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Golf is a sport with deep custom, but it surely’s not precisely recognized by casuals for heart-pounding pleasure. For a lot of, the phrase conjures photographs of unique nation golf equipment, crisp polo shirts and a chilly Arnold Palmer — not the form of high-energy spectacle that retains followers on the sting of their seats.
Chad Mumm, government producer of Full Swing, founding father of Professional Store and bonafide golf nut, is nicely conscious of this enduring picture downside.
“I feel golf has historically been seen as a gentleman’s recreation, typically related to wealth,” Mumm says. “There’s additionally been a notion that skilled golfers are both robotic or simply plain boring.”
Given these associations, golf may not appear the plain alternative for a success Netflix docuseries. But, that is exactly what Mumm has delivered with Full Swing.
Now coming into its third season, Full Swing presents an immersive look contained in the world of professional golf, very similar to Drive to Survive did for F1. This similarity is not coincidental. Mumm credit a lot of the success of the present to his collaboration with Drive to Survive creators Paul Martin and James Reese, founders of Field to Field Movies.
“They don’t seem to be big golf followers,” Mumm says, “however they know tips on how to interact viewers and draw them in.”
He believes that revealing the interior workings of any professional sport makes for compelling storytelling, no matter individuals’s preconceived notions. In reality, Mumm thinks the general public’s notion of golf as “boring and sluggish” labored within the present’s favor, because it made the intimate moments with athletes all of the extra stunning.
“You wish to create a present that appeals to a broad viewers, not simply die-hard golf followers,” he says. “This present is for individuals who love actuality TV or charming sports activities documentaries.”
That being mentioned, there is a quickly rising viewers for golf content material, which Mumm attributes to COVID-19 when many individuals picked up a membership for the primary time. The game has gained traction on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, with impartial creators main the way in which. It is now experiencing a cultural renaissance, with celebrities embracing golf publicly on social media.
On prime of that, golf’s by no means been simpler to attempt. From hitting balls on a virtual simulator to hitting up your native Prime Golf, the game is extra accessible than ever to the frequent individual. Due to this, the viewers for golf is more and more various, one thing Mumm believes is “wholesome” for the sport. It additionally means the situations for golf content material have by no means been higher, and Mumm is able to capitalize.
His firm, Professional Store, not too long ago introduced a brand new studio division, which is able to co-produce the upcoming Adam Sandler movie “Comfortable Gilmore 2”, a sequel to what’s inarguably probably the most iconic golf film of all time. Season 3 of Full Swing begins with an unique behind-the-scenes look into the manufacturing of the film.
“The season opens with golfers, normally seen competing in tournaments, moving into performing,” Mumm shares.
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In response to him, Sandler needed the sequel to his legendary 1996 comedy to really feel extra genuine to the sport it was representing. This resulted within the legendary comedian writing in “27 cameos” {of professional} golfers, talking strains and all, earlier than even reaching out to them to see in the event that they have been .
“Getting all of the golfers collectively on set on the similar time was a problem, but it surely was a straightforward promote,” Mumm says. “These guys grew up watching Comfortable Gilmore and love the film.”
He believes viewers might be stunned that these aren’t simply small cameos.
“The golfers have strains, carry out stunts, and put on full wardrobe,” Mumm shares. “They play pivotal roles all through the movie, and so they had a blast.”
Picture Credit score: Full Swing
Searching for to capitalize on the cultural momentum, Professional Store is launching The Self-importance Index, a brand new podcast hosted by Mumm and Bachelor Nation fan-favorite Wells Adams. The present unpacks the ever-expanding crossover between Hollywood and golf, providing behind-the-scenes moments from Full Swing‘s newest season, movie star golf tales, and debates on which A-listers are inflating their handicap.
This type of cross-promotion aligns with Mumm’s bigger imaginative and prescient for his golf ventures. His holding firm, Professional Store Holdings, spans every part from content material to commerce.
“We’re constructing a universe the place golf is greater than only a sport — it is a way of life,” Mumm says.
Beginning a company from scratch is not any straightforward feat, however Mumm takes on the problem with over a decade of expertise at Vox, the place he helped form the digital media powerhouse.
“Vox was nice at setting the usual, ensuring their manufacturers have been best-in-class with out compromising simply because they have been digital,” says the Professional Store founder. “That relentless dedication to high quality storytelling set a excessive bar, and I’ve carried that with me to Full Swing.”
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He credit Vox CEO Jim Bankoff as a key mentor, instructing him tips on how to “construct an organization that lives as much as dream job expectations” and “be extraordinarily aggressive at successful your class.”
With the Netflix present in Full Swing (get it?) and the upcoming Comfortable Gilmore sequel, golf followers are in a golden age of content material.
“The whole popular culture ecosystem is shifting in the direction of golf,” Mumm says. “Professional Store is designed to be the middle of that universe, particularly for the following era of golfers.” Suffice it to say, the golf green appears greener than ever for golf fans.
