Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2022 - 21

Golf
Tales
Some young athletes dream of working in their favorite sport from the moment they
sink a long birdie putt-but few envision accomplishing it before their 10th birthday.
Seth Damsgard of Maple Grove got hooked on golf at age seven,
started working in the game two years later, and now his business
is outpacing any dream he might have had.
" I couldn't say working in golf was a dream of mine, since I was
only nine when I started, " the now 14-year-old Damsgard says.
" It's just really cool to be adding value across the nation to a sport
that I love. "
With the help of his parents and three sisters, Seth started a golf
business called " Golf By Numbers " which produces detailed, tourquality
yardage books for local golf clubs. Using satellite images,
he created the yardage books by making computer drawings of the
holes, measuring numerous yardages and slopes and adding them
to the renderings. Seth created his first yardage book for Eagle Lake
Youth Golf Center in Plymouth, and has now made books for 11
Minnesota courses (plus one in Iowa), including The Royal Golf
Club-which resulted in a heady opportunity for him.
" At the Royal, I was able to make the books before the grand
opening, " Seth says. " And I was made an honorary member of
the course. I got to hit the inaugural tee shot with course owner
Hollis Cavner and architect Annika Sorenstam. "
An Idea Is Born
For Seth, the business began with a club in his hand. His dad introduced
him to golf when he was very young.
" My dad would take me to the range, probably before I could
walk, " Seth says. " I would play in the sand trap and putt around
on the putting green, so I have grown up in the golf environment. I
started playing tournaments when I was seven years old. "
A basketball player and recent convert to pickle ball, Seth's competitive
juices began flowing in those golf tournaments with some
early success. He won tournaments (US Kids Local Tour for 10-yearolds)
and collected medals in MN Jr. PGA tournaments and the Jr.
PGA League for Edinburgh USA. But along the way he became frustrated
with not being able to carry penalty areas on some holes.
" I was in the situations where I wasn't able to hit the ball over a
pond, so I would have to go around. I was really needing the yardages, "
Seth says. " My dad would help me make these 'chickenscratchings
on paper' yardage books that I would keep in
my pocket. I was noticing how others were having this issue
[with] distances. "
The personal yardage books led to an idea, a Kickstarter campaign
and (with computer instruction from Seth's dad, Chris,)
soon a fledgling business. But it didn't stay that way for long. Seth
searched online and found Scott Brady, owner and operator of
Precise Yardage Books (PYB), and contacted him for a meet-up to
pick his brain about the business.
Brady, a former Tour caddie, had started his own business
about two years earlier and was doing the drawing and yardage
measuring by himself. As his business picked up speed, he was
becoming swamped.
" When Chris and Seth called me, it was just out of the blue, "
Brady says. " We were on the phone for an hour with his questions,
and I was happy to help. They did all their drawings off Google
Earth. I told them 'I stay up all night and do the same thing. Any
chance you want to do it for me?' "
A Growing Business
Seth and his older sister Eliana (who handles the paperwork) and
younger sisters Ashley and Gracia signed on to provide the hole
drawings to Brady, while his people conduct the yardage surveys
and build the pages. The books are sent back to the Damsgards
for proofing before returning to PYB for a client proof and printing.
Brady says the partnership couldn't have happened at a better
time.
" The business was really picking up, and I wouldn't have been
able to do what I did without them, " Brady says. " They have been
a tremendous asset to our business. "
PYB creates 80 to 120 yardage books per year (having now
surpassed 500 courses) and each course book goes through
Maple Grove. With a course list that includes, Muirfield Village,
Seminole, Oakmont and Interlachen, the sky appears the limit
for PYB, which is considering expanding into the European
market next.
" We've done more than $3 million in sales. It's been insane, "
Brady says. " The Damsgards coming on gave me the energy and
time to focus on other aspects of the business. They are a big part
of our success. "
Still, who takes on a kid and trusts him to assist in a million-dollar
business? The folks at " Shark Tank " likely would have passed.
But Brady enjoys working with kids and knew that Chris, an engineer,
was overseeing things. Still, he saw something in Seth.
" He's well-spoken, and anybody in the golf business who sees
somebody with a good playing background, whether they're nine
or a club pro, that means something, " Brady says. " He has a passion
for golf. "
Talent Meets Passion
Seth's talent and passion have propelled him. He volunteers as
a standard bearer at the 3M Open every year and has rubbed
elbows with some of the " Greats of the Game. "
" I got Hale Irwin, " Seth says. " We have exchanged a few emails
since then. I also got a voice recording from Gary Player and a
letter from Jack Nicklaus, and that was really cool. "
Seth is homeschooled, has played varsity golf for Osseo High
School since seventh grade and is saving money from his business
to attend college. In the meantime, he started another small family
business doing voiceover work. Seth's plan is to attend business
school at St. Thomas University to become an entrepreneur.
Some kids dream; others do. Does anyone doubt Seth will
accomplish that goal soon?
mngolf.org
Spring 2022 MINNESOTAGOLFER
21
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Minnesota Golfer - Spring 2022
