Golf’s Digital entertainment Offerings From Audio to Visual

As popular as the game of golf has become this past half decade, it still ranks in the bottom half of America’s favorite sports, according to the fine folks at Gallup who track these sorts of things.

Because of golf’s mediocre mainstream standing, it receives very mediocre coverage on mainstream platforms. That might have mattered 10 years ago to a frustrated golf fan, but it certainly doesn’t have to anymore.

Today, we are living in a time of complete and total control over what we want to consume and when we want to consume it. For every audience, no matter the size, there’s a plethora of on-demand, specifically designed content. And, of course, this includes golf.

The best part about podcasts and YouTube channels is you no longer have to wait (and hope) that a traditional television or radio broadcast might mention golf. With an internet connection and one keyword search, you’re welcomed into an endless library of golf-specific content — most of it free and all of it on-demand.

The platforms where this content lives (primarily Spotify and YouTube) are free, too, and require the bare minimum of technical prowess to operate. If you can download an app, you can easily listen to podcasts and watch YouTube channels.

Let’s take a look at some of the audio and visual offerings in the golf space that are available now and worthy of your time.

GOLF’S SUBPAR – AUDIO

Hosts: Colt Knost, Drew Stoltz

WEEKLY EPISODES

GOLF’s Subpar boasts the most impressive guestlist in the genre. Rory McIlory, Lee Trevino, Jon Rahm and countless other A-list golf stars have taken their turn in the interview chair with Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz. What makes this podcast so enjoyable is the genuine chemistry the hosts have with each other and their guests. Knost and Stoltz are longtime friends who have extensive backgrounds in golf, with Knost being a known former PGA Tour player and current CBS broadcaster. Their inside knowledge of the game yields an authenticity unmatched by other podcasts, and the interviews you hear are far more conversational, often letting the audience in on inside jokes you don’t get anywhere else.

THE BEST GOLF PODCAST – AUDIO

Hosts: Hally Leadbetter, James Leadbetter

WEEKLY EPISODES

Readers of FORE Magazine will remember seeing SCGA member Hally Leadbetter and Michelle Wie West on the cover of the Fall 2023 issue some nine months ago. At the time, Hally and Michelle co-hosted a podcast together, Golf, Mostly, which appears to be on an extended hiatus. Not to worry, as Hally — who is a multitalented golf media star — launched a new show with her brother, James, called The Best Golf Podcast. Hally and James have a knack for humor and a youthful viewpoint on the game that make listening to their banter a very entertaining experience.

NO LAYING UP – AUDIO

Hosts: Chris Solomon, Todd Schuster, D.J. Piehowski and others

MULTIPLE EPISODES PER WEEK

For those with an insatiable appetite for golf coverage, this is the podcast for you. Usually led by Chris “Soly” Solomon and his handful of friends, No Laying Up is the most thorough exploration of professional golf out there. Episodes can run over two hours long and these guys will give as much attention to the John Deere Classic as other podcasts will give to the Masters. No stone is left unturned as No Laying Up has mastered the concept of turning a group text message chain into a highly entertaining program. Their live shows, historical deep dives and coverage of the LPGA Tour make them the undisputed gold standard of nontraditional golf media.

FAIRWAY ROLLIN’ – AUDIO

Hosts: Joe House, Nathan Hubbard

WEEKLY EPISODES

With an emphasis on stats and betting lines, Fairway Rollin’ is the rare show that can make hardcore analytics wildly entertaining. Listeners can expect Joe House to disclose his personal gambling picks while Nathan Hubbard (brother of PGA Tour pro Mark Hubbard) provides expert contextual analysis for the players being wagered on. During the weeks of majors, they are joined by The Athletic’s Justin Ray, who is the premier data guru for the PGA Tour.

LARRY THE GOLF GUY – AUDIO

Host: Larry Stein

WEEKLY EPISODES

The art of a great interview is on full display with this podcast from Larry Stein, who does a masterful job of letting his passion for golf come through in very well-researched questions. Guests are expertly guided through a series of biographical queries that leave the listener both educated and entertained. Larry has interviewed golf luminaries like Dan Hicks and SoCal Golf Hall of Famer, Shirley Spork, as well as equally interesting club pros, authors and industry executives.

SKRATCH TV – VISUAL

271K SUBSCRIBERS

Similar to No Laying Up, the Skratch TV channel does golf travel at an extremely high level. Their Adventures in Golf series dates back nearly a decade and showed everyone else what golf content on YouTube could be. Beyond the wanderlust, Skratch TV has a knack for humor. Compilation videos of the “world’s worst golfers” playing TPC Sawgrass and John Daly being, well, John Daly, are among some of the funnier ways to spend six minutes on the internet. Skratch TV’s most watched YouTube video (3.3 million views) is long drive champion and SCGA member Troy Mullins convincingly dressed as a grandma hitting balls into the back net at Riveria CC some 300 yards away, as little kids watch with their jaws on the floor.

NO LAYING UP – VISUAL

160K SUBSCRIBERS

Recognize the name? The microphone masters are just as adept with video cameras. No Laying Up’s YouTube channel is a wickedly good Anthony Bourdain impression, if the late Bourdain loved golf instead of food. Here you’ll be taken on trips to Australia, Scandinavia, Ireland and there’s even a California travel series that features Max Homa and Gil Hanse making cameos in various episodes that include Westlake GC, Rustic Canyon GC and Sandpiper GC. The production value is second to none and could easily pass for high-budget network television.

THE MASTERS – VISUAL

340K SUBSCRIBERS

The green jackets at Augusta National GC are not lacking for brand awareness or promotion but it needs to be known that The Masters YouTube channel is home to a lot of exclusive content and all of it is free. This happens to include every final-round broadcast of every single playing of the Masters, all of it without commercials. If you cannot get enough Augusta-in-April in your life, then this YouTube channel offers a year-round, crystal clear, high-definition fix with one click of the mouse.

THE GOLFER’S JOURNAL – VISUAL

41K SUBSCRIBERS

Known primarily as a quarterly print magazine, The Golfer’s Journal is no slouch with video content. Interviews with Keith Mitchell, Kelly Slater and the USGA’s Mike Whan prove the outfit’s ability to book a great guest and recorded range sessions with Gordon Sargent and Cameron McCormick demonstrate their A-list access, too. The YouTube channel offers a wide variety of content, with episodes dedicated to meditation, golf course architecture and lowering your own handicap index number.

THE SCGA – VISUAL

4K SUBSCRIBERS

Conflict of interest much? Maybe. But the SCGA’s YouTube channel is actually one of the best and most diverse digital golf entertainment outlets. Here you’ll find a handful of series, including Creators in Golf, which showcases local SCGA members who are creating content and products for the industry right from Southern California. There’s also Bradford Plays, where Bradford Wilson spends a day with a member club and sees the unique aspect of each of these social circles. And Celebrities in Golf Carts has over 200,000 views and features golf rounds with Rob Riggle, Brian Baumgartner, Nomar Garciaparra and more. Beyond the series offerings, the SCGA’s YouTube channel has hundreds of swing tips, fitness routines and and laugh-out-loud rules videos (which are making a comeback on the SCGA’s Instagram).