Every golf course and club has its own unique and distinctive characteristics. Hear from three-thought leaders across the Clubessential Holdings portfolio in a panel discussion: Clubessential, foreUP, and Vermont Systems GolfTrac, as they reveal what makes for a great customer experience across a variety of clubs and courses.
Hear and understand different ways their companies enable the clubs and courses to exceed player and member expectations, the nuances and personalities of different operations, the challenges they see, and trends to address on the horizon for all types of golf courses and clubs.
Presenters
Joshua Karson, Senior Sales Manager, Vermont Systems
Josh is primarily responsible for preparing and responding to all proposals Vermont Systems is invited to participate in, as well as a lead presenter of the software to prospects and current customers alike. Being employed with Vermont Systems for nearly 20 years, Josh has a vast knowledge in most of the products Vermont Systems produces, including their GolfTrac Application. He has had a wide variety of jobs with the company as well. Josh started out in Customer Support where he performed installations and implementations for many large cities and counties, to then moving to the Sales Team. He also spent time managing the Marketing Department. Josh attends trade shows and is also a lead representative running in-person customer user groups across the county. While Josh is considered an expert with many of Vermont Systems products and is a great resource for many, the one thing he can't do is correct his slice!
With nearly 20 years of experience at Vermont Systems and with the GolfTrac Application, Josh has a vast knowledge of the recreation industry. He has held a number of roles within the company ranging from customer support to installation to implementation to sales, giving him a unique perspective on what is required for courses and organizations across the country to elevate their customer experience. While his learning over this tenure has made him a great industry resource for many, it hasn’t helped him correct his slice!
Bradley K. Smith, Regional Sales Director, Clubessential
Brad has extensive experience in the private club and golf industry. Moving from a college golfing career at Xavier University to turns as a golf pro, entrepreneur, and in the finance industry, he brings a unique perspective and understanding to the needs of pros, courses, and private clubs everywhere. He has a passion for helping create exceptional member experiences through technology and is driven to complementing and elevating the mission and unique personal experiences that every organization strives to deliver.
Mark Farrow, Director of foreUP Marketing Services
Mark Farrow has been a Class A member of the PGA since 1996. His golf career began at age 13 at a country club in Ontario, Canada. From there he earned a golf scholarship to Wright State University, graduating with a BA in Economics. Mark then joined International Golf Management (IGM) in Orlando, FL, and quickly became a key person in the growth and development of the company. After IGM merged with Meadowbrook Golf Group, Mark was promoted to Director of Acquisitions where he was instrumental in completing the $150M purchase of KSL Fairways, making Meadowbrook the third-largest multi-course operator at the time.
In 2014, Mark saw the opportunity to become the first hire at Teesnap golf course POS. During his time at Teesnap, he had a hand in nearly everything from Development, Support, Sales, Marketing, Account Management, and more. In April of 2020, Mark joined the foreUP team as Director of foreUP Marketing Services (fMS). In under a year and a half, fMS has achieved 1M in sales. Mark enjoys learning new technology, playing golf with his family, and spending his free time in the gym.