Mega Pines Mini Golf owner Kelli Miller is a rare breed of half entrepreneur and half educator, and it is impossible to determine which identity is more prevalent.
Miller has worked in education for 29 years, and she currently serves as the reading specialist at Mead Middle School in Wichita. But the last couple of years, any of Miller’s free time has been poured into Mega Pines Mini Golf, a new educational mini golf course featuring the U.S. National Park system. With her husband Todd, Miller created an adventure land for kids and adults of all ages.
“I’m so creative,” Miller said. “I get an idea, and I think, ‘Man, I gotta do this.’”
Mega Pines opened May 4 on the outskirts of Andover, Kansas. In addition to the 18-hole mini golf course, the property features permanent yard games (large-scale versions of tic tac toe, checkers, Connect 4, ring toss and cornhole) and a clubhouse that can be rented for group activities.
The property boasts no shortage of things to do; whether people want to camp on the property or play Gellyball, the Millers have all the plans and materials needed to maximize the fun.
Mega Pines is not the first entrepreneurial venture the Millers have tackled. They own batting cages and three shaved ice stands in the Wichita area called Snoasis.
The idea for Mega Pines came to Miller after she saw a TikTok video during the pandemic that featured a World War II-themed putt-putt course in Texas. She reached out to the owner of the business, and he offered to help her with a business plan.
“We started asking ourselves, ‘What do we love?’ Well, we love the National Parks,” Miller said. “There are more than 18 of those, and we are very passionate about that, and it has such a huge draw and covers so many subjects.”
The finished product is not only great entertainment but offers plenty of education moments for golfers. Each hole is themed after a park, and signs talk about animals, ecology and history of the park. The theme has gone over well with customers, who have given the Millers a great first season in business.
“It’s been phenomenal traffic – unbelievable,” Miller said. “The first three months I made more than my whole teacher’s salary.”
And Miller isn’t done adding to her educational business; she continues to create additional learning games for families and groups to enjoy while they visit.
“I don’t sleep much. I’m very much a business person,” Miller said. “I also take that into the classroom. I don’t want to create employees. I want my students to become owners of businesses. I don’t want them to clock in; if you clock in, you aren’t in control of your own future. You’re always at the helm of someone else. So be your own boss.”
When Miller considered how to develop her Mega Pines business, she thought about how she raised her own children.
“Everything we have always done as a family is education,” she said. “If we went on a vacation, we made sure there was learning behind it. I want kids to understand education is not about completing an assignment; it’s learning something new or doing a new experience. Every game you play, you’re learning: even, odd, multiples, taking turns.”
The possibilities to learn seemingly are endless at Mega Pines.
“Kid don’t want to learn if it’s not fun,” Miller said.
Mega Pines Mini Golf
Winter Hours: Noon-8 p.m.
Phone: 316-214-0140