This week: As North American Account Manager, I owned the U.S. client base, driving retention and shaping our go-to-market strategy through hands-on support and real customer insights.

Players 1st helps 5,000+ golf clubs boost retention, increase revenue, and deliver unforgettable experiences worldwide. Our real-time feedback tools and predictive insights turn every round into actionable data from private clubs to public gems.

Forget guesswork, our platform reveals exactly what your members and guests think, enabling you to make smarter decisions faster.

Trusted by Troon, Dormie Network, and leading resorts across the globe.

Drive loyalty. Grow revenue. Elevate every swing.

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Scaling Growth 50% YOY

My Role:

As the North American Customer Success Manager, I took ownership of our U.S. client base, from daily-fee courses to private clubs. I wasn’t just supporting accounts but shaping our go-to-market strategy, one conversation at a time.

Before We Begin…

When Players 1st first called me, they weren’t lacking tech horsepower. They had a beautiful platform, golfer experience surveys, Net Promoter Scores, and sharp dashboards.

The problem?

In the U.S. market, nobody knew who they were, and course operators weren’t exactly begging for another software subscription. Engagement was low, renewal conversations were uncomfortable, and growth felt like rolling a boulder uphill.

Been there.

The startup grind doesn’t care how good your product is. It cares whether you solve real problems in a way that real customers can feel.

In the next few minutes, I’ll explain how we transformed Players 1st’s U.S. strategy from a “nice idea” to a “need-to-have.”

If you’re building a golf tech startup, buckle up; this playbook is for you.

The Challenge

Players 1st had traction in Europe. They knew how to collect player feedback and spit out valuable data.

However, the U.S. golf market operates under different rules.

The real-world pain:

• Operators were drowning in tech tools already

• They didn’t trust “analytics dashboards” — they trusted cash flow

• Survey response rates were embarrassing

• Expansion revenue? A ghost town

They didn’t need better NPS graphs. They needed help turning feedback into fewer cancellations, higher cart fees, and stickier memberships.

In short, they needed to translate “cool tech” into “clear ROI.” Fast.

The Approach

We didn’t come in swinging buzzwords. We worked like founders in a scramble — fast, scrappy, and obsessed with the next best move.

Here’s what we focused on: