Social Media and its Positive Effect on Golf

This article comes to us from the Speaking Human University Program, which gives voice to the opinions and perspectives of the next generation of consumers and marketers… 

YouTube has had a massive impact on the growth of the game of golf, with groups like Good Good Golf, Bob Does Sports, and Fore Play, among others. These groups take a fun and relaxed approach to the sport that many people don’t often see on TV, which widens the demographic of players in the sport. Golf is usually viewed as very exclusive, but the YouTube golf space transforms that idea. The influence of social media has profoundly reshaped the sport of golf over the past few years, revolutionizing fan engagement, player branding, performance enhancement, and community dynamics, ultimately driving the sport towards a more interconnected and accessible future.

Rise of Golf on Social Media

Rick Shiels, also known as the “godfather” of YouTube golf, is really the first one to get himself in this space. He started his channel 11 years ago, doing instructional videos and product reviews. He currently has the most subscribers of any other golf channel at 2.74 million, followed by Good Good which has been the fastest growing golf channel by far, with 1.3 million.

In addition to the fun approach these channels take, they also are very collaborative and film videos with each other, and with golf professionals like Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, and Rickie Fowler. These all get fans excited to watch the videos, and rewatch them over and over because of the entertainment value they provide. These channels also widen the demographic by attracting new players, younger players, and more players of both men and women.

Sponsorships and Branding

Many of these channels are not just that, a channel. They are entire brands, that sell clothes, hats, shoes, and golf gear. Good Good golf is now the sponsor of a few golfers on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour. Breezy Golf, official brand of Bob Does Sports, was a sponsor of the 16th hole at this year’s Waste Management Open. Fore Play is one of the biggest parts of Barstool sports and the apparel they sell.

These channels are building something much bigger than just videos on social media. Some people like the comfort and design of a certain brands apparel, and exclusively buy from that brand when they drop new products and create a collection. Also, these brands create products that can be worn and used outside of the sport, which also helps the brands be more than just “golf”.

Community Building and Fan Engagement

In addition to the channels creating entire brands to sell products, some of them do even more than that. For example, another channel named The Bryan Bros (featuring George and Wesley Bryan, both members of the PGA Tour), have an entire 18-hole course opening in the next year with an entire training facility built at the course. There is no doubt this new course will attract the attention of current golfers, and new golfers wanting some professional instruction to get started.

Another example of these channels getting the community involved, is live events. Good Good golf is the group that started this idea, with fan meetups at real courses doing challenges and just playing different golf holes. Recently, Good Good partnered with NBC, Peacock, and Golf Galaxy, to host a live event that was live streamed on YouTube and Peacock. This was the most professional production they were a part of to-date. As someone who watched, it felt like watching a PGA Tour event on TV, but with all the additional YouTube personalities we have grown to love. Combining the viewers watching live, and the number of views on the videos that were posted afterwards, there were well over 2 million views on that single event.

In comparison, the last round of the Waste Management Open from February 2024 drew 3.5 million viewers, while LIV golf only had about 432,000 total. This is super impressive, considering the PGA Tour has been around for decades, while YouTube golf has been around for roughly 10 years, and only gaining traction within the last three years.

Conclusion

YouTube Golf is massively helping the audience of the sport of golf grow. From the fun videos, instructional videos, and more serious and competitive videos, you can watch whatever type of golf you want to watch. It introduces new people to the sport while also keeping players intrigued and having fun with the sport people often view as serious or boring. This influence has reshaped the future of golf and will continue to revolutionize how people enjoy the sport.