Show Notes
Picture this: You're an entrepreneur who just got laid off during COVID. Instead of finding another job, you take your logistics and sales background, pivot into golf tech, and go head-to-head with entrenched competitors who have deeper pockets and more market share. Why on earth would you do that? Because you found a pain point so painful that pros are practically begging you to build a solution.
In this live episode recorded at the historic Stanley Thompson-designed Highland Golf Club, Colin Weston sits down with Rob Sunstrum, the founder of Smart Golf – a tournament and league scoring platform that's quietly becoming the industry's best-kept secret. From their exclusive partnership with the NGCOA Canada to being a scoring partner with Golf Canada, Smart Golf is proving that a fresh approach to technology can turn a men's league from 50 players to over 350.
If you're a golfer tired of spreadsheet-powered leagues or a course operator looking to reclaim league ownership and drive F&B revenue, this episode is for you!
Three Key Takeaways From Rob You'll Discover in This Episode
The Power of Reclaiming Ownership – Most golf clubs let members run their own leagues, losing control over messaging, branding, and revenue opportunities. Smart Golf helps clubs take back ownership, driving participation and giving them the tools to integrate F&B specials and sponsorship packages seamlessly. As Rob explains, a league night can double a club's midweek revenue if managed correctly.
Simplicity Trumps Features – Rob's logistics background taught him that onboarding matters as much as functionality. Smart Golf's lean learning curve and short instructional videos mean even the least tech-savvy members – yes, even those "Luddites" – can post scores with ease. Their approach? Tell players what they're about to do, let them do it, and then tell them what they just did.
The Canadian Built Advantage – With 350 clubs on board (75 in the U.S.) and exclusive partnerships with NGCOA Canada and Golf Canada, Smart Golf's integration with Golf Canada's handicap system is seamless. Scores post with a single click. Add in automatic email recaps, player stats, and profile pictures, and you have a product that's sticky enough to keep members coming back every single week.
Three Inspiring Quotes from Rob Sunstrum
"My entrepreneurial journey started right at the start of COVID... Rather than thinking about looking for another opportunity in the same role that I was running in, I realized that I had a nugget of a solid idea."
"You're definitely not going to have it right on the first 50 tries. But by the 51st try, you're going to have a large group of people thinking, 'Boy, you've thought of everything.'"
"We think that our program is the best in the marketplace. But not only that – our price point is lower."
Are you more of a watcher than a listener? Then check out the Smart Golf demo with Rob on The ModGolf YouTube channel. Click on this link or the image below to watch.
Episode Chapters
00:00 – Intro: The Road to Highland – Colin sets the scene for this live recording at the historic Stanley Thompson-designed Highland Golf Club, and why Smart Golf is the future of tournament scoring.
01:58 – Icebreaker: Rob's First Golf Experience – The competitive origin story that set Rob on his path, from a junior camp victory to founding a scoring platform.
03:31 – The COVID Pivot: From Logistics to Golf Tech – Rob reveals how he got laid off from DHL and turned a "nugget of an idea" into a product that pros were begging for.
07:02 – Building the MVP: Why 50 Tries Matter – The lean startup approach Rob used, from designing the minimum viable product to iterating based on real pro feedback. Scar tissue and all.
08:55 – Leagues & Ownership: The Highland Model – How Highland's men's league grew to over 350 players, why the pro shop runs it, and how F&B specials turn Wednesday into the club's busiest day.
14:35 – The Player Journey: Email Formula & Stats –
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