this world is going and it’s going to continue to grow.”
  • About golf – “I just love the fact that everything you do comes from inside of you.”

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Episode 20: The Importance of Youth in Golf and in Business | Jay Miller from Golf Card International

Jay Miller Golf

Jay Miller Golf

Jay Miller loves the game of golf.  He’s passionate and has great ideas on how to grow the game for the future.  A big push Jay says that needs to be made in golf is to encourage more young people to take up the game.  By giving youth golfers more opportunities, Jay says, we can help grow the game. Attracting the youth is also valuable in business because in order to maintain the longevity of a business you have to be willing to attract younger generations that will one day fill the role of different age groups.  By learning how to build a business focusing on the youth, we can help build better businesses overall.

Recap:

Jay Miller was the past President of the California Golf Course Owner’s Association, Founder and past-CEO of one of the most successful non-profit golf foundations in America,past General Manager of the National Golf Course of the Year, Golfer’s Association’s “Man of the Year” and is currently the Director of Business Development for Golf Card International and Fairway Rewards.

Jay got started in golf at Edgewood Country Club when his parents let him hit his first shot at a young age and knocked it close.  His parents immediately got him a set of clubs and got in touch with some golf teaching professionals who taught him the game.  He eventually gave up all the other sports he played to become a golfer.  He started working at a local course and he went to Purdue University on a golf scholarship where they won the Big 10 Championship in his senior year.

Jay tried to become a professional golfer but realized he wasn’t good enough to make it and so he quit playing professionally but started his own business.  The man who sponsored him on tour owned the largest manufacturing facility of plaques and he jumped into the business.  The first year he did the Betty Ford Center in Palm Springs and got to play golf with Gerald Ford.  Betty Ford went on Good Morning America where she talked about Jay and his business which gave his beginning company a huge boost.

He was doing donor recognition wall displays across the country and offered a bunch of new products until 2001.  He was playing 160 rounds of golf.  In 1986 he had a dream about changing children’s lives and he wrote a 72 page thesis on how to grow the game.  A good, wealthy friend of Jay took him golfing and asked Jay what he would do with money if his friend were willing to give it to him and Jay said he would start an organization to teach young people the game of golf.  A couple years later his friend gave him $3 million dollars to start Jay’s project.

His wife named the project “Get a Grip.”  Get a Grip on your life, education, the golf club and the Lord.”  They were named three-times the National Junior Golf Education Foundation of America.  They had one location called Cresta Verde Golf Club in Corona California.  They built an education center at Hidden Valley Golf Club.

Jay took over Hidden Valley Golf Club in 2007 and became the National Golf Course of the Year in 2011.  Jay went down to Florida where he managed a few clubs and did some consulting for other golf courses.

Golf Jay Miller

Golf Jay Miller

Jay is addicted to the game of golf and has probably played over 16,000 rounds of golf at 700 golf courses.  He got hooked on hitting the cool shots.  He loves the camaraderie  the fellowship, and talking smack with your buddies.

His purpose is working in a program called Mulligan, connecting golfers to God.  The famous Wally Armstrong, Jim Hiskey who invented Bible study on the PGA Tour.  He loves helping golfers enjoy the game and grow the game.

Jay says we’re losing 100,000 golfers a year meaning that more people are quitting the game than are starting the game.  In 1957, 88.6% of all children had a father at home.  In 2007, 44.4% of the children born had a father at home.  Around 90% of the golfers were introduced to the game by their father or by a sibling of their fathers.

Single mothers don’t have the time, energy or resources to introduce their children to the game.  Some parents are spending $20,000 a summer in an effort to get their children a golfing scholarship.

According to Jay, $100 million has been spent on the First Tee Program which offers money to inner city youth to take up the game and the program is failing.  Because many inner city youth do not go on to college and therefore can not afford to pay for golf at a later age.  Jay suggests we raise $10 million a year to get students started playing the game in preschool.  They get preschool teachers to learn how to teach golf and the instructors can teach preschool teachers in around 5 hours.

If you love golf then you should introduce others to the game.  Donate clubs and balls to juniors.  Glen Ivy in south Corona gave Jay close to 12,000 golf balls to give to young players.  Jay encourages golf courses to give youth the opportunity to play the game in any way they can.  If all golfers could have a philanthropic attitude we can all help grow the game.

I interviewed 1,500 real golfers and I found out that 68 to 78% of golfers don’t have a handicap.

Jay has gotten to play with two U.S. Presidents, many celebrities, many professional golfers at hundreds of courses.  Jay feels he was created to change childrens lives through the game.  He wants to improve their game, make them feel important and give them a product that was a good value for their money.

The top golf stories Jay ever had was when he played golf with Keith Jackson and Frank Boyles, Bob, the friend who funded the get a grip foundation on a golf trip.  They spent four days at Augusta National and and Shoal Creek. The opportunity Jay had to spend the trip with two legends in the game of football was one of Jay’s most memorable golfing stories.

Engaging Discussion Questions:

  • How can we help grow the game of golf?
  • How would you get more people to play golf?

Links to Great Stuff:

  • California Golf Course Owner’s Association – “The California Golf Course Owners Association (CGCOA) is dedicated to the stimulation of market growth for California’s golf course industry. We promote collaborative advertising and promotional advertising programs encouraging more rounds of golf throughout California.”
  • Golf Card International – “Golf Card International was founded in 1974 with a simple idea: find a way to help golfers save money on the high cost of green fees. To do this, we formed a club for avid golfers and built a network of affiliated golf courses that would provide savings to our members. After 38 years, our membership is still strong, and Golf Card is now accepted at nearly 3,000  courses in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean.”
  • Fairway Rewards – “Fairway Rewards is a venture–funded startup now located in Sonora, California. For eight years, we’ve strived to provide innovative customer loyalty, incentive marketing, and media solutions for golf courses.”
  • The Mulligan Golf Club – The “Mulligan Golf Club” is a metaphor that describes the largest golf club membership in the world (golfers who have been invited to follow Jesus!)
  • The Golf Club at Glen Ivy – “Glen Ivy Golf Club is a unique golf experience, with scenic views and creativley placed fairways, tees and greens.”
  • PGA Tour – “The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. The mission of the PGA TOUR is to expand domestically and internationally to substantially increase player financial benefits while maintaining its commitment to the integrity of the game. The PGA TOUR events are also committed to generating revenue for charitable causes in their communities.”
  • Wally Armstrong – “Wally Armstrong competed in more than 300 PGA Tour events, including  numerous US & British Opens, Masters, PGA and Tournament Player’s  Championships. In his first Master’s tournament, Wally finished fifth,  setting a rookie scoring record of eight under par at Augusta. He is a  Lifetime Member of the PGA Tour and holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s  Degree in Education from the University of Florida, where he also  achieved All-American Honors in Golf.”
  • Augusta National – Home of the Master Golf Tournament located in Augusta, Georgia.
  • The Esteban Toledo Family Foundation –  “For fifteen years it has been my dream to establish a Giving Foundation that will put efforts into helping children around the world, and I am proud to announce that my dream has become a reality. With the assistance of my family, friends, fans, and supporters, I am proud to introduce The Esteban Toledo Family Foundation.  A foundation focused on helping others, especially children. Our purpose is to supply basic needs such as shelter, clothing, food, education, love, and an introduction to the Lord.”

Success Quotes:

  • “Success is using your blessings and your purpose.”
  • “You show me somebody that wakes up in the morning with a purpose and can’t wait to go to work no matter what they do.”
  • “Women golfers on average play faster than men ever dreamed about playing.”
  • “If you don’t have four hours three to four times a month to enjoy a game of golf with your friends than your life is not balanced.”
  • “The father is a key component to introducing your children to golf.”
  • “You hit one shot equivalent to somebody on T.V.”

Special Requests:

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Episode 9: Building an Online Golfing Community | Ken Lee from Bunkers Paradise

Ken Lee is the Editor-in-Chief and Director of Social Media at Bunkers Paradise. Ken talks about how sometimes he tried to do too much too quickly and the importance of quality of quantity when posting on Facebook and Twitter. Learn how to build an online golfing community in Episode 9 of the Defining Success Podcast with Zeb Welborn.

Ken Lee from Bunkers Paradise

Ken Lee from Bunkers Paradise

Recap:

Ken Lee has been involved in sports his entire life.  Golf was something that his granparents got him into.  They played golf together for 40 years and he watched them play as a young child.  Ken loved playing all types of sports and while personally using social media he established contact with Gary Lee from Lakers Nation who had established Bunkers Paradise as a place for used golf clubs reviews.  In 2012, Ken came aboard and changed the direction of Bunkers Paradise to make it an online golfing community and they use social media as a platform to build a strong social media community.

Ken’s vision for Bunkers Paradise was to create an online golfing community for anything and everything golf.  “We live, learn, and love everything golf.”  Any golfer from beginner to pro can connect and interact with us.  They will learn news, the newest golf club releases, and they make it fun.  They also want to help grow and appreciate the game.

Facebook and Twitter work well for Ken Lee to reach customers and clientele.  Ken likes Twitter because there is quick and fast feedback.  Facebook, to Ken, is an avenue to expose people to different articles, fun photos and an opportunity for other golfers to engage with one another.

One tip Ken would give for Facebook is to encourage people to interact with Facebook posts.  If you write an article don’t just submit it, encourage people to discuss the article that you’ve written.  That interaction will give you an opportunity to connect with other golfers.

On Twitter, Ken recommends implementing a strategy and they use it as a gateway for everything.  Use introduction tweets to start discussions and then through the interaction start to develop relationships that can bring people to their Facebook page or to their website.

Social media is the reason why Ken Lee came on board with Bunkers Paradise and he says that it’s been the catalyst for the success of his business.  What people don’t realize is that nowadays, people want instant feedback and any company can do that now.  Anybody can utilize social media in a positive way.

As a result of social media, Bunkers Paradise has been in contact with hundreds of companies including Callaway Golf.  Callaway golf has figured out that social media is huge for the game of golf.  And they have struck up a strong relationship with Callaway through the social media presence Bunkers Paradise has established.

Ken feels he is a good communicator who interacts with people well in the community and people enjoy talking with him and engaging with Bunkers Paradise.  They’re just a bunch of golfers who love this game.  He interacts with people well and has fun while he’s doing it.

Sometimes, in the social media world you can push to fast and sometimes pushing too fast hurts your growth in terms of what you’re trying to accomplish.  Ken’s trying to get Bunkers Paradise too big, too fast and he tends to think he should slow down sometimes and just enjoy the ride.

To Ken, success is different for each individual, but for the most part it’s setting up a goal and it’s not necessarily reaching a goal, but it’s a journey along the way that help people get to that goal.  And whether you have failures or successes along the way, as long as you’re learning the entire time you’ll be successful.  Ken considers himself successful because of the people he works and connects with on a daily basis.

Bunkers Paradise

Bunkers Paradise

Please connect with their Twitter @BunkersPGolf, search for Bunkers Paradise on Facebook and Instagram.  You can also connect with Ken at @GolfingwithLee on Twitter.  They will be giving away some prizes as they reach 6,000 Twitter followers.

Engaging Discussion Questions:

  • What is better to use for businesses, Facebook or Twitter?
  • Do you think moving too fast is a problem for some businesses?
  • How do you know how good a post is when you’re creating a Facebook or Twitter post?

Links to Great Stuff:

  • Bunkers Paradise – Bunkers Paradise is an online community for anything and everything golf.  Ken Lee is the Editor-in-Chief and Director of Social Media for Bunkers Paradise.
  • Callaway Golf – Callaway Golf has figured out the importance of social media.  Visit their website.
  • 19th Hole Media – Although not mentioned in this podcast, I, Zeb Welborn have experienced a lot of success using social media at golf courses here in Southern California and recently started a new website with that goal, 19th Hole Media. Let us show you how we’ve been able to help golf courses grow using social media to build stronger relationships with current golfers and reach out to new golfers.
  • Welborn Media – Located in Chino, CA learn how we can use Internet marketing and social media to reach more customers.

Success Quotes:

  • “Social media has been our forum for success.”
  • “To get people to follow you, you have to tweet things that matter.”
  • “It’s not about quantity, it’s about the quality of the tweets.”

Special Requests:

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