The Golfing CEO

In the triad of the USGA’s biggest events every year, the Mid-Amateur is, in theory, the “easiest” to qualify for, thanks to its age restriction of 25 or older. But not so fast. Even mid-amateurs can play some damn good golf. 

Join Derek and his dad, Joe, as they recap Derek’s final qualifier of the summer, both before and after the round from the car, as well as on-course audio captured during some of the key moments. It was an action-packed day that neither of them will soon forget.

When American Junior Golf Association Executive Director Stephen Hamblin stepped into the role 42 years ago, the AJGA had a broken-down van, a dozen annual events, five full-time employees, and an operating budget of just $200,000. Today, the AJGA has grown by 10x to 100x in nearly every measurable category… and all under Hamblin’s leadership. Join Derek and Stephen for a fun and memorable conversation about the past, present, and future of junior golf, and discover why the junior golf movement was well underway before Tiger Woods’ iconic 1997 victory at The Masters.

Episode 7 of The Golfing CEO finds Derek on the precipice of one of the biggest achievements in any amateur golfer’s season, maybe even over an entire amateur career in golf… qualifying for the United States Amateur Championship. Join Derek and his caddie, Ray Day, as they recap the action from Dallas National Golf Club, where Derek is only 18 holes away from Merion Golf Club, and everything that comes with playing in America’s oldest organized golf tournament.

Episode 6 of The Golfing CEO features one of our most recognizable guests yet: acclaimed writer, director, producer, and actor Ed Burns, whose latest independent film, Finnegan's Foursome, brings the game of golf to the big screen. Join Derek and Ed as they discuss the inspiration behind the film, Ed's life and career on and off the course, and why golf has a way of bringing together family, friendships, and unforgettable stories. 

Episode 5 of The Golfing CEO turns the microphone on Derek's own competitive golf journey. Joined once again by his instructor, Cory Scoggin, Derek relives the highs, lows, and biggest moments from the first stage of qualifying for the U.S. Amateur. Together, they break down Derek's annual spring and summer tournament season as he pursues one of golf's toughest tests. 

Episode 4 of The Golfing CEO features Jay Karen, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association and one of the golf industry's leading advocates and thought leaders. Join Derek and Jay as they discuss the golf industry's annual trip to Capitol Hill for National Golf Day, the business realities facing public and private golf courses, and why participation, innovation, and new audiences are giving plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future of the game. 

Episode 3 of The Golfing CEO features a guest who almost perfectly embodies the title of this podcast: Scott McNealy, co-founder and former CEO of Sun Microsystems, and father of PGA TOUR standout Maverick McNealy, as well as three other boys who reached higher levels of golf than most of us can only dream about. Join Derek and Scott as they discuss leadership, competition, using golf as a strategic business tool, and why Scott chose to put four boys in the same bedroom, even though there was plenty of room not to.

It’s Season 2, Episode 2 of The Golfing CEO, and Derek has the pleasure of sitting down with Hrag Hamalian, CEO of the TGR Foundation. Founded by Tiger Woods in 1996, the organization has impacted more than 300,000 students and educators through education and STEAM-based learning programs focused on underserved communities.  Join Derek and Hrag as they talk about Hrag’s “delusional” foray into education, where TGR is going from here, and why he finally understands the obsession that so many golfers have with the game.

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Golfing CEO, where Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. Joining him to kick off the second season of the pod is former Oracle President & COO Ray Lane, who invested in Derek’s company nearly ten years ago and has sat on Strivr’s board ever since. Join Derek and Ray as they talk about Ray’s decision to take the Oracle job (despite strong opposition from his personal network), why he chose to go into Venture Capital (again, despit...

It's Season 2 of The Golfing CEO, and Derek is back and just as delusional as ever. This season will feature 18 bi-weekly episodes with more amazing guests, who are eager to share their stories, both told and untold, on and off the course.

In the final episode of Season 1, Derek and co-founder & COO Michael Manuccia wrap up the story of Strivr’s first two years in business — this time with help from two of the company’s earliest employees who lived it day-in and day-out… Mike Colucci and Peter Murray.

From spending endless days on NFL practice fields to creating virtual reality content for the U.S. National Soccer and Ski teams, Mike and Peter share what it was like to be “boots on the ground” during Strivr’s scrappy, early days. Together, the group reflects on the realities of building somet...

Have you ever wondered what drives someone to make a wholesale career change — not once, but multiple times across a lifetime?  In this episode, Derek sits down with Joe Moglia, whose journey from longtime collegiate football coach to Wall Street executive to football coach again is one of the most unconventional and inspirational “rags to riches” stories you’ll hear. 

Joe passionately shares why pivoting between industries is not as crazy as it seems when you truly understand who you are, the skills you bring, and the capabilities required to succeed in any role — even roles as big as the o...

We’ve heard from some big-name NFL players this season — but what about everyone else who plays the game? What’s life really like for them, before, during, and after their time on the field?

In today’s episode, Derek sits down with one of his closest friends, Evan Moore, for a raw and reflective conversation. Evan opens up about battling injuries in college, battling to make an NFL roster, and how one life-changing conversation with a former coach changed everything as he transitioned to life after football.

We’re nearing the end of Season 1 of The Golfing CEO, and there’s still one big “delusion” we haven’t unpacked — Derek’s belief that he will one day achieve an exit. Well, that’s all about to change, as today’s episode dives into the founding story of Strivr, told by the people who lived it. Join Derek as he sits down with two of his closest friends and co-founders, Michael Manuccia and Trent Edwards.

It’s a journey packed with big ideas, big promises to some of the biggest names in college and professional football, and the ki...

It’s Derek’s final individual stroke-play qualifier of the year — and this time, he’s bringing backup. Derek enlists his cousin-in-law, Mike Kelly, to serve as caddie and on-course correspondent to capture every moment.

Join them for the “before,” “during,” and “after” of the round as Derek takes one last shot in 2025 at chipping away at his ongoing bet with Carson.

It’s episode 13 of The Golfing CEO, and today’s guest is another “chance connection” who fortuitously found his way to the show after it launched. Join Derek and author, speaker, and executive coach, Casey Jacox, as they dive into all things sales, entrepreneurship, and – yes – parenting! 

In addition to his “day job” helping people and organizations elevate performance, Casey also hosts The QB Dadcast, a podcast dedicated to the ups and downs of being a dad. And since Casey’s son is a college golfer, you know there’ll be plenty of golf talk, too.

We kicked off Season 1 with Carson Palmer, and in today’s episode, we’re grateful to be joined by his longtime teammate and future NFL Hall of Famer, Larry Fitzgerald. It’s a candid conversation that provides a rare glimpse into the heart and mind of one of the best wide receivers to ever put on a helmet — both on and off the field. Join Derek and Larry as they talk about their mutual love for golf, why “availability” might be the most underrated skill in sports, and the one decision on the 17th tee at Stanford Golf Course that Derek w...

How often does anyone get an inside look at one of the most successful collegiate athletic programs in the world? Usually the first thing that comes to mind when we hear a question like this is a powerhouse football or basketball program… but this time, it’s golf. In today’s episode, Derek sits down with Anne Walker and Conrad Ray, the long-time head coaches of Stanford’s women’s and men’s golf teams. Together, they’ve built dynasties on The Farm – together racking up five national championships and nearly 70 All-Americans over the past two decades.  From recruiting in the NIL era to...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to build and operate a world-class golf course… or even a collection of them in some of the most remote corners of the world? In this episode, Derek is joined by co-founder and CEO of Cabot, Ben Cowan-Dewar, who has spearheaded Cabot’s two decades of growth from one plot of land in remote Nova Scotia to more than ten golf courses across six different countries. Join Derek and Ben as they dive into the cross-section of entrepreneurship and golf, and why Ben believes the game’s global momentum is only just beginn...

In this episode, Derek is joined by the LPGA’s Chief Tour Business and Operations Officer, Ricki Lasky. Ricki shares how she started “in the kitchen” - literally and metaphorically - as part of her journey through the last 25+ years in the golf industry, as well as how the LPGA is experiencing unprecedented growth as part of the rising tide of women’s sports. 

Derek sits down with his golf instructor, Cory Scoggin, for a deep-dive into the current state of his game and his progression over the last three years. Cory also shares nuggets related to his own instructional philosophies, what you can do to begin your own game-improvement journey, and why every golfer - from an amateur to a professional - just wants to make better contact. 

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In episode 7 of The Golfing CEO, host Derek Belch sits down with Tom Coyne — Executive Editor of The Golfer’s Journal, host of its acclaimed podcast, and five-time author of award-winning books, including one adapted for film. Together, they explore how golf has given Tom both “nothing” and “everything” in return, why Paper Tiger is the single-biggest influence behind Derek starting this show, and why every American golfer should try their hand at “real links golf” at least once in their lifetime.

In episode 6 of The Golfing CEO, host Derek Belch talks to mental golf coach, author, and podcast host Michael Leonard, whose Wicked Smart Golf platform took him from a successful, yet unfulfilling life in sales to one of the most trusted names in the golf community. Derek and Michael relive their chance meeting during the San Diego City Amateur while discussing the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, course management strategy, and how positive affirmations can go a long way.

And for more from Michael, listeners can check out his podcast Wicked Smart Golf on...

Welcome to “episode 5” of The Golfing CEO, where host Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. This week’s guest is Chad Mumm, Executive Producer of the hit Netflix show, Full Swing, and CEO of golf’s newest (and hottest) startup, Pro Shop. Derek and Chad talk about the integral role golf plays in business, how Full Swing took nearly a decade to become a reality, and how Derek’s game stacks up to some of the PGA TOUR’s best players.

And for...

Welcome to “episode 4” of The Golfing CEO, where host Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. This week, Derek talks to Senior Vice President of Golf at Pebble Beach, John Sawin. Derek shares that John’s year-long sabbatical to play in some of the biggest amateur events in America is one of the “pieces of the puzzle” that inspired him to improve his game and start this podcast. John talks about the joys and challenges of managing golf operations at one of the world’s most iconic...

Welcome to “episode 2” of The Golfing CEO, where host Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. Joining him this week is Geoffrey Moore, the world-renowned author of Crossing the Chasm. Geoff shares his unconventional path to Silicon Valley and the world of high-flying tech companies that pour billions of dollars into products they hope will achieve mainstream adoption. Derek shares his decade-plus journey founding and running Strivr, and seeks Geoff’s advice on how to think about the future of both his company and his golf g...

Welcome to the debut episode of The Golfing CEO, where Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. Joining him to kick off the pod is Carson Palmer, former Heisman Trophy winner, #1 NFL Draft pick, and 15-year NFL veteran. In this candid conversation, they dive into what it really takes to succeed at the top, life after the NFL, the role of faith and family in their lives, a shared love of golf - and the bet that sparked Derek’s “delusional” quest to play with the pr...

Welcome to “episode 3” of The Golfing CEO, where host Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. This week, Derek is joined by former MLB pitcher Tim Stauffer to recount a milestone moment… proof that his outrageous bet with Carson Palmer (Ep. 1) may not be so delusional after all. Join Derek and Tim as they talk about the ups and downs of a professional sports career, coaching their kids’ teams, and the parallels between pitching and golf.

Welcome to The Golfing CEO, where host Derek Belch explores how far dreams, drive, and a dose of delusion can take us in the pursuit of the impossible. Each week, Derek tees it up with some of the world’s most successful business executives, pro athletes, entrepreneurs, and entertainers. Together, they’ll share their stories, successes and failures, and the role that golf has played along the way.