In the past year, Golf+ has become a leading player in the VR gaming industry.
But it didn't start out that way.
"My first virtual reality putt was a 20 footer, uphill, with a left-to-right break," Golf+ founder and CEO Ryan Engle says. "I hit it and put it 6 inches past the hole, burning the edge on the left. I thought, 'Wow that felt exactly like hitting a putt.' After that magical moment I said to the team 'OK, you know what, we're going to pivot 100 percent into VR.'"
Engle joins "The ModGolf Podcast" host Colin Weston to talk about adaptability and how Golf+ came to be, including adding Rory McIlroy as an investor in the company. And the gaming system also got some air time on Netflix's "Full Swing" docuseries about the PGA Tour.
CHAPTERS
[2:40] Engle shares his first golf experience and the movie that made him fall in love with golf
[6:20] Engle's worst job and what positives he learned from it
[9:00] Engle tells how he got into the golf business and his first golf start-up venture
[15:00] A discussion about the challenges that entrepreneurship presents and the difficult decisions to make when deciding whether to continue grinding on or pivoting to something else
[17:45] Ryan describes the Oculus Quest headset that redefined the virtual reality landscape and how it is a game changer for Golf+.
[23:00] The importance of timing when launching a product, along with the other factors that make for a successful startup venture
[25:30] Engle shares the power of partnerships and how they added value to its collaboration with Topgolf
[31:00] The Golf+ revenue model and who are its users
[35:40] The size of the VR gaming market, the projected future growth and demographics of VR users
[39:00] Engle shares how Golf+ incorporates various player modes so that the experience applies to both beginner and accomplished golfers
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