Latest news with #GrassClippings
USA Today
5 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Good Good CEO says brand has big plans — and hopes to become 'top-five' golf company
Good Good CEO says brand has big plans — and hopes to become 'top-five' golf company HORSESHOE BAY, Texas — What started as a few buddies creating and posting golf videos has turned into a business that has disrupted the golf industry. The Good Good YouTube channel has more than 1.83 million subscribers, making it one of the largest golf channels on the platform, and the brand has made shrewd decisions along the way, collaborating with the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Rickie Fowler and even Jack Nicklaus. In 2024, the brand started sponsoring PGA Tour golfers Beau Hossler and Joel Dahman as well as Michael Block. The group includes members Garrett Clark, Matt Scharff, Thomas "Bubbie" Broders, Stephen Castaneda, and Brad Dalke, although a few high-profile members, including Grant Horvat, have cycled through the group. And earlier this year, the Texas-based company announced it expanded its relationship with NBC Sports and purchased an ownership stake in the TGL's LA Golf Club. The brand has partnered with Callaway Golf for three years and helps the equipment maker sell Good Good-branded gear. An infusion of $45 million in investment capital from a group that includes Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions will allow the creator-focused golf media company to grow faster and invest in larger events -- like the Good Good Lonestar Shootout, which took place in Austin, Texas, at Horseshoe Bay Resort. Golfweek caught up with Good Good CEO Matt Kendrick to discuss the brand's beginnings and its grand plans for the future. Golfweek: When you guys started this a few years back, did you ever envision events like this, hanging out with Matt Ryan and a host of celebrities? This success story is pretty insane. Matt Kendrick: I mean, it's been a fun ride. And I always tell people I feel we're still just getting started. Like, we haven't really even hit our stride on what we're thinking about and wanting to do. When we started, did we have ideas that we talked about and put things on a board? We'd want to go do this, this, and this over the next five years. Yes. Did we think it would happen as fast as this happened? No way. Every day, it's like we literally wake up and go, 'we have the best job in the world in doing what we get to do.' But I think even now, I think the best is still yet to come from us. We still look at things that we have, ideas and things that we want to do, and we're like, once we do these, people are really going to know who we are. GW: In terms of events, this is the fourth, correct? And was the Phoenix event, at the lit Grass Clippings, the perfect way to start this? MK: Yeah, this is the fourth. How it really started was Troon was our first connection, because Troon manages that golf course. And I told Kris Strauss (of Troon) and I was like, hey, we really want to do a night golf event during Waste Management, and he's, like, well, there's this new course opening. They just put up lights, and they're doing all the stuff you need to come check it out. So we went out there and did a site visit. We had such a great time. The place was amazing. It was the perfect setting for us to do our first big event, and so we did it last year in 2024. Now, I think we're just gonna make an annual tradition. Like, Wednesday night of Waste Management, we're always going to be there, and we're going to bring a different format every time. The first one, we did a two-man scramble that was a pretty large field, and then this last one we just did was a it was a knockout challenge. Next year, we've got something planned that we'll announce soon that we think will be even more fun. GW: You've said before that you have plans for big things, like equipment. Is that the biggest long-term play. In terms of growth? MK: You know when we look at it, I mean, we look at ourselves as a media and a product company at the end of the day, so it's two different things. And, like, both of them are high revenue-generating sides of the business. I think products to me is where we start getting ingrained into the golf industry, and that's when we maybe get taken a little bit more seriously. I know that's going to take time to get change people's minds about us just being a YouTube channel in there. It's different, and that's great. But at the end of the day, we're still trying to build great products, and we're going to try to build the best products in the golf space. That's not just us slapping our logo on something and putting it out there. We know how important it is for stuff to be quality because we live in such a public view. And so, if we put out a bad product like, we're going to hear about it. You can just get on and comment on anything. We want to be known as one of the top five brands in golf, one day. That's what we want to be known as, and so if that's competing with TaylorMade and Titleist and Callaway at some point, like, that's, that's how we view it. We just do it differently. GW: In today's media landscape, everybody's really fractured. The fact that you really just said YouTube's gonna be our bread and butter, our big ticket, was that like a conscious decision and has it paid off in a big way, or if you were to redo it, would you try and go into everything immediately? MK: I wouldn't change anything. I think YouTube is one of the best ways to build a business from the ground up in this world and as time goes on, everyone needs to realize they have to be a content creator in some way. And you know, YouTube is a great way to do that, especially in the golf space. Putting out long-form content, YouTube's a great platform for that, and it will always be the foundation of what we do. It's not the only thing we focus on. That's why we have the relationships with NBC, and others, because I believe that we've got to go find people you know. We need to go meet people where they are, and so not every golf fan is watching YouTube. And that's fine. We don't need every golf fan to watch YouTube. We would love them to watch our stuff, but it's great to have great relationships with others and be able to do things like this, and then we can go find the other audiences and meet them where they are. I know that there are a bunch of people watching the golf channel, so that's we want to show this product on there and get them exposed to what we're doing and continue to grow the brand even more. And so we're not stuck on just YouTube. I can't thank NBC enough for for helping and seeing the vision, what we see, and they've benefited greatly from it as well. GW: Having a real grasp on the demographic you have, and I've got buddies whose kids are more concerned with Good Good than the PGA Tour, are there any drawbacks to being primarily in that demographic? MK: I don't think there's a drawback at all. There's probably a stigma from like the older golf fan that 'only 12-year-olds watch that.' Well, if you actually knew our demographic, you would know that it's 24-to-35 is our main demographic. But I think what's great is the younger that you can get a fan of you, brand loyalty is a big thing in golf. If somebody decides that they want to pick up a Callaway golf club at 15 years old, changing them away from that over the next 20 years is actually pretty difficult if they like it, and, and so I think what's great about us is if we can get them in extremely young, and which we would love. And we're family-friendly, and we try to be fun and entertaining. We're not trying to be the most serious golf. Content out there in the world, but if we can bring them in, and they like our products like, you have a customer for a long, long time, and I think so, so brand loyalty is a big deal. The big players like TaylorMade and Callaway, they know that, too. That's why they're out getting these young players as young as they can at 10, 11, 12 years old playing their golf clubs because they know that they're not going to change. It's the same idea with us. GW: Is it odd because you are not yet competing with the Callaways of the world, but you're growing in that space? You're still working. You're collaborating, for example, with people like Min Woo Lee, who goes to Lululemon, yet you're still collaborating with him. What's it like to navigate this minefield? MK: Min Woo's caddie wears Good Good, so that helps us, and he's a good friend. As for Callaway, I mean, they're supportive. They know what our goals are, and they know what we're trying to do, and they're supportive of helping us build product and build our brand. And they've been a huge help in validating everything that we do as a brand. I will say we're gonna lean into Callaway as long as we can. And they want to be with us as well, helping us develop the things that we want to develop. We want to continue the relationship in a way that's beneficial to both sides. I can't say enough great things about Callaway and Nick McInally over there and what they've done with us. I hope we're with them forever, and they help us build out what we want to do from a product standpoint. GW: One final question: It is a group of 20-somethings. We all know what happened with Grant leaving, and others. Does the, I don't want to call it drama, but do the rotating personalities and the way that this is played out actually help you guys a little bit? MK: Drama drives views. So that's real. Remember, Grant wasn't here from the beginning. Grant was here a year and a half after we started. And you've kind of got to look at it like a sports franchise in a sense. You're gonna have your stars, and you're gonna have your great players. And luckily, we've got great guys like Garrett, who's a founder and one of my best friends and we drive the company together. We never want to get caught up in personalities. I don't want to say this in the wrong way. Everyone is extremely important who's part of the team, but you don't ever want to get caught up too much in just each individual, right? Because at the end of the day, we're pushing a brand and, and if it's five guys or it's 11 guys or it's five guys and four girls, we're trying to push Good Good. As a brand, we're not trying to build one single person, and that's the thing. And everyone is very good about that, and everyone that works with us and is on camera, they know the goal is that we're pushing the brand, and that's what the most important thing is. And even when people ask me, hey, can you guys show up to this thing and can we just get Garrett Clark out there? I say, no, you need to bring five of the guys. Like everything about this is about Good Good and Good Good is always first. We just have a lot of great talent and personality that's there and, and you know, we're always gonna be there to serve the fans and what they want to see and watch. Look, they can't make videos forever. At some point, they want to be able to retire and go do whatever they're doing so the way to do that is to build a brand as big as you can build it. I mean, look at Michael Jordan. Yes, he's the greatest basketball player of all time, arguably, and you know, he's got his own brand that's out there. But Michael Jordan hadn't played basketball in how long? And it's still that big of a brand, and I think that's how you have to look at this. It's just going to take time, like anything that you build in business. We're five years in. That's why I say it's early days for us. So, at the end of the day. We're gonna do everything we can to make the brand as big as possible. And, you know, people will come and go, and that's just part of it.
Forbes
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Par 3 Grass League Attracts Tour Veterans And Amateurs Under The Lights
Quiet before the evening storm of golfers at the 2025 Grass Clippings Open. When the sun dips behind the red sandstone Papago Buttes,nocturnal desert creatures come to life. So, too, does Grass Clippings Rolling Hills, a 3,428-yard executive course by day that transforms into a fully-lighted, 18-hole, 2,712-yard Par 3 course after sunset (Par 54). Golfers don't require night vision goggles or glow in the dark golf balls because the entire course is illuminated by more than 78 brilliant LED lights. Located in Tempe, near Sky Harbor Airport and the ASU campus, the course opened to night golf in December 2023, following a major renovation and improvement project. There are an estimated 22 night golf courses in the United States, in 13 different states, but none approaches the Grass Clippings vision executed by its founders. In 2023, the Grass Clippings team of entrepreneurs inked a 30-year partnership deal with the City of Tempe to refresh and operate the city-owned Rolling Hills. Not only were significant on-course improvements made, but a driving range, putting green, patio bar and restaurant were added, as well as course lighting, elevating the property into a prime golfing and social destination. Fans watch from hospitality around the green. With Troon brought on to manage daily operations, the principals continued their out of the (tee) box strategies to develop a structured, national, competitive Par 3 league, complete with an official governing body, franchises, teams, monetary purses, sponsors and media partners. The Grass League is now the newest entry on the competitive golf landscape. Billed as 'The World's First High Stakes Par 3 Golf League,' it is a concept that intrigued CEO Jake Hoselton and his partners years ago. Said the 31-year-old innovator, 'We were interested because nowhere in golf was anyone running competitive events on Par 3 courses. The USGA didn't even rate or slope Par 3 courses. So, we thought, 'we can really own this category, right?' ' He added, 'This was all part of the master vision. Back in 2019, we hosted the first Grass Clippings Open at a different Par 3 course. At that moment, we knew that Par 3 golf and a team format was the road to take. We want to be different in almost every regard, but we want to honor competition, and we want to honor green grass golf.' And why not do it under the moon, stars and lights? Hoselton and his partners – Jimmy Hoselton, Connor Riley and Pete Wilson – made Rolling Hills the flagship course and the League formally launched with two events in 2024. The Grass League is currently composed of 11 franchises, each with six teams of two, selected by franchise owners. In addition to the 12 franchise players, unaffiliated teams competed in the recent Grass League Qualifier to earn a spot in the unique Grass Clippings Open (GCO) Draft, where two extra teams of two were added to each franchise bench. The franchises are based geographically throughout the U.S. and Canada, and each has a mix of professionals, amateurs, plus-handicappers, tour winners, and golf/social media personalities. Phoenix United was well-branded with their apparel. Explained Hoselton, 'We really believe in this format because it inherently provides a platform where for the first time, maybe in all of sports, professionals, amateurs, men and women of all ages are competitive to play on the same tee box, with the same rules, in the same camera lens, for the same purse. And I think the power of Par 3 golf and team-based Par 3 golf really allows that to happen.' Par 3 golf is not 'less than.' It demands accuracy, a short game and solid putting. With major focus these days on hitting the long ball, par 3 courses offer something completely different, with a broad appeal. Among the franchise players are PGA caddies Ricky Romano (Rickie Fowler) and Joe Greiner (Justin Thomas); professional Michael Block, who qualified for the PGA Championship; former professional tennis player and celebrity golf tournament competitor Mardy Fish; Los Angeles Angels pitching coach Barry Enright; and long drive competitor Sarah Camarena, one of just four women in the competition. The recently concluded 2025 Grass Clippings Open presented by Gila River Resorts & Casinos, the first of three season events, was a huge success according to golfers, fans, franchise owners and Grass League executives. A capacity crowd of 4,000 wandered the course each day of the two-day, 36-hole tournament, with most staying for 19th hole afterparty concerts by Bryce Vine and Quinn XCII. Two nights of hip-hop and electronic music were part of the overall party atmosphere at Grass ... More Clippings Open 2025. The atmosphere was electric day and night. Adult beverages were plentiful, a mobile golf cart DJ 'booth' blasted music throughout the grounds, and patrons were handed placards to raise that read 'LOUD!' instead of the usual 'QUIET' expected at PGA TOUR events. The buildout was immense, with a stage, spectator stands, food trucks and concessions. Camarena's partner Madison Pool enjoyed the experience, in spite of their team's lackluster performance. 'I think the event went great and the conditions of the course are amazing. Super. The greens are pure, absolutely pure,' said the Ladies European Tour (LET) aspirant, who also recently served as a golf consultant on the movie Happy Gilmore 2. Former Arizona Diamondbacks closer and popular local celebrity Archie Bradley is a huge Grass League fan, so much so that he was tapped to emcee the Draft, introduce the musical acts and provide live, on-course commentary during the final night of competition. 'I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever heard,' he said of Grass Clippings and the Grass League. 'This is only going to grow and get bigger. And so I'll tell anyone who's listening to get on board now.' Former MLB pitcher Archie Bradley tests his braodcast chops as an on-course commentator at the Grass ... More Clippings Open 2025 finals. For Jacques Wilson and Lincoln Johnson, teammates on the Michigan Auto Aces, this year's tournament far surpassed their rookie event last year. Said Wilson, 'It's way bigger. Just the amount of people that are out here and the way that all this is run, it's so much more professional. It's starting to feel more like a tour event.' Added his partner, 'And I think too, the caliber of players that are starting to buy into the process of what Grass League stands for means we're seeing deeper and deeper fields every single time an event is held. It's only going to get better and bigger.' Speaking for the Grass Clippings team, Hoselton wholeheartedly agreed, stating enthusiastically, 'It was a screaming success. I mean, it was just a complete home run. It was the first time I think all the franchises sort of knew their role and were very competitive on the course and inside the ropes, but also competitive as far as trying to be the coolest and best franchise they could be to attract fans. It was really all we could ask for.' Loud Please instead of Quiet Please at the Grass Clippings Open 2025 Franchises span the globe from Canada to Dallas, Los Angeles to New York, and parts in between. Franchise owners/investors are as eclectic and varied as their teams. They include Good Good Golf (Dallas Horsemen), U.S. Open and multiple PGA TOUR winner Wyndham Clark (San Diego Munis), Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts (Los Angeles Roses), founder Michael Lazerow (New York Blue Birds) and Eberg Capital (Michigan Auto Aces). LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 11: Manager Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers smiles before the ... More game against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on May 11, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by) The plan is to add one franchise per year for the next several years, but in a very thoughtful and selective manner. Not just anybody can purchase a franchise. According to Hoselton, potential franchisees are carefully evaluated on specific criteria: He explained, 'We want these owners to already be pillars in their own community because the biggest piece of owning a franchise is building a fan base, right? We want people that can connect with fans in that local market to cheer them on when it's tournament time.' Hoselton cited Dave Roberts, who is obviously very well known in the baseball world, but is also an avid golfer who formed an ownership syndicate that's well-connected to golf in Los Angeles. Roberts is excited about his role with the Los Angeles Roses. 'I just love the idea of playing under the lights, playing a tournament style and different formats,' he said. 'It's just a lot of fun and I believe in night golf and the Par 3 competitions. It's a great vibe and great entertainment.' Franchise owners must be well capitalized in order to spend on marketing and branding, especially in the early phases. Running a franchise is a complex business entertainment venture. It involves populating the franchise, making deals with players, executing marketing plans, obtaining sponsorships, creating an identity that includes visual branding (logo, caps, apparel), and effectively promoting the franchise and driving revenue on their own. But the return on investment can be significant. Explained Hoselton, 'When you buy a franchise, you own all of the rights and monetization channels of your team, You own all of the merchandise, You can spin off media channels, social media, YouTube. Franchises come in at a purchase price and they own the asset and can ultimately sell it with League approval.' Franchises also participate in League-wide revenue sharing, essentially the stream that is fueled by the League itself. The revenue pool is generated by ticket sales, sponsorships, media rights deals, merchandise, and food and beverage sold during the tournaments. The League contributes 20% of its revenue to the pool that is distributed to each of the franchises participating in that season. On top of that, franchises have the opportunity to win significant purse money at events. The GCO's $100,000 purse paid out the top 10 spots, with $40,000 for first place and $20,000 for runner-up. Franchises receive the purse money and pay it out to teams and individual players based on deals they have in place. Team New York Blue Birds celebrates the -19 victory of teammates Jake Byrum and Kurt Watkins. The application process to become franchise #12 will open this summer and it is anticipated that $750,000-$1,000,000 may be the ballpark buy-in price, depending on the ownership market and other variables. Grass Clippings has managed to successfully take the best elements from LIV Golf, TGL and even PopStroke to create an entirely new sporting competition, one that is accessible to all skill levels. The success of family-friendly PopStroke is based on the fact that anybody can putt. LIV is about franchises and team golf, as is the Grass League. And while TGL also has regional teams and rivalries, Grass League takes place outdoors, not simulated in an arena. TGL does have the advantage of a prime time broadcast window, as opposed to traditional golf that airs on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. GCO organizers took note, and day two finals aired on Peacock during Saturday night prime time, under the lights. The two remaining events this season – the August Summer Grind in San Diego and the December season-ending Grass League Championship at Grass Clippings Rolling Hills – will be broadcast on Golf Channel during prime time. Team Los Angeles Roses reading putts. The Grass Clippings team knows their demographic exceedingly well and understands why Golf Channel is excited to become a Grass League broadcast and distribution partner. Explained Haselton, 'Your typical 30-year-old golf fan isn't going to Golf Channel to consume golf content right now. They're going to YouTube and social media. We cater to a younger audience and can give Golf Channel the ability to showcase something cool, fun and cutting edge.' The Grass League future might include a woman-owned franchise and/or niche franchises like former professional athletes who competed on the same team. There may even be a shot clock added to address pace of play, making the tournament more consumable and easier to cover from a broadcast perspective. 'But I think the bigger thing is this is just the beginning, right?' marveled the Auto Aces' Wilson. 'We're only in year two and for the growth this has seen from last year to now, it's astronomical. And you know, Grass League to the moon!'
