Tech Caddie

Mike Hendrix
  • 5.0 (14)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

In these podcasts, we host in-depth conversations with leading golf course technologists and operators, providing our listeners with direct access to the voices and minds shaping the golf management software industry. These discussions delve into a range of pertinent topics, from emerging technological trends to practical challenges faced in daily operations. This interactive format allows us to explore the nuances of the golf course technology landscape, offering our audience a richer, more engaging way to stay informed and inspired. By bringing these experts together, our podcast serves as a vibrant forum for exchanging ideas, sharing success stories, and discussing strategies to navigate the evolving world of golf course technology.

  1. Mike Zisman on Golf Genius Growth, Racquet Sports, and Staying Independent

    FEB 4

    Mike Zisman on Golf Genius Growth, Racquet Sports, and Staying Independent

    In a wide-ranging conversation with host Mike Hendrix, Zisman shares how a lifelong builder’s mindset—spanning early work in AI and enterprise software through the founding of Golf Genius—helped shape one of the most widely adopted tournament and scoring platforms in golf. The episode highlights Zisman’s early path from academia to entrepreneurship, including building and selling a company to Lotus Development Corporation and later operating inside IBM. Zisman describes Golf Genius’ beginnings as a personal scheduling challenge for buddy trips, where optimization and fairness mattered as much as the golf itself. He recounts an unusual turning point: the first developer hired via an outsourced marketplace ultimately became the leader of Golf Genius’ large development organization in Romania. “Mike Zisman is one of the most tenacious builders I’ve met in golf,” said Mike Hendrix, President of smbGOLF and host of Tech Caddie. “This episode is a masterclass in focus—how to win by serving the golf professional, sweating operational details, and never losing the paranoia that keeps a software company sharp.” The discussion also covers Golf Genius’ go-to-market strategy—specifically the intentional decision to build deep trust with PGA Professionals and hire customer-facing staff who understand tournament operations firsthand. Zisman explains that tournament management isn’t a single market, but a set of distinct segments—from small groups to clubs to regional and national associations—each with different requirements. A central theme of the episode is the partnership with United States Golf Association, which Zisman calls the company’s “transformational event.” The conversation details how tournament management adoption scaled through associations and how Golf Genius later became the USGA’s technology arm for handicapping in support of the World Handicap System rollout. In addition, Zisman outlines why Golf Genius has expanded beyond tournaments into “what the golf professional does every day”: golf shop operations and coaching. That includes acquisitions such as Operation 36 and the integration of video-based coaching via CoachNow—positioning the company as a suite rather than a single-feature product. The episode closes with forward-looking updates, including Golf Genius’ growing attention to off-course golf and the development of tournament management products for racquet sports (tennis, pickleball, and padel). Zisman also shares that the company is exploring a minority recap—bringing in new investment capital to offer optional liquidity for early employees and shareholders, including himself, after years of reinvesting in growth.

    1h 1m
  2. Golf tee times hitting ChatGPT - Primo!!

    JAN 16

    Golf tee times hitting ChatGPT - Primo!!

    In this Tech Caddie episode, Mike Hendrix talks with Apparation’s Jason Patronas and Mike Dickoff about a major shift in tee time discovery: live tee time availability inside ChatGPT. They explain what Primo Tee Times is (an availability engine, not a marketplace), why discovery friction prevents golfers from playing more, and how an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server bridges ChatGPT to real-time golf course availability across many different tee sheet systems. Key topics: What Primo Tee Times does for golfers and golf course operators Why “availability aggregators” are gaining momentum MCP explained in plain English The emerging ChatGPT app ecosystem and what it could mean for golf Scraping concerns, server load, and why “on-demand” availability matters Why this should drive more bookings to golf course websites (not away from them) If you’re a golf course operator, tee sheet provider, or golf tech builder, this is a look at what’s coming next.

    51 min
  3. Jonas launches Jonas Synergy with GM Vache Hagopian

    JAN 16

    Jonas launches Jonas Synergy with GM Vache Hagopian

    In this episode of the Tech Caddie Podcast, host Mike Hendrix sits down with Vache Hagopian, General Manager of Jonas Synergy, to discuss the thinking behind Jonas’ newest club management platform. Vache shares his 20+ year journey inside the private club technology space, including lessons learned from sales, operations, and working directly with club leadership teams. The conversation explores why many private clubs struggle with disconnected point solutions, how integrated systems improve communication and reporting, and why long-term service models matter more than short-term feature wins. Mike and Vache also unpack Jonas’ buy-and-hold philosophy under Jonas Software, how that mindset shaped the development of Jonas Synergy, and what clubs should be asking technology vendors before making major infrastructure decisions. This episode is essential listening for club managers, board members, and technology committees evaluating the future of private club operations.

    37 min
  4. Rusty Grimm grows Rustic Golf Properties to six locations and learns along the way

    JAN 16

    Rusty Grimm grows Rustic Golf Properties to six locations and learns along the way

    Rusty Grimm didn’t “get into golf” the usual way—he grew up inside it. In this Tech Caddie episode, host Mike Hendrix (Founder & President of smbGOLF) sits down with Rusty Grimm, Founder of Rustic Golf Properties, to unpack one of the more practical—and fast-moving—growth stories in golf operations today: how Rusty went from buying one golf course to building a portfolio of six properties in Wisconsin. The conversation starts where it all began: Two Oaks in Wautoma, Wisconsin. Rusty shares how he started working at the course at age 13 as a cart kid, moved into the golf shop, and learned the operation hands-on over decades. That long runway eventually turned into ownership—first through a lease arrangement, then through purchasing the course outright in 2019. From there, things moved quickly. Rusty breaks down how he approached acquisitions with limited capital, how creative financing and local banking relationships helped unlock deals, and why speed matters when a seller is ready to retire. He also shares a standout “opportunity deal” that brought Rustic Golf Properties into the stay-and-play world with a 45-hole resort property—without taking on the hotel side of the business directly. As always on Tech Caddie, the conversation goes deep on technology. Rusty explains how his tech needs changed as the business went from one course to six—especially around multi-course tee sheet workflows, shared memberships across all properties, and the reality that food and beverage isn’t a side business for them. In fact, Rusty shares that beverage cart revenue can represent 10–12% of total revenue at two of his properties—one reason his team prioritizes systems that work across the golf shop, restaurants, and on-course service. That context leads to the recent headline move: Rustic Golf Properties’ switch from Lightspeed to TenFore Golf. Rusty shares what he liked about Lightspeed, what ultimately didn’t fit their model, and what drew him to TenFore—plus a few hard-earned lessons operators should take seriously before changing systems (including the importance of sandbox testing and asking very specific questions during demos). If you’re an operator thinking about growth, acquisition, or a tee sheet/POS change, this episode is packed with real-world insight you can actually use.

    49 min
  5. Frank Halpin talks Sagacity AI and Co-Founding GolfNow

    12/19/2025

    Frank Halpin talks Sagacity AI and Co-Founding GolfNow

    In this Tech Caddie podcast conversation, Frank Halpin, co-founder of GolfNow and CIO of Sagacity Golf, shares insights into his journey through the golf technology industry. He discusses the evolution of GolfNow, his transition into real estate, and the founding of Sagacity Golf, which has released AI services into golf operations. The conversation explores the future of AI in the golf industry, emphasizing the importance of technology in enhancing customer experiences and operational efficiency.

    58 min
  6. Club Caddie's VP of Product and Co-Founder Michael Rawlins dishes on wild entrepreneur journey

    11/11/2025

    Club Caddie's VP of Product and Co-Founder Michael Rawlins dishes on wild entrepreneur journey

    Join Mike Hendrix of smbGOLF on the Tech Caddie podcast as he welcomes Michael Rawlins, Co-Founder and VP of Product at Club Caddie. Michael, a Class A PGA Member, shares the fascinating origin story of Club Caddie, from his early days as a PGM student at Ferris State to meeting CEO Jason Pearsall at Rackham Golf Course, leading to the co-founding of the company. They dive into the challenges of operating a semi-private facility like Flushing Valley, which inspired Club Caddie's all-in-one software solution. In this episode, you'll learn about: The PGA PGM Program: Why Ferris State is a top choice and how the program provides a strong business foundation for future golf course owners and operators. Club Caddie's Journey: The organic evolution of the software, the experience of being acquired by Jonas/Constellation Software, and the importance of being "operators first." The New Products: A detailed look at Looper, Club Caddie's new AI support tool for golf course staff, and a preview of their new mobile-first Food and Beverage App designed to optimize the server experience and provide seamless, consolidated reporting. Michael also discusses the future of the company and their plans to roll out a browser-based version of Club Caddie at the upcoming PGA Show. Guest: Michael Rawlins, Co-Founder & VP of Product at Club Caddie Host: Mike Hendrix, smbGOLF

    49 min
  7. Teesnap Founder Bryan Lord on Building an iOS-Based Golf ERP

    10/01/2025

    Teesnap Founder Bryan Lord on Building an iOS-Based Golf ERP

    Mike Hendrix welcomes Bryan Lord, founder of Teesnap, one of the most disruptive forces in modern golf software. Bryan shares the full origin story: from the initial idea while at Purdue to securing major investment from Allegiant Airlines' Maury Gallagher. He breaks down the core thesis behind Teesnap's success: solving the "disparate systems problem" by unifying the tee sheet, POS, and CRM on an iOS/iPad platform. Bryan offers candid insights on: The struggle and triumph of raising capital in an "underinvested" industry. The revolutionary, brand-focused strategy that challenged incumbents like GolfNow and Club Prophet. Why the platform chose a closed architecture and how it pioneered payment facilitation in golf. His take on modern competitors like Club Caddie and Noteefy. A strategic look at AI's true application in the industry—it's about unstructured data, not replacing the tee sheet. His new venture, Open Links Golf, aimed at replacing email marketing in golf. A must-listen for golf operators, tech founders, and anyone interested in the business of golf.

    57 min
  8. Making Golf Tech Easy — David Clark, Founder/CEO of Easy Tee Golf

    09/16/2025

    Making Golf Tech Easy — David Clark, Founder/CEO of Easy Tee Golf

    Mike talks with David Clark, the founder of Easy Tee Golf—an Easy-to-use, Square-integrated tee sheet and booking engine born from a weekend project and now a growing, bootstrapped business. David shares how his product background at Capital One and Amazon shaped Easy Tee’s UX, why 50% of his customers are nine-hole courses, how Reserve with Google already drives ~13–14% of online bookings, why he shipped Waitlist before “squeeze times,” and what “default alive” meant for going all-in as a founder.

    52 min
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5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

In these podcasts, we host in-depth conversations with leading golf course technologists and operators, providing our listeners with direct access to the voices and minds shaping the golf management software industry. These discussions delve into a range of pertinent topics, from emerging technological trends to practical challenges faced in daily operations. This interactive format allows us to explore the nuances of the golf course technology landscape, offering our audience a richer, more engaging way to stay informed and inspired. By bringing these experts together, our podcast serves as a vibrant forum for exchanging ideas, sharing success stories, and discussing strategies to navigate the evolving world of golf course technology.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Hendrix
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Show Website
    Tech Caddie