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I've started noticing that some of the best conversations don't begin with words. They begin because people happen to be standing in the same place. Think about it. Around a campfire, people sit for hours telling stories they probably wouldn't have shared in a brightly lit conference room. At a backyard barbecue, everyone eventually drifts toward the grill, even if they're not the one cooking. In an office, people somehow end up lingering around the coffee pot long after th

Sometimes when you are playing mini golf you come to a hole that all but winks at you and says, "Wanna try that again?" Some people keep walking. Others smile, set the ball back down, and take one more putt. The score has already been written down, so nobody is keeping track anymore. Another shot doesn't count. Which I think is exactly why they take it. Children do this all the time. They'll play the same hole six or seven times without thinking twice. Another round isn't

I used to think all people needed was a reason to gather. A campfire... a coffee pot... or in my case, nine putting greens. Then one event made me realize that wasn't quite enough. Sometimes the course can sit right in front of a group of people, perfectly ready, and nobody takes the first shot. One of the most important things I've learned about people happened at an event where nobody wanted anything to do with my mini golf course. At least... not at first. It was a men's r

Almost every event with kids ends the same way. The last scorecard has been turned in. Parents are gathering backpacks and jackets. The music has been turned off. I'm packing up the equipment. Then I hear a small voice behind me. "Can I help?" I've come to look forward to that question. The funny thing is, it almost never comes from the child who only played one round. It comes from the one who never wanted to leave. Every event seems to have one. Sometimes two. While e

One of the odd things about owning a small business is that every now and then you find yourself saying yes to something that would have sounded completely ridiculous a few years earlier. In September of 2023, a producer from Fox 7 Austin called and asked if I could bring the course to the station. They had an anchor returning to the show (Dave Froehlich) who happened to be a big golf fan, and they thought a portable miniature golf course would make a fun treat for him. At fi

When people hear I own a portable mini golf business, they usually picture me setting up obstacles, handing out putters, and packing everything back into a trailer at the end of the day. And they're right, that's part of the job. But it's not all of it by far. A typical event starts weeks — or sometimes months — before anyone ever picks up a golf club. It begins with emails and phone calls, answering questions, putting together quotes and invoices, checking calendars, and fig

One of the things I used to worry about was "Will there be a line?" It's a fair question. Nobody wants guests spending half the event standing around waiting for their turn. For a long time, I assumed the same thing. Long lines must be bad. But after more than a hundred events, I started noticing something that didn't fit that assumption. People don't seem to mind waiting nearly as much as I expected. People happily wait for roller coasters. They wait outside barbecue restaur

Why Competition Brings People Together Instead of Driving Them Apart Competition doesn't usually have the best reputation. We picture rivalries. Trash talk. Hurt feelings. People taking games a little too seriously. Sometimes that's exactly what happens. But over the last five years, I've watched thousands of people compete on a portable mini golf course, and I've noticed something unexpected. Most of the time... The competition brings people closer together. Why? The Stakes

I want this blog to be fun, but we have something to get out of the way first. The obligatory "What is Mobile Mini Golf?" post, so let's do this. John (the author), and no, he's not wearing a halloween costume. If you've never heard of portable mini golf, you're not alone. One of the most common things we hear is, "Wait...you can bring mini golf to us?" Yep! That's exactly what we do. Portable mini golf is a real mini golf course that's brought to your event. We deliver it,

Apparently, blogs ARE still a thing. And, if you listen to the SEO experts, they're actually pretty important. We'll see about that. I've resisted adding a blog to this site for the past five years for two reasons: First, I'm not much of a talker. Second, I figured everyone already knew everything there was to know about mobile mini golf. I mean...how complicated could it be? Turns out I was wrong on both counts. I may not be the kind of person who talks just to hear myself