Miles Bennett
The Creator Classic is a series of events organised by the PGA Tour that features golf content creators and influencers from YouTube and Instagram. The first Creator Classic was held in August 2024 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, with 16 golf creators facing off in a nine-hole competition. The event was won by Luke Kwon, a former member of Good Good, who left the group to focus on his personal YouTube channel. The Creator Classic provides a platform for golf creators to showcase their skills and connect with fans, bridging the gap between amateur and professional golf.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of event | Nine-hole, stroke-play competition |
| Participants | Golf content creators/influencers, YouTubers, PGA Tour professionals |
| Format | Individual stroke play, playoff |
| Objective | To bring a relatable touch to golf, bridge the gap between amateurs and professionals, and provide entertainment |
| Location | East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta; TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida |
| Notable competitors | Grant Horvat, George Bryan IV, Nick 'Fat Perez' Stubbe, Rick Shiels, Peter Finch, Luke Kwon, Trent Ryan |
| Broadcasting platforms | YouTube, Peacock, ESPN+, Pluto TV, Roku, Tubi, Xumo, Freevee, Samsung TV Plus |
| Number of events | Three Creator Classics planned for 2025 |
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What You'll Learn
Golf influencers on YouTube
The rise of social media influencers has impacted the world of golf, with a new wave of YouTubers bridging the gap between amateur and professional golf. These golf influencers bring a relatable touch to the game and cater to a younger, social media-savvy audience. They offer a different approach to content, ranging from challenge series and trick shots to viral-worthy videos.
One of the most prominent golf influencers on YouTube is Rick Shiels, a British former professional golfer whose channel has over 2 million subscribers. Shiels' content is varied, including golf course vlogs, challenges, swing improvement tutorials, and instructional troubleshooting content. He often collaborates with fellow influencer Peter Finch, who has his own successful channel, featuring equipment reviews, course vlogs, and content with tour players.
Other notable golf influencers on YouTube include the Bryan Bros, Fat Perez, Gabby Golf Girl, Roger Steele, Grant Horvat, and Kyle Berkshire. These creators have participated in events like the Creator Classic, a season-long set of events featuring fan-favourite YouTube golfers and content creators.
In addition to these creators, YouTube also hosts a variety of golf-focused channels, such as "Me And My Golf," offering coaching and instructional videos, and "Golf With Aimee," featuring former professional golfer Aimee Cho providing in-depth swing analysis. Golf enthusiasts can also find channels like Good Good, showcasing a group of friends competing and travelling across America, and "Golf Mates," which has created a community of golf fans through its Facebook group and informative YouTube content.
The popularity of golf on YouTube has led to the creation of dedicated channels by organisations like the PGA TOUR, DP World Tour, and the Masters Tournament, providing golf enthusiasts with a diverse range of content to consume and engage with.
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The Creator Classic
The second Creator Classic took place in March 2025 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, ahead of the Players Championship. It featured 10 golf content creators and influencers, including Grant Horvat, Nick 'Fat Perez' Stubbe, Gabby Golf Girl, and Roger Steele. The competition was a nine-hole, stroke-play event, with the top three finishers advancing to a playoff on the famous par-three 17th hole. Grant Horvat won the playoff, posting a one-over 33 from the eight holes played.
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Golf content creators
Some notable golf content creators include Rick Shiels, who has been creating content for several years and has amassed over 2 million subscribers on YouTube and a large following on Instagram and podcasts. Shiels' content includes equipment and training aid reviews, matches against other influencers, swing tips, and course management insights. Another notable creator is Peter Finch, a former teacher who has gained a following on social media platforms. He is known for his relatable and engaging content, including challenge series and trick shots.
Other creators include Grant Horvat, a former member of Good Good, who competed in and won the Creator Classic at TPC Sawgrass in 2025, a competition featuring golf content creators and influencers. Horvat has a YouTube channel where he showcases matches against some of the world's best golfers and also teaches, following in his father's footsteps. Good Good is a group of young golf content creators known for their unusual and entertaining content, attracting a large and dedicated audience, particularly among younger viewers.
There are also female golf influencers and content creators, such as Cailyn Henderson, the founder of Fore the Girls, a company encouraging more girls and young women to take up golf. Her content is aimed at beginners and is designed to keep the game fun. Ellie Skoog, a female golf influencer from Sweden, also creates content on her Instagram and YouTube channel, "Putting with Ellie".
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Golfers as influencers
Golf influencers showcase exotic golf destinations, stylish on-course attire, and fitness routines tailored to improve performance while making the sport feel more accessible and modern. Female representation in the golf influencer space is also growing, with women gaining larger followings and challenging long-standing stereotypes in a traditionally male-dominated sport. This shift is inspiring more women and young people to take up the game.
Some of the prominent golfers-turned-influencers include Paige Spiranac, a former professional golfer who has become one of the most prominent figures in the golf world on Instagram. She blends golf expertise with lifestyle and fitness content. Tisha Alyn, another prominent female golf influencer, uses her platform to inspire more participation by young girls, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. She showcases dance moves, trick shots, and her work with organizations like The Trevor Project.
Other notable golf influencers include Bryson DeChambeau, who has built a large Instagram following by sharing golf training tips, swing analysis, and insights into his personal life and fitness routine. DeChambeau has also partnered with major brands such as Cobra Golf and Bentley to expand his reach. Lucy Robson, a UK-based golf influencer, gained popularity by blending athletic talent with a strong social media presence, showcasing golf tips, trick shots, and lifestyle content.
Golf influencers are not just limited to social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube. The rise of golf influencers has also led to the creation of dedicated events such as the Creator Classic, a season-long set of events featuring fan-favorite YouTube golfers and some of the sport's biggest content creators, further blurring the lines between amateur and professional golf.
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The rise of YouTuber golfers
YouTube golfers have become a new breed of golfing superstar, with some even becoming more famous and richer than PGA Tour stars. This rise of YouTube golf has been attributed to a confluence of events—platform, personalities, and the pandemic—happening simultaneously.
There are dozens of YouTubers who play golf professionally, some with millions of subscribers, and they have their own bustling communities of dedicated fans. These online creators have embraced their unique personas and built a personal creator-viewer relationship with their fans, who are consuming golf content differently than ever before.
Rick Shiels, known as the "godfather of YouTube golf," has 2.74 million subscribers and mixes instruction, competition, and equipment experiments on his channel. Shiels has attracted top pros like Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, and Ian Poulter to his channel, and his most popular video is about cheating at golf with illegal clubs, garnering 6.6 million views.
Grant Horvat is another prominent example of a YouTuber golfer. Horvat has become one of the sport's most influential personalities, with fans swarming him for signatures and selfies at the TPC Sawgrass event. He has also collaborated with six-time major winner Phil Mickelson on 2v2 matches and has a video with Tiger Woods that received 2.2 million views.
Other notable YouTube golf channels include "Bob Does Sports," with over 1 million subscribers, and "GoodGood," with 1.41 million subscribers. These channels showcase a mix of entertainment, challenges, unique course explorations, equipment reviews, and swing tips, attracting a younger audience and fostering a sense of community.
The success of YouTuber golfers has led to multiple revenue streams, with some earning well into six figures. Several are sponsored by major golf equipment and apparel brands, and some have even launched their own apparel lines.
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Frequently asked questions
The Creator Classic is a golf tournament organised by the PGA Tour that features popular golf content creators and influencers from around the world.
The Creator Classic sees some of golf's biggest content creators going head-to-head. Notable participants include Grant Horvat, Nick 'Fat Perez' Stubbe, Tisha Alyn, Kyle Berkshire, Gabby Golf Girl, and Wesley Bryan.
The Creator Classic is held at the TPC Sawgrass golf course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The inaugural event in 2024 was held at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
The Creator Classic is broadcast on various platforms, including PGA TOUR’s YouTube channel, Peacock, ESPN+, PlutoTV, Roku, Tubi, Xumo, Freevee, and Samsung TV Plus.
