About this episode
Over the past seven years I have interviewed almost 200 golf industry innovators to bring you stories around the future of the game. But on this episode we're going to try something different. As an entrepreneur myself, I'm always pushing to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. I enjoy documentary-style podcasts and have been looking to create one, but couldn't decide on what story to tell. I recently realized that the story was right under my nose - or more accurately, right under my feet. While in Sarasota Florida I was invited to PopStroke, which is a fun and challenging 36 hole mini golf entertainment experience. I was impressed by the quality of the synthetic greens, fringe and rough and it got me thinking about the origins of artificial turf. I wanted to learn the why, when and how synthetic turf came to be, along with the evolution of the materials and fabrication techniques over the past six decades. So who invented this product and why? Artificial sports turf was first brought to fame when used in the Astrodome in 1966, a newly-built stadium in Houston Texas. AstroTurf – a short-pile synthetic turf – was installed because they were struggling to maintain their natural grass field due to a lack of sunlight. For most of the 1965 major league baseball season, the Astros played on green-painted dirt and dead grass and were desperate for an alternative. The stadium owners and engineers needed a solution quickly, so they decided to try out a grass substitute made of artificial fibers called ChemGrass. The product was first used at Moses Brown School in Rhode Island in 1964 and became popular quickly. Today, the brand is known as AstroTurf and is manufactured in over 60 countries around the world. But AstroTurf is only part of the story. Since I am no expert in the world of synthetic turf, I reached out to a couple of people who are to fill in the missing pieces to this puzzle. I asked Jeffrey McDaniel - Global Director of Business Development at Synthetic Turf International and architect Bob Johnston, who specializes in designing high performance sport surfacing to help us understand the origins and future of synthetic turf. Have a look at the Synthetic Turf International website and you can also learn more about Bob Johnston and Jeffrey McDaniel on their bio pages . Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear! As the creator and host of The ModGolf Podcast and YouTube channel I've been telling golf entrepreneurship and innovation stories since May 2017 and I love the community of ModGolfers that we are building. I'm excited to announce that I just launched our ModGolf Patreon page to bring together our close-knit community of golf-loving people! As my Patron you will get access to exclusive live monthly interactive shows where you can participate, ask-me-anything video events, bonus content, golf product discounts and entry in members-only ModGolf Giveaway contests. I'm offering two monthly membership tiers at $5 and $15 USD, but you can also join for free. Your subscription will ensure that The ModGolf Podcast continues to grow so that I can focus on creating unique and impactful stories that support and celebrate the future of golf. Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin We want to thank Golf Genius Software who have supported The ModGolf Podcast since 2019! Are you a golf course owner, manager or operator looking to increase both your profit margins and on-course experience? Golf Genius powers tournament management at over 10,000 private clubs, public courses, resorts, golf associations, and tours in over 60 countries. So if you’re a golf professional or course operator who wants to save time, deliver exceptional golfer experiences, and generate more revenue, check them out online at golfgenius.com . Special Guests: Bob Johnston, Principal at JSA Sport Architecture Inc. and Jeffrey McDaniel - Global Director of Business Development at Synthetic Turf International.