Newest ModGolf Podcast Features USGA Sr. Director Of Research, Science & Innovation
This week host Colin Weston speaks to the USGA's Senior Director of Research, Science & Innovation Matthew Pringle.
Beginning in 2016, Matt has led a new team at the USGA called Research, Science, & Innovation with a mission to, "Create innovative tools that help golf facilities improve the golf experience and reduce the consumption of key resources".
In this episode Matt and Colin refer to the Lean Startup approach to quickly experiment with and validate ideas/products/services. The USGA has embraced Lean Startup's ability to, "Apply entrepreneurial management to drive innovation in any size organization or sector. We’re now up to a team of five and we like to think of ourselves as a scrappy startup within The USGA".
Matt's team also organized the 2017 North American Golf Innovation Symposium in Vancouver, BC and will be staging it again in 2019 in Tokyo.
Here’s the episode link https://modgolf.fireside.fm/060-matt-pringle-usga
5th Golf Innovation Symposium March 2019 in Tokyo
About Matt Pringle
Matt joined the USGA in 2000 after completing his doctoral thesis at McMaster University. He was hired to the position of Research Engineer and from 2000 to 2016, held the positions of Sr. Research Engineer, Research Manager, and Technical Director in the Equipment Standards group. Beginning in 2016, Matt has led a new team at the USGA called Research, Science, & Innovation with a mission to create innovative tools that help golf facilities improve the golf experience and reduce the consumption of key resources. Most recently, his team organized the 2017 North American Golf Innovation Symposium in Vancouver, BC and unveiled the USGA Resource Management tool which enables golf facilities to quantify and conduct what-if scenario analysis on the resources used to maintain their course.
Some of Matt's contributions to the USGA include the invention of the pendulum test for spring effect in drivers, the USGA TruFirm turf firmness measurement system used at all USGA championships as well as many other PGA TOUR and major golf championships. Matt is also the co-inventor of the USGA’s GrooveScan portable groove measurement system and the USGA’s flagstick pace of play tool. He is also the inventor or co-inventor on seven United States patents related to golf.
In 2010 Matt was named to Sports Illustrated’s GOLF's 40 Under 40: The most influential people in golf under 40-years-old.