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 – Rob breaks down the "tell them what they're about to do, let them do it, then tell them what they did" formula, plus how player stats and profile pictures build community.
17:36 – From Deuce Pots to Proximities – How Smart Golf's flighted games, skins, and deuce pots evolved from pro demands, and why saying "yes" to finicky requests has become a core competency.
21:04 – Growth & Partnerships – The exclusive NGCOA Canada partnership, the Golf Canada scoring integration, and why 75 clubs south of the border are already on board.
27:42 – Simulator Expansion – How Smart Golf is testing new features with simulator facilities in the off-season – and why 90 simulators now run their leagues on the platform.
30:00 – Business Model: Annual Subscription – Rob explains why a single annual subscription (cheaper than competitors) with no paywalls or limits is the winning formula, and why they avoid ads to keep the user experience pristine.
35:21 – How to Connect – Visit smartgolfsoftware.com or email Rob directly at rob@smartgolfsoftware.com.

🔗 Resources & Links:

Smart Golf Website: https://smartgolfsoftware.com
NGCOA Canada: https://ngcoa.ca
Golf Canada: https://golfcanada.ca
The ModGolf YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@modgolfpodcast

🎧 Subscribe & Review:

Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a golf course operator or league captain who needs to retire their spreadsheet for good.

Join our Patreon community at www.patreon.com/modgolf for exclusive live shows, bonus content, and member-only giveaways.[ Click here](www.patreon.com/modgolf) to support The ModGolf Podcast.

Special thanks to Highland Golf Club for hosting this live recording, and to Rob Sunstrum for an honest, inspiring conversation about building a better way to play competitive golf.

We want to thank our partner NGCOA Canada for presenting this episode of The ModGolf Podcast!

The National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada) is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to supporting the business of golf in Canada. Representing more than 1,500 member facilities nationwide, NGCOA Canada provides advocacy, education, marketing, operational resources to help golf course owners and operators succeed, as well as philanthropic support. You can learn more and connect at https://www.ngcoa.ca/

Special Guest: Rob Sunstrum - Founder & CEO at Smart Golf.

rob sunstrum