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Alex Elias  After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2019, Ben Griffin joined the PGA Tour Canada, quickly earning Korn Ferry Tour status for the following season. However, less than two years later, Griffin made the difficult decision to step away from the game, citing financial challenges. If not for Doug Sieg, the managing partner of Jersey City-based investment firm Lord Abbett who offered to support him financially, Griffin might never have had the chance to pursue his dream on the PGA Tour. While Griffin’s eventual success serves as an inspiring outcome, his earlier decision to walk away highlights the harsh reality that for many, the journey to the PGA Tour is both long and costly.
Driven by his passion to address that challenge, Donnie Dotson founded Carry in 2021. "There are many players who have the game that ultimately have to walk away from it early because they can't afford it," said Dotson. As for those currently navigating the grind, Dotson added, "Countless are saddled with credit card debt and don't know how they're going to pay next month's rent or afford a course to practice at." As Carry "raises capital from 'Fan Investors' for early-stage pro golfers who need funding to best pursue careers on the top tours," it is paramount to Dotson that his investors are "fans first." "You have to love the game of golf first and foremost. If you don't, then you're going to be disappointed. Even if it's financially lucrative, you still won't get the most value out of it. You have to be the kind of person who gets excited following leaderboards on lower tours and wants to see a young player succeed," said Dotson. As "Fan Investors" provide financial security, Dotson said, "With financial freedom, players can be more aggressive. If they have a tough week or miss a cut, it isn't the end of their season or career. There are many players who are living week-to-week and have to make the cut to afford to travel to the next tournament." To Dotson and the players though, "Fan Investors" provide more than just financial security. "In speaking with players, it's nice for them to know they have some financial security, but it's really nice for them to know that they have someone supporting them win, lose, or draw," said Dotson. Highlighting the importance of both financial stability and a strong support system, Dotson said, "To me, the biggest difference between a player playing well or not is confidence. Confidence can come from a variety of areas, including knowing you have the finances to compete or knowing you have someone celebrating your wins and there for you when you’re struggling."
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Alex Elias  Co-Founded by Zachary McCarthy, Club Capital is "a performance improvement consultancy that focuses on cost management and strategy to allow clubs to improve their buying power and reduce their operating costs while promoting best practices and efficiency." As Club Capital "started as an idea and a shared passion for high end hospitality and the game of golf" McCarthy said, "We're passionate about the club industry and the game of golf. We're privileged to be able get up everyday and have conversations with club managers and professionals." Rooted in a relationship-based industry, McCarthy said, "There’s no such thing as a cookie-cutter club. Each club has its own unique membership and circumstances. I want to be able to understand the club’s pain points and deliver a specific solution because each club means something to me." Similarly to how each club has its own unique membership and circumstances, McCarthy and Co-Founder Kevin Kleinschmidt do as well. McCarthy said, "With my unique perspective having been a member at a club and have working closely with our management and Kevin's background, having been a member at a club, but having also worked as a leader in a private club, we have a very unique perspective. We are able to speak their language and understand their pain points, while trying to enhance the member experience because we've lived it." In regard to some of the solutions, McCarthy said, "Being that I have a background in the purchasing and strategic consulting side, we can help a club reduce its costs on products they're already purchasing or gain access to contracts with vendors that before may have been out of their budget." "If we can help a club become more efficient, it'll allow the club to reallocate those dollars to more strategic initiatives, whether it be a clubhouse or bunker renovation," said McCarthy.  Courtesy of Evan Schiller (@evan_schiller_photography) As the advantages to working with Club Capital are "FREE Club Capital membership, Access to more than 3,500+ Contracts, $130 Billion+ in Buying Power, Best-in-Class Pricing, Reporting & Analytics, Complimentary Cost Analysis, Vendor & Distributor Liaison, Seamless On-Boarding & Access," numerous clubs have expressed their immense satisfaction with Club Capital. Tim Muessle, General Manager & Chief Operating Officer at The Olympic Club, said, "We at The Olympic Club are very impressed with Club Capital's offerings. I am always skeptical when someone says they are going to save us money. But you were not kidding!" Ryan Kenny, General Manager at Woodway Country Club, said, "Club Capital's seamless on-boarding process made joining a breeze, and the best part was that there was virtually no change management required. Despite initial hesitations about mid-season changes, their program effortlessly integrated into our operations, bringing financial benefits without disruptions. It's the perfect solution for club managers who want results without the usual headaches of change."
In response to Muessle and Kenny, McCarthy said, "It’s a core reminder that what we’re doing is real. To see that we’re enhancing membership experiences by making positive change is very rewarding." |
