The Lazerows’ journey is the definition of "built different." They founded Golf.com in 1997, only to see it catastrophically implode during the 2000 dot-com crash after a paper-only merger with the now-defunct ChipShot.com.
Left with a bankrupt shell, they made the unconventional decision to buy back the business. Over the next six years, they leveraged the rise of Tiger Woods to turn the site into a popular digital golf destination, eventually selling it for about $25 million to Time Inc., which was then the owner of Sports Illustrated.
After parlaying their success into Buddy Media, which was acquired by Salesforce for nearly $1 billion, the Lazerows have returned to their roots with a major investment in Grass League, which calls itself the “world’s first high-stakes par-3 golf league.”
As owners of the New York Blue Birds, the 2025 Grass Clippings Open Champions, they are championing what Mike calls the "street fight" of golf: high-stakes, par-3 competitions under the lights.
"It’s the democratization of golf," Mike says. "There’s room for traditional golf, but we love the high stakes, the bands, the DJs and the young people having a great time.".
To hear more about the Lazerows’ story and why they are betting on the future of Grass League’s High Stakes Par 3 Golf, watch the latest interview episode of the Dan Evans Show. And catch up on previous episodes on SI Golf.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Golf’s Ultimate Entrepreneurs Are Building a New High-Stakes Venture.
