From The Greens To The Screens — How This Entrepreneur Is Driving Golf's Cultural Renaissance

Golf is simply a athletics pinch dense tradition, but it's not precisely known by casuals for heart-pounding excitement. For many, nan relationship conjures images of exclusive authorities clubs, crisp polo shirts and a acold Arnold Palmer — not nan benignant of high-energy spectacle that keeps fans connected nan separator of their seats.

Chad Mumm, executive shaper of Full Swing, laminitis of Pro Shop and bonafide play nut, is bully alert of this enduring image problem.

"I deliberation play has traditionally been seen arsenic a gentleman's game, often associated pinch wealth," Mumm says. "There's too been a cognition that maestro golfers are either robotic aliases conscionable plain boring."

Given those associations, play mightiness not look nan evident premier for a deed Netflix docuseries. Yet, that's precisely what Mumm has delivered pinch Full Swing.

Now entering its 3rd season, Full Swing offers an immersive look incorrect nan world of maestro golf, overmuch for illustration Drive to Survive did for F1. This similarity isn't coincidental. Mumm credits overmuch of nan occurrence of nan show to his collaboration pinch Drive to Survive creators Paul Martin and James Reese, founders of Box to Box Films.

"They're not immense play fans," Mumm says, "but they cognize really to prosecute viewers and necktie them in."

He believes that revealing nan psyche workings of immoderate pro athletics makes for compelling storytelling, sloppy of people's preconceived notions. In fact, Mumm thinks nan public's cognition of play arsenic "boring and slow" worked successful nan show's favor, arsenic it made nan friends moments pinch athletes each nan overmuch surprising.

"You want to create a show that appeals to a wide audience, not conscionable die-hard play fans," he says. "This show is for group who emotion reality TV aliases captivating sports documentaries."

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That being said, there's a quickly expanding assemblage for play content, which Mumm attributes to COVID-19 erstwhile galore group picked up a 9 for nan first time. The athletics has gained traction connected platforms for illustration YouTube and Instagram, pinch independent creators starring nan way. It's now experiencing a sensation renaissance, pinch celebrities embracing play publically connected societal media.

On apical of that, golf's ne'er been easier to try. From hitting balls connected a virtual simulator to hitting up your conception Top Golf, nan athletics is overmuch accessible than ever to nan communal person. Because of this, nan assemblage for play is progressively diverse, point Mumm believes is "healthy" for nan game. It too intends nan conditions for play contented personification ne'er been better, and Mumm is caller to capitalize.

His company, Pro Shop, precocious announced a caller workplace division, which will co-produce nan upcoming Adam Sandler movie "Happy Gilmore 2", a sequel to what is inarguably nan astir iconic play movie of each time. Season 3 of Full Swing starts pinch an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into nan accumulation of nan movie.

"The play opens pinch golfers, usually seen competing successful tournaments, stepping into acting," Mumm shares.

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According to him, Sandler wanted nan sequel to his legendary 1996 play to consciousness overmuch authentic to nan crippled it was representing. This resulted successful nan legendary comic penning successful "27 cameos" of maestro golfers, speaking lines and all, earlier moreover reaching retired to them to spot if they were interested.

"Getting each nan golfers together connected group astatine nan aforesaid clip was a challenge, but it was an easy sell," Mumm says. "These guys grew up watching Happy Gilmore and emotion nan movie."

He believes viewers will beryllium amazed that these aren't conscionable mini cameos.

"The golfers personification lines, execute stunts, and deterioration afloat wardrobe," Mumm shares. "They play pivotal roles passim nan film, and they had a blast."

Image Credit: Full Swing

Seeking to capitalize connected nan sensation momentum, Pro Shop is launching The Vanity Index, a caller podcast hosted by Mumm and Bachelor Nation fan-favorite Wells Adams. The show unpacks nan ever-expanding crossover betwixt Hollywood and golf, offering behind-the-scenes moments from Full Swing's latest season, personage play stories, and debates connected which A-listers are inflating their handicap.

This benignant of cross-promotion aligns pinch Mumm's larger imagination for his play ventures. His holding company, Pro Shop Holdings, spans everything from contented to commerce.

"We're building a beingness wherever play is overmuch than conscionable a athletics — it's a lifestyle," Mumm says.

Starting a institution from scratch is nary easy feat, but Mumm takes connected nan business pinch complete a decade of acquisition astatine Vox, wherever he helped style nan integer media powerhouse.

"Vox was awesome astatine mounting nan standard, making judge their brands were best-in-class without compromising conscionable because they were digital," says nan Pro Shop founder. "That relentless committedness to worth storytelling group a precocious bar, and I've carried that pinch maine to Full Swing."

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He credits Vox CEO Jim Bankoff arsenic a cardinal mentor, schoolhouse him really to "build a institution that lives up to dream business expectations" and "be highly fierce astatine winning your category."

With nan Netflix show successful Full Swing (get it?) and nan upcoming Happy Gilmore sequel, play fans are successful a aureate spot of content.

"The afloat celebrated civilization ecosystem is shifting towards golf," Mumm says. "Pro Shop is designed to beryllium nan halfway of that universe, peculiarly for nan adjacent procreation of golfers." Suffice it to say, nan fairway looks greener than ever for play enthusiasts.