Thank You, Sphere Rocket: Three Days of Golf, Business, and Friends at the Sphere Rocket Open

Dennis Yu's group at Fields Ranch, PGA Frisco, during the Sphere Rocket Open: their fourth, Simon Harries of JVZoo, Dennis Yu, Aden Trano of Whop, and the caddie

Three days in Dallas with Sphere Rocket, September 1–3, 2026: golf at Cowboys Golf Club and Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco, a helicopter ball drop, Texas barbecue, and a room full of people I actually wanted to be in a room with. My agents worked the whole time. I checked in between holes. This is a thank-you note with a lot of pictures.

Dennis Yu with Justin Nelson, founder of Sphere Rocket, in the clubhouse — With Justin Nelson, the founder.

Dennis Yu with Aden Trano of Whop at the Sphere Rocket Open — Aden Trano, Whop.

Justin Nelson and Aden Trano holding golf balls in front of an R44 helicopter before the ball drop — Justin and Aden before the helicopter ball drop.

A laptop running AI agents next to a plate of Texas barbecue at the Sphere Rocket Open — The agents ate too. Sort of.

The way life should be

My agents do not stop when I am on a golf course. While I was hitting a 7-iron into the wind at Fields Ranch, articles were getting published, audits were running, and the Basecamp threads were moving. Between holes I opened the phone, looked at what the agents had done, gave a thumbs up or a correction, and put the phone away.

That is the whole point. AI is not a replacement for a round of golf with friends. It is what makes the round possible without guilt. You can make money, take care of your health, and be fully present with the people in front of you, and none of those has to lose so the others can win. Sphere Rocket built three days that proved it, and I am grateful.

Instagram story: agents can't smell delicious Texas BBQ, laptop on the table at Cowboys Golf Club — Agents can do a lot. They cannot smell brisket.

Jack Allard at lunch with a laptop open, checking on his agents during the Sphere Rocket Open — Jack Allard checking on his own agents at lunch. Same idea, one generation younger.

Dennis Yu walking the fairway at Fields Ranch during the Sphere Rocket Open — Walking the fairway while the agents worked.

What Sphere Rocket put on

The Sphere Rocket Open is a golf mastermind: an opening night at Cowboys Golf Club in Grapevine, a day on Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco, the home of the PGA of America, a last day back at Cowboys, and stage sessions in between. A helicopter did the ball drop. There were custom hats, a box of Pro V1s waiting in the hotel room, a sponsor board with Whop on it, and a photo team capturing every hole. None of that happens by accident.

3days, Sept 1–3, 2026, Dallas–Fort Worth

2courses: Cowboys Golf Club and Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco

1,886photos shot by the Sphere Rocket photo team over three days

1helicopter ball drop

Golf balls in a glass box at the opening night of the Sphere Rocket Open at Cowboys Golf Club — Opening night, Cowboys Golf Club.

Custom Sphere Rocket Open hats laid out on a table — Hats for every player.

Sphere Rocket Open sponsor sign listing Whop — Whop on the sponsor sign.

A box of Titleist Pro V1 golf balls, the welcome gift in the hotel room — Pro V1s waiting in the room.

Somebody thought about the hats. Somebody thought about the balls in the room. Somebody booked a helicopter. Details are how you tell people they matter, and the Sphere Rocket team got every one of them right.

The Sphere Rocket Open stage and astronaut-golfer backdrop before sessions began — The stage before sessions.

A full room listening to the last-day sessions at the Sphere Rocket Open — Last-day sessions. Phones down, mostly.

Sponsor board at Cowboys Golf Club on opening night of the Sphere Rocket Open — The sponsor board on opening night.

Justin Nelson, the founder

Justin Nelson started Sphere Rocket VA in 2018 out of his own real estate business, with no outside funding. Today the company has placed more than 10,000 pre-vetted virtual assistants with 4,500-plus clients, trains each one on the client’s actual tools before day one, and runs its own operation in the Philippines under an on-site CEO, Sheryn Mendoza. Sphere Rocket has a team of about 1,200 VAs in the Philippines, at roughly $8 an hour, and the details of this week, from the check-in list to the photo team’s shot list, ran through them. That is the same lesson I teach with agents: the leverage is in the system, not in you doing everything.

Dennis Yu talking with Justin Nelson, founder and CEO of Sphere Rocket, in the clubhouse — Catching up with Justin in the clubhouse.

Justin Nelson, founder of Sphere Rocket, on the golf course at sunset — Justin at sunset at Cowboys Golf Club.

Justin Nelson speaking on stage at the Sphere Rocket Open — Welcoming everyone from the stage.

Traci Nelson, who ran the whole thing

Every great event has one person who knows where everything is. At the Sphere Rocket Open that was Traci Nelson, Sphere Rocket’s Chief of Staff. She was at the check-in desk when we arrived, she knew every name, and every one of those hundred details above traces back to her. Thank you, Traci.

Traci Nelson, Chief of Staff at Sphere Rocket, at the check-in desk on opening night — Traci at the check-in desk on opening night.

The Sphere Rocket team setting up registration in the morning — The team getting the morning started.

Ben Harris, Sphere Rocket’s CMO

Ben Harris runs marketing for Sphere Rocket, and he was everywhere: on stage, moderating the panel, working the room on opening night, and still getting a round in. He is the reason the week felt like a story instead of a schedule. If you want to see how a brand shows up in person, watch Ben for a day.

Dennis Yu with Ben Harris, CMO of Sphere Rocket, in the clubhouse — Ben and me in the clubhouse.

Ben Harris, CMO of Sphere Rocket, speaking on stage — Ben running the room.

Ben Harris moderating a panel of operators at the Sphere Rocket Open — Moderating the operator panel on the last day.

Aden Trano and Whop

Aden Trano is 23, runs the services vertical at Whop, and was my playing partner for the week. Whop sponsored the Open, Aden did a fireside chat on stage, and then he went out and hit it a long way. We played together on both golf days, and most of what we talked about between shots was how to get service businesses to stop treating payment processing as a commodity. That same week, while I was at the event, my agents built him adentrano.com, and I signed up as a Whop partner. He is very happy with the site. I am happy with the partnership.

Aden Trano of Whop holding a golf ball in front of the helicopter at the Sphere Rocket Open — Aden before the ball drop.

Aden Trano in a fireside chat on stage at the Sphere Rocket Open — The Whop fireside chat.

Aden Trano mid-swing on the course at the Sphere Rocket Open — Aden, mid-swing. He hits it a long way.

Simon Harries and JVZoo

Simon Harries is co-owner and CRO of JVZoo, the affiliate platform with more than a million affiliates and four Inc. 5000 appearances, and the founder of Launch Express. He made his first JVZoo sale in 2014 and bought into the company a decade later, which tells you everything about how he operates: patiently, and then all at once. He was in my group at Fields Ranch. Between his putting and Aden’s driving, I mostly carried the conversation. Affiliate marketing is where I started, so getting 18 holes with the person who runs the platform at the center of it was one of the highlights of the trip.

Simon Harries of JVZoo lining up a putt at Fields Ranch during the Sphere Rocket Open — Simon lining one up at Fields Ranch.

Dennis Yu, Simon Harries and Aden Trano walking to the green at Fields Ranch — Walking up to the green together.

Simon Harries putting while Dennis Yu and Aden Trano watch — Simon putting, the rest of us hoping.

Jack Allard

Jack Allard flew back with me. He runs Roof Launch Marketing inside our Local Service Spotlight network, has a 44-inch vertical and a coaching brand called Anyone Can Dunk, and spent lunch with a laptop open, checking on agents while the brisket got cold. He is the proof that the model works for the next generation, not just for me. Watching him hold his own in a room full of operators was the quiet win of the trip.

Dennis Yu and Jack Allard on the course under a big Texas sky — Big Texas sky, day one.

Dennis Yu selfie on the course at the Sphere Rocket Open — Me, between holes, after checking the agents.

Thank you

Justin Nelson, for building a company that lets thousands of business owners buy back their time, and for inviting me into the room.

Traci Nelson, for every list, every name, every detail nobody else noticed.

Ben Harris, for the energy on stage and off, and for making the week feel like a story.

Moose Reed, Sphere Rocket’s CRO, for the partnerships and the laughs on the last night.

Sheryn Mendoza and the 1,200 Sphere Rocket VAs in the Philippines, who did the work behind the work.

Aden Trano and Whop, for sponsoring, for the fireside chat, and for being a great partner on and off the course.

Simon Harries and JVZoo, for 18 holes and the best conversation of the week.

Jack Allard, for showing up, learning fast, and reminding me why I do this.

The photographers, the caddies, the crew at Cowboys Golf Club and Fields Ranch, and the pilot who dropped the balls.

Everyone in that room. You made a golf trip into something I will remember.

The Sphere Rocket team toasting on opening night — The team toasting on opening night.

Moose Reed, CRO of Sphere Rocket, laughing on the last night — Moose Reed on the last night.

Group celebration on the last night of the Sphere Rocket Open — The last night. Everyone in.

More golf, more friends: I keep a running page of rounds with the people I love playing with at dennisyu.com/golf.

If you run a service business and want the same leverage, start with Sphere Rocket for people and with Local Service Spotlight for the agents. Photos on this page were shot by the Sphere Rocket photo team and by me. If you are in one and want the original, message me.