Entrepreneur
“Whoa, you work in golf media?” the energetic mid-handicapper asks me as I practice my putts. “That’s got to be the absolute dream job.”
Such was my life as the Instruction Editor at a major legacy golf publication. Golfers of all abilities fawned over my profession — and made sure they squeezed out as many tips as possible anytime I was near them on a driving range.
I remember first taking the gig over two years ago and telling my wife that this would be the role that led me to meet Tiger Woods. I was sort of just joking when I said it, and then it actually happened when I found myself hitting balls on a driving range next to the 15-time major champ and his son, Charlie Woods.
In addition to a very nervy range session next to Tiger and his son, the job offered plenty of other perks. But while I was gaining recognition as the “face and voice of the average golfer,” creating content that the everyday player could relate to, I just felt…unfulfilled.
Despite leading the brand to the No. 1-ranked golf site in the Instruction category, I craved something more, and this so-called dream job just wasn’t able to fill that void for me any longer.
Related: How This Boutique Sports Agency Is Beating Billion-Dollar Giants at Their Own Game
So, despite having a 14-month-old daughter, an expensive mortgage, and being married to a wife who’s been down this entrepreneurial road with me before (Spoiler: It didn’t go as planned), I risked it all to launch my own golf media brand: Rainmakers Golf Club.
This is where the reality of being an entrepreneur contrasts with the dream of becoming one.
How Do I Stand Out From the Crowd?
Golf instruction has always been about trying to mimic perfection — you read or view a 60-second tip online and then go apply it. But I promise you, without any real feedback, most mid-handicappers aren’t improving by watching a club pro hit off perfect grass in perfect conditions.
That’s where Rainmakers comes in, leaning into that whole “face and voice of the average golfer” thing I mentioned earlier.
While we do offer some of the traditional instructional content from PGA players like Xander Schauffele and Cameron Young, as well as top golf teachers, our main franchise is a 3-hole challenge that pairs me with a top teacher or golfer to act as my lifeline for each shot.
So, instead of just a quick-fix tip, Rainmakers provides relatable content from situations that golfers experience on the course.
In addition to our own content creation, Rainmakers also acts as a media agency, where we align with golf brands to strategize and deliver their content – all while leveraging our audience and relationships in the golf space.
This is what helps differentiate us from other golf media brands: Relationships.
From my time in my previous role, I developed lifelong connections that have led to connections with some of the best golf teachers, most recognizable brands, and top courses around the world. And while I find myself pitching them on ways to collaborate differently now, it’s helped ignite this Little Engine That Could more quickly than I could have imagined.
“Hey Siri, Describe the First 2 Months”: A Grind.
After an unceremonious departure from my role in early December, there was no time to recharge the batteries or celebrate the next chapter — it was time to get to work.
Related: Is Tiger Woods a Billionaire? His Total Career Earnings Make Him One of the Highest-Paid Athletes in the World.
On the first day as the “CEO” of Rainmakers, I emailed at least 20 people and texted or called another 100, telling them about my decision and new venture. On day two, it was much the same, reintroducing myself to contacts I had previously worked with to gauge their interest in doing so again.
By day three, there were already three meetings, and by days four and five, I had a handful of proposals out to brands, with more meetings lined up following the holidays.
Momentum was on my side in the first week of running this company. But in the iconic words of an idol of mine, Kobe Bryant, “job’s not finished.”
Getting meetings reassures your decision, but getting deals validates your decision.
About one month after launching my brand, I got my first client, a practice club called PureOne, which is a clubface that’s 50 percent smaller and reinforces the fundamentals of making center-face contact.
It was official: Rainmakers was now a real business, leading me to hire a few freelancers to help grow a brand into something more than some YouTube channel with a 40-year-old dad who’s trying to be a golf influencer.
In the weeks that have followed, I’ve continued conversations with some of the biggest brands in golf. During the most recent PGA Show in Orlando, an icon in the golf space approached me to tell me he wanted to talk about working together — a pinch-me moment that still hasn’t quite resonated. And more recently, Rainmakers solidified a partnership with Athlon Sports — a top sports publisher with a golf-specific newsletter of 130K subscribers. Each of our published articles will feature original Rainmakers video content from our YouTube page, providing an exponential value proposition alongside a legacy sports platform.
So was the risk worth taking? Only time will tell, but we’re already at an exciting phase, hiring content creators to grow our community and act as an extension of the brand — providing us with more talent to engage audiences and brands — setting us up for things like events, podcasts, and live streams.
Like Ryan Serhant says: “Expansion. Always, in all ways.”
While previous business ideas failed due to lack of finances, fear of commitment, or loss of interest, when it comes to Rainmakers, I’m more motivated and fulfilled than ever before, focused on building an entertaining, informative, engaging, and inspiring brand that golfers can relate with.
Nick Dimengo is the founder and CEO of Rainmakers Golf Club. He can be reached at [email protected].
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