Shawn Foley and Zach Vanderveldt grew up together playing high school golf in Wisconsin. The pair quickly grew tired of limitations Midwestern weather placed on their game and eventually developed an AI-powered solution.
The pair founded Charlotte-based Rain or Shine Golf in 2016. The startup is an online retailer and distributor for top indoor golf brands. The company is also working on its own line of products. Foley said Rain or Shine provides everything a golfer needs to create their own personalized, virtual setup. The software is equipped with various game modes, courses and driving ranges.
Foley, who also played college golf for Northern Illinois University, said because the majority of the college season was played between September and May, the team was either traveling to Southern states or having to play indoors due to weather.
"That's what really got me involved in the [virtual golf] product and what made us want to bring this to life and turn it into a business," Foley said.
Customers have a variety of tech and equipment options to choose from based on need and budget. Rain or Shine provides everything necessary to create a "realistic golf experience," Foley said, including hitting bays, golf simulators, launch monitors, putting greens and, of course, the technology used to read the player's shot and provide statistics.
"Everything we do, from the standpoint of really changing how things are done within the business world from a cultural standpoint to changing how things are done in the golf world from a product and simulator standpoint, is meant to provide a 'wow' experience for our team, our customers and our suppliers," he said.
Foley said the company sells equipment for golfers of every skill level, from novice to expert, and setups range from a couple hundred dollars to $25,000, depending on the level of tech and the type of immersive experience a customer wants.
"Ultimately, we’re trying to provide a sense of community and the best experience we can," he said. "Every component of a setup is sent to us in-house and shipped out to the customer as a cohesive unit based on the customer need."
The startup, which is bootstrapped, saw 100% growth in 2020. This was due, in part, to Covid-19, Foley said.
"Covid did raise demand, and the golf industry, as a whole, grew tremendously," he said. "There were so many people working from home who didn’t have many activities to lean on, so we really got lucky with that piece of it and saw a surge in demand."
