{"id":2293265,"date":"2024-07-12T07:32:53","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T11:32:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-economics-of-mini-golf-industry-revenues-are-estimated-at-over-2-billion-annually-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-12T07:44:11","modified_gmt":"2024-07-12T11:44:11","slug":"the-economics-of-mini-golf-industry-revenues-are-estimated-at-over-2-billion-annually-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-economics-of-mini-golf-industry-revenues-are-estimated-at-over-2-billion-annually-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"The economics of mini golf: Industry revenues are estimated at over $2 billion annually &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-economics-of-mini-golf-industry-revenues-are-estimated-at-over-2-billion-annually-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2293265&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the economics of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tiger-woods-joins-lebron-james-and-michael-jordan-as-the-only-athlete-billionaires\/\" title=\"Tiger Woods Joins Lebron James and Michael Jordan as the Only Athlete Billionaires\">mini golf<\/a> in America, with industry revenues estimated \u200bat over $2 billion annually.\u200b It follows the adventures of YouTube mini-golf star \u200cBrooks Holt and his girlfriend Elisha \u2064Helton as they \u200ctravel the country playing\u2063 mini-golf courses and filming their experiences for their popular YouTube channel. The article also\u2064 mentions the positive\u200d impact\u200b of mini-golf on \u2062the larger sport of golf, with an increase in enthusiasm among players \u200dand a boost in interest in traditional\u2062 golf among mini-golfers. The article highlights\u200d the evolution of mini golf, from its American origins in the 1920s to the present day, with modern courses incorporating high-tech features and innovative obstacles. the article provides insight into the growing popularity\u2062 and economic impact of the mini-golf \u2062industry in America.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">\n<div class=\"tdb-search-form-inner\"><input class=\"tdb-head-search-form-input\" placeholder=\" \" type=\"text\" value name=\"s\" autocomplete=\"off\"><button class=\"wpb_button wpb_btn-inverse btn tdb-head-search-form-btn\" title=\"Search\" type=\"submit\"><span>Search<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-sacff-txt\">Magazine &#8211; Business<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">The economics of mini golf: Industry revenues are estimated at over $2 billion annually<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> <a class=\"tdb-author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/jeremy-lott\/\">Jeremy Lott<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2024-07-12T05:00:00-04:00\">July 12, 2024 5:00 am<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1599068\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the smarter thing to do. I\u2019m going to do the dumb thing, and I\u2019m committing to it,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/youtube\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>YouTube<\/a> mini-golf star Brooks Holt declared on the 15th hole of the Bear Rock Junction mini-<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/golf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>golf course<\/a> in New Tripoli, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3075895\/bill-in-pennsylvania-to-protect-property-owners-from-squatters-heads-to-governors-office-for-approval\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Pennsylvania<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>His co-host, opponent, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/girlfriend-of-capitol-police-officer-sicknick-suing-trump-for-millions-over-claims-of-wrongful-death\/\" title=\"Girlfriend Of Capitol Police Officer Sicknick Suing Trump For Millions Over Claims Of Wrongful Death\">long-term girlfriend<\/a>, Elisha Helton, had laid up a shot on that hole to avoid the water hazard. Holt aimed instead for the back of the hole, fired, and somehow avoided landing the ball in the drink.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Popstroke in Sarasota, Florida, features two 18-hole <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/unsolved-the-black-dahlia-l-a-s-most-infamous-murder\/\" title=\"Unsolved: The Black Dahlia, L.A.&#039;s Infamous Murder\">miniature golf<\/a> courses designed by Tiger Woods. (Newscom)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Helton battled back, almost sinking a long putt, her specialty. They both made threes and that hole and finished the course with the mini-golf equivalent of a photo finish: Holt had 48 strokes to Helton\u2019s winning 47.<\/p>\n<p>Holt, 30, is the former drummer for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Christian rock band <\/a>We as Human. He appears to have fallen into mini-golf adventuring as a second career, and a decent one at that. His YouTube channel has over 350,000 subscribers who are alerted of the daily content, with over 1,800 videos in the archive.<\/p>\n<p>Holt and Helton spend about nine months a year traveling, living out of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/airbnb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Airbnb<\/a>, and shooting videos of themselves playing mini-golf courses all over the United States. The videos are best described as fun and wholesome. Holt and Helton banter but rarely bicker. They have running jokes. They\u2019re both southern, but Helton\u2019s accent and diction have more South in it. She often exclaims, \u201cDang flabbit!\u201d when she misses a shot.<\/p>\n<p>The two do their camera work, trading it back and forth between shots, though they hire an editor to cut the videos. In addition to YouTube revenues, Holt and Helton have a few sponsorships, as well as \u201cHole In One Club\u201d monthly Patreon supporters, and some merchandising, including \u201cDang flabbit!\u201d T-shirts. All in all, it appears to be a tidy business as well as a daily look at the economic ecosystem of mini golf in America.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Putting for gold<\/h2>\n<p>The number of mini-golf courses is always fluctuating, but the near-term trend looks promising, with industry revenues estimated at over $2 billion annually. Major investment is being put into larger chains of mini golf courses. There\u2019s also some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cbs-smears-ron-desantis-while-pete-buttigieg-gets-the-obama-treatment-from-ap\/\" title=\"CBS Smears Ron DeSantis While Pete Buttigieg Gets the Obama Treatment from AP\">star power<\/a> in the game. Golf great <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tiger-woods\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Tiger Woods<\/a> is a co-owner of the PopStroke chain, for instance.<\/p>\n<p>The National Golf Foundation views this all as a positive development for the larger sport of golf. Eighteen million people in the U.S. played mini golf an average of four times in 2021, it reported on its website. That was against about 25 million \u201con-course golfers\u201d that year. Moreover, there was significant overlap between the two groups of golfers and some evidence that mini golf is part of golf\u2019s sales funnel.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">YouTube mini-golf star Brooks Holt and co-host, Elisha Helton. (Photo courtesy of Memorial Miniature Golf and WWII Museum)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cOne in three of those mini-golfers, about 6 million, were also traditional, on-course golfers,\u201d the National Golf Foundation found. \u201cParticipants skew younger (avg. 34 years) and almost half (45%) are female \u2014 demographics many would love to see in the traditional game.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Surveys also found a boost in enthusiasm among mini-golfers. Approximately 4% of nongolfers \u201cclaim to be \u2018very interested\u2019 in the traditional game,\u201d the NGF found. Among mini-golfers, 16% were very interested: \u201cSo, mini-golf contributes in a meaningful way to golf\u2019s latent demand pool by raising awareness and interest in a fun, non-threatening way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The NGF also noted both clustering and differentiation in the mini-golf business. It dubbed a section of South Carolina\u2019s Kings Highway the \u201cMini-Golf Capital of the World\u201d with at least 20 facilities along the drive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHere you\u2019ll see the stereotypical pirate ships and windmills that defined the category until not too long ago,\u201d the NGF reported. \u201cBut the landscape is changing. Today we have places like Puttery, Puttshack, and PopStroke that are aimed squarely at Millennials and anyone else who wants to eat, drink, and be merry in a golf-themed environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Remade in America<\/h2>\n<p>Mini golf was created in America and had always been characterized by experimentation and the unexpected, John Margolies noted in his history, <em>Miniature Golf<\/em>. Its first boom decade was the 1920s.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, partners Drake Delanoy and John Ledbetter built the first outdoor mini-golf course in 1926 \u201con the roof of a skyscraper in the financial district\u201d in New York City to tempt \u201coverwrought brokers eager to unwind\u201d to come to play at lunchtime. They eventually expanded the business to 150 rooftop courses before the stock market crash tanked their mini-golf hopes as well.<\/p>\n<p>Though the sport was meant to produce in miniature the larger golfing experience, mini-golf designers early on went their own way. The 18 holes of golf were usually echoed but the grass was replaced with synthetic surfaces early on to make courses more versatile and easy to maintain.<\/p>\n<p>Golf was known for its sand traps and water hazards. These were joined by a dizzying array of other obstacles. Windmills, castles, and fake creatures both made play harder and beckoned lookie-loos to pick up a club and try their luck.<\/p>\n<p>Holt and Helton capture on their travels how the game continues to innovate and evolve. High-tech courses have incorporated video game-like technology and render scores in points rather than strokes. Courses have borrowed features from other kinetic activities, including pool, baseball, foosball, zip lines, and slides.<\/p>\n<p>There are horror-themed mini-golf courses and others on the rooftops of art museums. Still, other courses have moved closer to the traditional golf experience, with longer holes that have only bunkers and water hazards.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mini-golf architecture is flourishing these days, along with the business itself. Entry costs are likely one reason for this flourishing. You can launch a mini-golf course much faster and more economically than a traditional golf course. There\u2019s lots of space to be had cheaply as commercial spaces struggle to find tenants post-pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Mini golf is also the sort of business that can thrive in a tight labor market. Once the course is completed, you need only someone to collect payment; disburse golf balls, clubs, and scorecards; and troubleshoot for those \u201cDang flabbit!\u201d moments when things get stuck.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1599068\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1599068\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The economics of mini golf: Industry revenues are estimated to be over $2 billion annually, with major investments being made in larger chains of mini golf courses. Mini golf is seen as a positive development for the larger sport of golf, with 18 million people in the U.S. playing mini golf an average of four times in 2021. There is significant overlap between mini golfers and traditional golfers, with mini golf contributing to raising awareness and interest in the traditional game. The mini golf business is evolving, with new courses incorporating high-tech features and innovative designs. Mini golf architecture is flourishing due to lower entry costs and the ability to thrive in a tight labor market<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2692,"featured_media":2293266,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Biz1.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[34777,13123,34776,34775],"class_list":["post-2293265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-2-billion","tag-economics","tag-industry-revenues","tag-mini-golf"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Biz1.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2293265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2692"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2293265"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2293265\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2293266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2293265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2293265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2293265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}