Pretty much everyone who follows golf and a whole lot who maybe don't became aware of Michael Block during the recent PGA Championship held at Oak Hill CC in Rochester, New York.

Block's engaging 'everyday man' personality, combined with his stellar play, which included a slam dunk hole-in-one during his final round pairing with Roy McIlroy, brought the Head PGA Professional to the forefront of the tournament's TV broadcasts and into millions of homes.

The King, aka Arnold Palmer, may have left us a few years ago...but he'll never truly be gone. His impact on the game of golf and his countless adoring fans is something we will always cherish.

Perhaps one of the biggest impacts Palmer had on golf was due to his desire to always give back to the game. Included in this treasure trove of contributions, made in so many forms, is this video Arnie made a few years back explaining the art of skipping a golf ball across water and getting it on the green on the other side. 

It isn't apparent immediately, but Arnie's sense of humour is the key to this clip. Listen carefully as he takes us through the initial attempts and then to the triumphant shot at the end. RIP Mr. Palmer.

Vancouver's Adam Fine Found Golf Helped Him Through A Life-Threatening Illness - YouTube Photo Capture

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Adam Fine grew up not far from Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Park, where he and his buddies were regulars at the local pitch and putt course. “It is possible I played there a thousand times,” Fine says.

Yet he didn’t consider himself a golfer.

“Pitch and putt I always loved, golf itself was an absolute non-starter,” he says. Then golf helped save his life and everything changed for Fine. He’s now not only an avid golfer, but the game he embraced during a life-threatening illness provides him his living.

In this episode of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host Colin Weston, met Brian Esposito, the founder & CEO of Esposito Intellectual Enterprises, on a HYPE Sports Innovation "Ask Me Anything" webinar and was so impressed with his genuine desire to help entrepreneurs and their companies that he felt compelled to invite him on the show to share his experiences with you.

"I have a simple rule with what I build. When they're my companies it's my ass on the line, so it's my rules. But when they are other people's companies like the great startups that I get to work with it's their vision, their passion. I'm there to support them and be a turnkey resource for whatever needs to be done, a utility player."

In this episode of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host, Colin Weston, speaks with Scott Stratten the creator of UnMarketing. Stratten and host Weston dig into the bitter rivalry between The PGA TOUR and LIV Golf and explore the messaging behind their actions one year into the emergence of the upstart tour.

Stratten is one of the leading speakers/authors in the world when it comes to helping audiences embrace the age of disruption and look at business differently using the pillars of integrity, authenticity and community.

image courtesy FairwayVision/Duncan O'Brien

Back in 2019, British Columbia Golf held its Annual General Meeting at Tsawwassen Springs with some special invited guest speakers. One of those guest speakers was USGA Agronomist Larry Gilhuly. Mr. Gilhuly's presentation at that time focussed on the growing need to recognize the value of 'forward tees' for a large portion of the golf population, and definitely not just women. BC Golf writer/reporter Brad Ziemer wrote about Gilhuly's thoughts and reasonings on the subject and you can read that story HERE. Below we share a story written recently by Libby Gilliland for GolfPass.com. She carries on the conversation from a woman's perspective and makes some excellent points. 

By Libby Gilliland/GolfPass.com

Part of the reason golfers love the game is its variety.

The morning maintenance crew sets up a new course every day, making each round a new challenge. New pin locations, varying green speeds and thickness of the rough are all alterable factors that change the way the game needs to be approached.

These physical changes add excitement to each round, but beyond that, there is one key decision every golfer makes when he or she tees it up: picking which tee box to play. This has led to what I believe to be one of the most negative stereotypes in golf - the notion of "ladies tees." It's a term I'd love to see disappear. So would a lot of other women.

Click HERE to see the complete story...

In the words of Vancouverite Adam Fine, "Golf helped me persevere through the most difficult chapter of my life."

As Fine explains:

"In 2015 I was diagnosed with an autoimmune liver disease. I began playing twilight golf at Harding Park in San Francisco to distract myself from the slow deterioration of my health. My passion for golf grew into an obsession, and I played frequently until I received a liver transplant in 2018. After recovering from my surgery, I was fortunate to enjoy playing rounds of golf at Pebble Beach, St. Andrews, and other bucket list golf courses."

He goes on to tell the story about one of the first things he found out about the person from whom he received his life-saving opportunity, "Later, I learned that I share a special connection with my liver donor, who shared my passion for golf."

In this video Adam Fine explains the hugely important role the game of golf played in not only dealing with his situation but in his rehabilitation and his life going forward.

In this edition of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host Colin Weston speaks with board member and advisor for The Society 61 Foundation, Jewel Love. Society 61 is a clothing brand for golfers designed to honour the pioneers from the past who paved the way for the culturally diverse sport that golf is today.

"We are very clear and incredibly focused. We're not playing around because this is not a little thing. This is big in our minds and we are giving everything we have because we believe in and know that these young people, they deserve to see this industry in a way that we have not."

- Jewel Love, Board Member and Advisor for Society 61 and The Society 61 Foundation

In the latest edition of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator & host Colin Weston speaks with Jillian Foss, the foundeer of #LEGS Ladies Executive Golf Society. Jillian

"My first job in Jacksonville was caddying at Sawgrass and a woman I met at the club said, 'I really want to learn how to golf.' But you're not going to go out on your own and practice putting. You wouldn't go out on a range if you have no idea what you're doing and no clubs. So I figured I might as well start something for all level," says Foss.

Wow, what a week in Orlando at The PGA Show! Show creator and host Colin Weston met up with old friends, met plenty of new ones and found some time to squeeze in a couple of ModGolf Podcast recording sessions. As he reports, it was great to see the golf industry back in full force! 

In this edition of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host Colin Weston speaks with the founder and CEO of Golf+ Ryan Engle, regarding his, 'Perseverance, Pivoting And Ability To Continuously Adapt'

Ryan Engle's love for golf started at age 11 after watching the movie Happy Gilmore. Fast forward almost two decades later and we find Ryan combining his love for computer science, writing code and golf to become the Founder and CEO of GOLF+, who are leaders in VR golf with a mission to grow the game by making it more accessible.

In this episode of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host Colin Weston, speaks with Balmoral Golf Course GM Lesley McMahon. 

"When I was offered the position as the NGCOA Canada President I took it because they believed I was the right person for the job and I just happen to be female."

- Lesley McMahon, General Manager, Balmoral Golf Course

"I want to see golf as a safer place for women where they truly feel that they are equals in this industry and it's not just a man's game anymore."

Clare McMahon - MBA Grad and Golf Teaching Professional

In this episode of the ModGolf Podcast, show host and creator Colin Weston chats with Twilight Golf Association founder Nick Conrad.

"I quickly realized that golf is a great equalizer sport where people with different ages and skill levels can all coexist on the course at the same time. No matter if you're a really skilled player or a new beginner, everyone's always working on something and has that common thread of constant improvement."

- Twilight Golf Association founder Nick Conrad

In this episode of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host Colin Weston speaks with the founder of SQAIRZ, Bob Winskowicz.

"When Ely Callaway created the Big Bertha and Karsten Solheim created PING irons, they went to work on a driver and an iron that had perimeter weighting. And when they got done, the club looked the way it did because that's the way perimeter weighting looked. It wasn't the other way around. They didn't worry about the fact that this Big Bertha was an oversized metal wood that looked like a snow shovel with no hosel and then the iron looked like something that an alien designed."

- Bob Winskowicz, Founder of SQAIRZ

In this episode of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host, Colin Weston, speaks with Kat Ramirez, the founder of Golfing Buddy. 

"They did not make me feel like I was part of this foursome. I felt like the outsider and I felt like I wasn't good enough. And it's bad enough that women already feel like they're not good enough as it is in the golf world. If you have one bad experience, you're never gonna go back. You're not."

- Kat Ramirez, Founder of Golfing Buddy

The Trans Mountain Pipeline Project Continues At Langley's Redwoods GC - Image Courtesy Redwoods

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

A closure that was anticipated to last six months could drag on for two years as work on the Trans Mountain pipeline project continues at a snail’s pace at Redwoods Golf Course in Langley. 

When the last shots were struck at Redwoods on April 18 of this year, the hope was the popular course would be back up and and running this fall. But managing director Doug Hawley’s worst fears are now being realized....

In this 1st episode of their 13th season, ModGolf Podcast creator and host, Colin Weston, talks with John Simpson, the founder of On Course Foundation which supports the recovery of wounded, injured and sick Service Personnel and veterans through golf.

The Foundation's mission is to build confidence and self-belief in their members through golf skills and employment events, and set them on the path to meaningful full-time employment opportunities in the golf industry.

image courtesy vectorportal.com

Every so often it's worthwhile to just go back and take a look at some of the incredible shots Tiger hit while he was amassing his amazing record on the PGA TOUR.

It truly seemed there was no situation, no occasion too big or too difficult for him to not only escape...but to turn into something magical.

Watch below as Woods reminds us all of his fearlessness and magical touch from virtually anywhere at any time on the golf course. 

In this episode of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host, Colin Weston, speaks with Laura Diaz, the Sr. Director of Community & Inclusion with the LPGA. Diaz learned through her own experiences how important it can be to make the effort to invite people out to play golf.

That simple act can open a world of opportunity for many who would not otherwise consider getting into the game. 

"I have become a lot more self-aware about being that person that invites others because we do get cliquey."

In this episode of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host, Colin Weston, sits down for a conversation with Brett Jaffee, Co-Founder of Caddy Time. Jaffe saw an opportunity where people could connect with the golf-savvy community. Professional and recreational golfers would be able to add a caddy to any golf outing that they chose.

"Sometimes golfers need a competitive caddy, but also for senior play, junior play, woman's play. Caddies are a terrific bridge to the golf facility."