Two years ago, when Chad Mumm pitched Netflix on "Full Swing," executives asked if there was any real drama in professional golf. The sport that once seemed immune to dramatic storytelling has exploded into mainstream culture, with his Creator Classic alone garnering 2.6 million views and becoming YouTube's No. 2 trending video. Mumm's Pro Shop Holdings Inc. represents a bet on that shift.
Two years ago, when Chad Mumm pitched Netflix on "Full Swing," executives asked if there was any real drama in professional golf. His answer: "Sometimes guys play slow and it makes people mad."
That story — which Mumm loves telling — captures something important about golf's transformation. The sport that once seemed immune to dramatic storytelling has exploded into mainstream culture, with his Creator Classic alone garnering 2.6 million views and becoming YouTube's No. 2 trending video. What changed wasn't golf itself. What changed was who was telling the stories.
Mumm's Pro Shop Holdings Inc. represents a bet on that shift. Through "Full Swing," the Creator Classic and a growing portfolio of golf media properties, he's bridging the gap between golf's reverent traditions and its digital-native future. The approach works because it doesn't treat tradition and innovation as opposing forces.
Birth of the Creator Classic: A Casual Conversation, Serious Stakes
The Creator Classic started with Mumm doing what he does best — seeing opportunity where others see logistics nightmares. At the 2024 Players Championship, he pitched PGA Tour leadership on consolidating their scattered creator invitations into one major event.
"My pitch to the PGA Tour was that instead of inviting these creators to events on a one-off basis, why not put together a singular event tied to a Tour stop and invite a bunch?" The Tour didn't just agree — they suggested hosting it during Tour Championship week at East Lake Golf Club.
"Golf is in the middle of an explosion in popularity and, for many young people, some of the biggest stars have emerged on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok," Mumm explains. "The Creator Classic will bring the brightest of these new stars to the biggest stage in golf, giving them a chance to compete in a real PGA Tour environment in front of fans both on site and all over the world. The combination of these creators, who have millions of loyal fans, and the PGA Tour's unparalleled competitive atmosphere, production value and massive reach promises to deliver a landmark golf event unlike any other."
What emerged was "space camp for creators" — stroke play from the same tees as Tour pros, broadcast 12 hours before the Tour Championship. No gimmicks. No celebrity scramble format. Just golf at its highest level, played by people whose audiences had never seen anything like it.
The $100,000 winner-take-all purse wasn't about return on investment — it was about respect.
"We wanted to raise the stakes for the season-ending Creator Classic at East Lake and thought a purse would be a great way to do that," Mumm says. In a medium where creator content gets dismissed as "just entertainment," serious money sends a different message.
The Full Swing Blueprint: Characters First, Golf Second
"Full Swing" taught Mumm everything about his creator strategy. The Netflix series broke new ground by treating tour players like people instead of scorecards.
"Full Swing is at its best when the characters lead the story and the golf results are the payoff of everything you've seen off the course," he explains. That philosophy — drama drives engagement, not scoreboards — now shapes every Pro Shop project.
The documentary's success beyond golf's traditional audience proved the model. Mumm continues as executive producer while "Full Swing" serves as Pro Shop's flagship offering, but the real value was learning how to translate golf's inherent narratives into compelling television.
Curating Golf's Digital Future
The Creator Classic field — Good Good, Tisha Alyn, Gabby Golf Girl, Peter Finch — looks diverse by design. Mumm understands that golf's growth demands diverse storytellers reaching diverse audiences.
"First and foremost we are looking for creators that are good players who can handle a gross stroke play event," he says. But playing ability is just the entry point. The selection balances established names with emerging voices, emphasizes female creators (golf's fastest-growing demographic) and includes international talent.
That last piece matters more than it might seem. Golf's current boom extends globally in ways that previous surges didn't. When Tiger Woods dominated, the momentum was largely American-driven. Today's grassroots growth spans continents.
Why This Time Feels Different
Golf has experienced popularity booms before, usually tied to singular superstars. Mumm thinks this moment is different because it's not dependent on any individual.
"The momentum that golf is seeing across culture now feels much more grassroots and 'ground-up,'" he observes. COVID-19 sparked participation increases, but they've sustained themselves through new entry points: simulators, Topgolf, virtual reality experiences.
More importantly, celebrities across entertainment and sports have embraced golf without apology. The sport's exclusivity stigma — historically its biggest growth barrier — has largely dissolved. Combined with compelling young professionals and competitive drama, this creates sustainable momentum rather than Woods-dependent bubbles.
Partnership Without Compromise
Pro Shop's relationship with the PGA Tour could easily become complicated — editorial independence versus partnership obligations, creative vision versus corporate interests. Mumm navigates this through what he calls "trust and maintaining a longer-term view."
The tour's willingness to accept short-term discomfort from "Full Swing's" editorial choices in exchange for massive audience reach exemplifies how these partnerships work. "Audiences would never have embraced the show if it felt overly sanitized or inauthentic to reality," Mumm notes.
That principle extends throughout Pro Shop's work. Authenticity trumps control, even when control seems safer.
Building Golf's Lifestyle Universe
Pro Shop began with 15 employees and plans to reach 30 by year end, but Mumm's five-year vision extends far beyond headcount. He wants to build "a universe where golf is more than just a sport — it's a lifestyle."
That's not marketing speak — it's recognition of what golf already is for millions of people. "The game has so much to offer in terms of range of experiences, from camaraderie and friendship, exercise, travel, history, competition, self-improvement," he explains. People plan vacations around courses, structure weekends around tee times, build friendships through foursomes.
Success won't be measured in traditional metrics alone. Instead, Mumm hopes to "continue to be a meaningful part of amplifying and embracing this game that has given us all so much and to create content and community that feels authentic to all of the many different kinds of people that have made golf their thing."
The Creator Classic grew to three PGA Tour events this year: The Players Championship, the Truist Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club and this week at the Tour Championship. Mumm didn't just scale up — he demonstrated that the PGA Tour and YouTube creators could share the same stage without diluting either brand.
Mumm's approach sidesteps the usual media playbook. Instead of choosing between golf's establishment and its digital newcomers, he found a way to serve both. The Tour Championship — traditionally the domain of seasoned professionals — became the stage for YouTubers playing stroke play for real money. The format succeeded because neither the PGA Tour nor the creators had to change what made them compelling.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the Golf section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Category: General Sports
