S E35: Golf’s Money Problem Is Finally Out in the Open

Golf is booming — but the business behind the game has never been more complicated.

In this special live episode of The Big Swing with Jimmy Roberts, recorded ahead of the U.S. Open, Jimmy sits down for two separate conversations with two of the most influential voices in golf, media, and business: Mark Lazarus and Jimmy Dunne.

Lazarus, CEO of Versant and one of the key figures behind Golf Channel, breaks down why golf has become such a valuable business across media, technology, tee times, streaming, content, and fan engagement. From Golf Channel to GolfNow, GolfPass, college golf, the LPGA, USGA relationships, and the future of sports rights, Lazarus explains why golf is no longer just a television product — it’s an entire business ecosystem.

Then Jimmy sits down with Jimmy Dunne, the Wall Street dealmaker, president of Seminole Golf Club, former PGA Tour Policy Board member, and one of the central figures in the PGA Tour/LIV Golf framework agreement. Dunne speaks candidly about LIV, the future of the PGA Tour, private investment, the role of money in golf, and why he believes the game’s biggest strength remains its ability to build relationships.

In this episode:

Why Golf Channel sees itself as the “network of record” for golf

How GolfNow became a major piece of the golf business

Why live sports rights are putting pressure on every league

What the NFL’s next media deal could mean for golf

Why LIV became a “giant distraction”

How money changed the conversation around professional golf

What Jimmy Dunne learned from negotiating the PGA Tour/LIV framework agreement

Why access, affordability, and star power may determine golf’s next chapter

How the U.S. Open, media, private investment, and the PGA Tour all intersect

This is a conversation about more than one tournament. It’s about the future of golf — who controls it, who pays for it, who profits from it, and how the game continues to grow without losing what made people fall in love with it in the first place.

If you care about golf, media, sports business, LIV, the PGA Tour, or where the game goes next, this is a conversation worth your full attention.

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The Big Swing with Jimmy Roberts is produced by Big Swing Media.

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Episoder(45)

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