Social media has become intertwined with virtually every aspect of our lives, including the way we consume sports-related content. From matches being streamed on smartphones to sports broadcasting companies shifting to digital platforms, sports are now accessible beyond the realms of legacy media like television and radio.¹ One sport that has taken new life on social media is golf, which may be surprising given its reputation as an ‘old-fashioned’ sport. Golf-related images and videos can be found on all platforms, but YouTube in particular has become a hotspot for golfing content, attracting an audience of golfers and non-golfers alike. While established professional tours like the PGA Tour have a presence on YouTube, new golf channels have begun to emerge.² There is now the phenomenon of the ‘YouTube Golfer,’ fun personalities recording themselves going out to the golf course. These channels regularly get millions of views, but each feature slightly different approaches to the game of golf. As an aspiring professional golfer, I am fascinated by how golf has become so popular on social media, and I have been wanting to understand this popularity in order to start my own social media following. There are thousands of YouTube golfers posting every day, but I will focus on three of the biggest channels that have seen a rapid rise in popularity with different approaches to making golf content. By looking at three of the most popular YouTube golf channels and what makes them unique, we can observe and understand how the world of golf is continuing to evolve through social media.

Rick Shiels is a professional golfer and coach from the United Kingdom.³ At the start of his online career in 2012, Shiels primarily posted club reviews and swing drills, using his authority as a PGA certified instructor to help others improve their game.⁴ As his views increased and his content evolved, he began to see success in scoring challenge videos on different golf courses, most notably his “Break 75” series.⁵ Shiels has also featured other professional golfers in his videos including Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler and Bryson DeChambeau.⁶ His content is useful and enjoyable for those who are already familiar with golf and want to learn more. Part of what has made Shiels so successful is his ability to self-brand. Being a professional golfer, Shiels clearly has a wide depth of knowledge about the world of golf and his years of wisdom come through clearly in his videos. People want to learn from his technical videos, but they can also appreciate the entertainment of his challenge videos. Above all, he has promoted himself as a passionate man with a lot of love for the sport, which is why so many viewers feel drawn to his inviting and respectable personality.

A more unconventional approach to YouTube golf would be the channel “Bob Does Sports”, hosted by Robby Berger. “Bob Does Sports” has over 700,000 subscribers, with the most popular video having over 2 million views. This video, titled “I Pranked My Friend into Playing the Worst Golf Course in America” features Berger tricking his friend Jospeh Demare (known on social media as Joey Cold Cuts) into playing a disastrously unkempt golf course.⁷ The entertainment of “Bob Does Sports” does not necessarily come from the high quality of their golf performance, but from the rapport between friends. The golfers featured here are far from professionals, instead focusing on comedic content with the framework of a game of golf. Each video typically features a new golf course with some kind of challenge built in such as drinking several shots of alcohol while playing 9 holes.⁸ The comedic emphasis of Berger’s content makes it much more accessible to those who may not be avid golfers, or those who view golf as ‘boring’ to play. While I am a passionate golfer who enjoys watching most YouTube golfers, my mother has never picked up a golf club in her life. Yet, we can both sit down and watch a “Bob Does Sports” video together, because she finds Berger and his friends hilarious in their various antics on the golf course. Golf is presented as something for everyone to have fun with, far from the strict and old-fashioned reputation it typically has. By making his content enjoyable for all audiences, Berger is breaking the traditional mold of golf while also showing a lot of love for the sport. 

Other channels have taken the approach of emphasizing the fun side of golf. “Good Good” was started in 2020 by a group of six friends who decided they would come together to play golf against each other on YouTube.⁹ In a short space of time, their have accumulated over a million avid fans, with their videos comfortably getting hundreds of thousands of views. This channel does not feature outrageous challenges to the extent of “Bob Does Sports”, but they are also not professional golfers like Rick Shiels. The biggest draw of Good Good is their mini tournaments that they hold, creating a competitive setting while also having fun. Recently, they held the first live streamed tournament, known as the Good Good Desert Open. This tournament drew significant attention to the channel, showing that a YouTube golf event had the power to draw viewers just like a traditional PGA tour event.¹⁰ Each of the members of “Good Good” have channeled their passion for golf into a career in such a short space of time, and they are now considered one of the pioneers of YouTube golf’s development. They have even created their own line of golf performance wear and have collaborated with Callaway, a popular golf gear manufacturer that sponsors several professional golfers. Good Good’s success shows that YouTube golf has the potential to break out into the established golf market and become a profitable endeavor.¹¹

While each of these channels are incredibly successful independently, the power of collaborations between content developers is being recognized in creating new opportunities and garnering greater views. The crew of “Bob Does Sports” recently took a trip across the pond from the United States to Scotland to play St Andrews with Rick Shiels.¹² They each made videos in their own unique style, with “Bob Does Sports” taking a more comedic approach with a beer-drinking challenge.¹³ Both channels have also collaborated with “Good Good” on separate occasions, such as when “Good Good” hosted a UK tournament with Rick Shiels.¹⁴ It is also important to consider the collaboration between YouTube golf and established professional tours. Several professional golfers and coaches have already made appearances on some of the biggest YouTube channels, and Bob Does Sports, Rick Shiels and Good Good have multiple videos each challenging the pros.¹⁵ These videos are not just beneficial to the YouTubers, as they also serve as an opportunity for the professionals to show their personality and develop a deeper connection with viewers that is not possible in television coverage of tournaments. By including some of the most impressive professional golfers in their content, YouTube golf is being legitimized as source of sports entertainment. YouTube golf may even be evolving beyond golf legacy media by attracting an audience that are not passionate fans of golf but are drawn in by the engaging and fun personalities of YouTube golfers.  

Social media as a viable career path in sports is becoming increasingly more common. Legacy media covering professional events remains strong, but it must now contend with the rapid growth of social media and amateur golfers becoming just as recognized as professionals. YouTube golf is now becoming a profitable business for golf brands and upcoming stars. Many golf channels feature amateur golfers who would not normally be able to compete with the PGA Tour, yet they are still able to draw in millions of views. The world of professional golf will have to learn to live with the popularity of YouTube golf, since it does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Professional golfers could even take advantage of this new interest in golf entertainment and start their own channels. There is significant room for development, and it is something that all golfers should be aware of. It is impressive that a sport with such a rich history as golf can be given new life on social media, reinventing a game for a new generation of golfers. 

Rick Shiels Golf: https://www.youtube.com/@RickShielsPGA

Bob Does Sports: https://www.youtube.com/@Bobdoessports

Good Good: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGood