Live from The PGA Show 2026: Inside Golf's AI Revolution with CourseRev.ai & PITCHcrm
The ModGolf PodcastShow Notes
Host: Colin Weston
Guests: Del Ratcliffe (President, CourseRev.ai), Matt Wade (VP of Product, PITCHcrm), Chris Hill (CTO, CourseRev.ai)
Duration: 28 Minutes
In this episode of ModGolf LIVE, recorded on the show floor at the 2026 PGA Show in Orlando, host Colin Weston sits down with the leadership team behind CourseRev.ai and PITCHcrm. This isn't just a conversation about technology; it's a deep dive into the real-world challenges of getting a tradition-rich industry to adopt modern solutions.
Colin is joined by Del Ratcliffe (President of CourseRev.ai & COO of Pinnacle Golf Properties), Matt Wade (VP of Product, PITCHcrm), and Chris Hill (CTO, CourseRev.ai). Together, they discuss the "secret sauce" of their tech stack - from an AI voice concierge that answers the phone to a CRM that automates marketing - and how they balance cutting-edge AI with the human touch required to train course operators.
Del, bringing his 30+ years of course ownership experience, shares why he’s the "main guinea pig" for the products, how they handle the complexity of different golf course business models, and why getting a course to use the tech is harder than selling it. The team also teases the future of dynamic pricing using unstructured data and explains why AI isn't about replacing staff, but about freeing them up to create better face-to-face experiences.
Are you more of a watcher than a listener? Then enjoy our video with Del, Chris and Matt on The ModGolf YouTube channel live from The 2026 PGA Show. Click on this link or the image below as we extend our podcast conversation with key takeaways and lessons learned.
Key Topics & Discussion Points
Live from the PGA Show: Colin introduces a "3x" interview with three guests representing two integrated companies.
What is CourseRev AI? An AI-powered voice and chat concierge designed to handle tee time bookings, modifications, and general questions, taking the pressure off pro shop staff.
The "Main Guinea Pig": How Del Ratcliffe’s role as a multi-course operator (Pinnacle Golf Properties) allows the tech team to build solutions that solve real, painful problems.
Introducing PITCHcrm: The "oldest product" in the family (since 2012) that automates email and SMS marketing based on customer reservation history, no-shows, and behavior.
The Adoption Hurdle: Why selling the software is easy, but onboarding and training staff on how to use it is the real challenge in a non-early-adopter industry.
Customization vs. Scaling: How the team handles the fact that no two golf courses are alike. Chris Hill explains how they now use natural language programming to quickly customize AI rules for specific course restrictions (e.g., "no seniors after 2 PM on Saturday").
Dynamic Pricing Deep Dive: The debate among owners about surge pricing, and how CourseRev.ai integrates instantly with tee sheets to reflect pricing changes.
The Tease: Chris Hill hints at new dynamic pricing strategies that use unstructured data (like weather and demand factors) in ways humans never could.
Serving Different Course Types: How the technology adapts to MCOs (Multi-Course Operators) with one clubhouse vs. multiple locations spread across states.
The "Robocall" Fear: Addressing the misconception that AI phone answering is like the frustrating automated systems of 10 years ago.
AI & Employment: The team confirms that AI isn't eliminating jobs; it’s allowing staff to focus on high-value, face-to-face interactions in the pro shop.
Measuring Success: Using AI to track KPIs, identify frequently asked questions, and help course operators improve their websites and customer service.
Notable Quotes
Del on the Industry: "We're still largely an industry of mom-and-pop operations out there. Change is not real easy for us to overcome, and it can be scary, too."
Chris on Tech Debt: "With AI, we can actually implement that much easier rather than trying to build something really rigid and structured in code. We can just write that no
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