About Made To Imagine: The Social Entertainment Business Podcast
Made to Imagine: The Social Entertainment Business Podcast explores the business of experiential entertainment. Anchored in mini golf and competitive socializing, the show opens out to the wider world of theming, eatertainment, leisure attractions, and theme park design, build and operation, sharing insight from the creators and operators behind the places where entertainment happens, and the imagination that brings those worlds to life.
EP 07: The Art of Staying Grassy | Guest: Jake Hoselton - Grass Clippings / Grass League
The conversation explores the evolution of the golf industry, focusing on innovative golf experiences and the cultural shift in golf formats. It delves into the unique features of Rolling Hills, the operations of day and night golf, and the establishment of Grass Clippings and Grass League as separate but complementary businesses. The conversation delves into the innovative franchise model of the Grass League, the commercial value and cultural credibility of the league, building franchise fandom and tribal loyalty, the cultural relevance of short format golf, Grass League event demographics and the experience economy, Grass League as an experiential brand, and the future of Grass League and golf entertainment.
Takeaways
Golf industry evolution
Innovative golf experiences Par 3 golf is a significant part of the Grass League's format
Grass League events are designed to be part of the broader experience economy
Chapters
00:00 The Evolution of Golf Entertainment
13:27 Rolling Hills: A Unique Golf Facility
28:48 Grass Clippings and Grass League
35:46 Commercial Value and Cultural Credibility
41:39 Cultural Relevance of Short Format Golf
48:12 Grass League as an Experiential Brand
In this episode, Rory Farr, head of planning and development at Mad Swans, discusses the investment decisions, scaling a brand new business, the commercial logic behind premium mini golf, and what any operator in an industry needs to know before they commit to something similar. The conversation also covers the challenges of opening a leisure venue in the winter and the inclusivity at the heart of Mad Swans.
Takeaways
Investment Decisions
Inclusivity at Mad Swans
Chapters
00:00 Designing Mini Golf at South Downs
18 Mar 2026
EP 05: Diary of a Mini Golf Mogul | Guest: John Whitehead - Greenspan
John Whitehead shares his journey from owning a mini-golf business to becoming a lead project consultant at Greenspan Projects. He discusses the challenges, insights, and opportunities in the mini-golf and family entertainment industry, highlighting the importance of playability, venue design, and market trends.
Takeaways
Mini-golf business complexity
Importance of playability and venue design
25 Feb 2026
EP 04: Diversifying with Adventure Play | Guest: Matt Hill - Birdworld
The conversation covers the rebranding and revitalization of Birdworld, the decision to focus on play, sustainability considerations, revenue and return on investment, post-opening metrics, creating a complete experience, key performance indicators, future plans, and advice for similar venues.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Rebranding
05:25 The Decision to Focus on Play
13:48 Sustainability and Practical Design
20:18 Revenue and Return on Investment
26:58 Creating a Complete Experience
33:33 Future Plans and Advice
4 Feb 2026
EP 03: The Experience Economy in Golf | Guest: Matt Stark - Paradigm Golf Group
The conversation with Matt Stark, Vice President of Partnerships at the Paradigm Golf Group, delves into the innovative approach of creating community-centered golf venues, the integration of tech-infused entertainment and social experiences, and the importance of staff culture and customer experience. Matt shares insights on the evolution of golf venues, the impact of technology, and the significance of building a vibrant staff culture to enhance the customer experience.
Takeaways
Community-centered golf venues
Tech-infused entertainment and social experiences
Staff culture and customer experience
Music: Endless - Cushy (via Epidemic Sound)
27 Jan 2026
EP 02: Understanding Competitive Mini Golf | Guest: Pat Sheridan - American Mini Golf Alliance
In this episode we speak with Pat Sheridan, a veteran competitive mini golfer and passionate ambassador to the game, having founded the Amercian MiniGolf Alliance. We talk candidly about how mini golf buisness owners can get involved in the competitive sport and how they can cater to the hobbyists and serious players and foster those communities at their venue. We also touch on the rise of new styles of mini golf and the rise of tech infusion.
Music: Endless - Cushy (via Epidemic sound)
20 Jan 2026
EP 01: Diversification with Adventure Golf | Guest: Ben Laing - Branston Golf & Country Club
The conversation with Ben Laing from Branston Golf and Country Club covers the history, evolution, and diversification of the country club, with a focus on the integration of Adventure Golf.
Ben shares insights on the competitive market analysis, contractor selection, design challenges, operational performance, member reaction, seasonality, and future plans.
Music: Endless - Cushy (via Epidemic Sound)
The key takeaway is that Adventure Golf can be profitable and attract new audiences, making it a valuable addition to a venue's offerings.
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