Good Good? Bad Bad or Great Great?

How in just a few years an entirely new parallel industry has emerged in golf—one that doesn’t just enrich its actors but could uplift the sport as a whole.
Or push it into total overkill…

But let’s take a step back:
It’s January 5, 2023, in El Segundo, California.
The sound of very, very fast clubheads blends with impact noises, music, and murmurs.
Welcome to TopGolf.
Welcome to the Callaway Paradym Launch Show.

TopGolf has been owned by Callaway since 2020.
This is not an irrelevant detail if you want to grasp the full scope of this story:
Callaway is no longer just a classic equipment manufacturer—rather, Callaway wants to become an entertainment giant.

And so, in addition to hosts Colt Knost and Amanda Renner, you’ll find some illustrious figures at this event: Bob Does Sports, Mr. ShortGame, Good Good Golf. Bryan Bros., Snappy Gilmore.*

But also the GOAT Annika Sorenstam, NCAA golfer and über-talent Rose Zhang, Morgan Pressel, Jeeno Thitikul, Andrea Lee, Hannah Gregg & Fredrik Lindblom as new brand ambassadors, six-time Major League Baseball All-Star Manny Machado, CBS Sports presenter Amanda Balionis Renner, Golf Channel reporter Kira Dixon, and German long-drive champion and Bryson DeChambeau buddy Martin Borgmeier.

⇒ Sidenote from the author: What no one could have guessed at this point? The wild rollercoaster ride ‘Topgolf Callaway Brands’ would go on until the publication of this article in June 2025. But that’s another story—for a future issue.

WHO WHO? A BREAKDOWN

Bob was? Snappy wer? 

Bob who? Snappy what?
It was exactly this mix of Tour pros, Tour winners & Major champions, influencers, content creators, brand ambassadors and celebrities that made people pay attention.
Because even—or especially—the names that sound totally bizarre to some readers are worth noting

Because alongside the completely new Paradym club family, Callaway had something else big to announce:
The collaboration with Good Good Golf.

Good Good Golf has existed since July 22, 2020, and on YouTube—their main channel—they now (as of June 2025) have 1.82 million followers. Their 609 videos have been viewed
529 million times.

In case you just skimmed past that:
Good Good Golf has been around for 5 years.
In that time, they’ve had over HALF A BILLION views.

For comparison:
The entire LIV Golf YouTube account has, since its launch (Sept 20, 2021),
reached 391,000 subscribers and, with 2,749 videos, a total of 89,566,265 views.

The “The Good Good Major UK” video alone had 10 million views.

You get the idea of the scale here.

How could all this happen?

Well, while the entire golf world in those years was fixated on the arrival of the LIV Tour—with all its bizarre quirks and admittedly good incentive programs challenging the PGA—another feared invader had already triggered a whole new industry:
‘Social Media Golf.’

Because even though YouTube isn’t a traditional social media platform, the ability to comment, like, or respectfully (or not) disagree creates a kind of belonging a TV or stream viewer will never experience.

Fueled by COVID, favorable developments in the hardware and software market also played a decisive role: high-end video equipment at entry-level prices, like the Sony Alpha series, ever-easier-to-use editing software, and most of all: tracker apps and ball flight visualizations via tools like After Effects.

These were real boosters for ‘YouTube Golf’—which has now become cross-platform ‘Social Media Golf’—because suddenly everything became much more relatable, digestible, and “snackable” for the Instagram generation.

One of the early pioneers was—and still is—Rick Shiels, who’s been running a YouTube channel since 2011 (!).
But it’s like catharsis in theater, cleansing your soul by identifying with the character on stage, the principle behind every boy & girl band, and ultimately every soap opera:
There’s someone I can identify with. Who gets my (golf) problems.
Or goes through the same stuff I do—so I don’t have to go through it myself.That’s why Rick Shiels wins so much sympathy: as a certified PGA coach, he shows his failures. He tests things for us.
And we watch him grow (his channel) because, as viewers, we’re part of that growth.
We are all Rick Shiels.

The Rickshielsification of golf was—well—boosted by COVID.
There were already plenty of product reviews, training tips, and rounds with his buddies, including the great Peter Finch, who now runs several brilliant channels and plays some damn good golf.

On Jan 3, 2020, Rick Shiels’ channel had 716,000 followers and was already the biggest golf channel.
By Oct 5, 2020—just 9 months later—it had grown to 1.29 million subscribers.

Rounds with Justin Rose or singer Robbie Williams made fans feel like they were right there in the group—because they were filmed and edited so directly, so naturally.
The buzzword “authenticity” stuck to the stars like a sticker.
Golf fans got to know them in a chill, casual setting.
Something that’s absolutely impossible in a tournament broadcast—especially when it’s for real.

Good Good Golf took this principle and cranked it up:

A boy band of six fixed golfers, supposedly just golf buddies, competing against each other in ever-changing formats.
You got to know the different personalities—you had your favorites.
Other YouTube golfers joined them for tournaments, challenges, or match plays—also shown on those guests’ channels.

Cross Promotion at its best. 

Then came the first PGA stars. The fanbase exploded.

It also helped that Matt Scharf scored a live-on-tape albatross hole-in-one—because everything was being filmed from every angle.

Crucial for Good Good Golf and its earlier channels (which we’ll get to in a moment) were the unconventional formats—like the One-Club Challenge or playing golf with non-golf items like rackets or pens.This drew in people from other sports, too:
“Wait a minute, golf can be that fun?!”

And then—hello drama!—two departures from Good Good.
Micah Morris and Grant Horvat, two of their best golfers, left.
Speculation swirled: conflicts of interest, lack of appreciation, unfair equity splits—you name it.

Social media exploded.

Which is exactly what you want if you’re in the click business.

What Good Good Golf understood from the get-go was this: build a brand.
Thanks in part to their CEO and founder—more on him in a second.

Because the YouTube game works on multiple levels.

It usually starts with monetizing reach. YouTube runs ads (which the creator has no control over) in various formats.

YouTube pays a CPM—a cost per thousand views.
That ranges—from about 0.50 to 10 dollars.
So, for 1,000 views, that’s your range. The differences are massive depending on the channel’s focus and the audience’s purchasing power.
Finance channels can get 14 or even 20 euros.

If you average 200,000 views, that’s €2,800 to €4,000.
Per video.
Most get lower CPMs—but even that’s worth it.
Especially since this doesn’t have to be the main income source:

Almost every channel includes so-called affiliate links in the video description—partner links to products. If a purchase happens through that link, you get a commission.

But the real money? Comes from direct ad partners, sponsors, and native ads integrated into the content.
On established channels, five-figure payouts per video are very real.

Good Good Golf thinks even bigger than YouTube:
Not just merch like logo hoodies and caps—like basically every little car-fixing channel sells these days.
They wanted to make real money.With actual apparel—a standalone fashion brand with genuinely fresh designs.
Then came a limited-edition putter, which caused mobs in their shop.
And within minutes, it was reselling for a massive markup on eBay.

Individualization + Scarcity = textbook brand building.

⇒ Quick detour: Rick Shiels had an exclusive deal with Nike and their apparel (Nike had shut down their club division), along with various other brands.
He broke ties with Nike because they no longer wanted to pay him as a flat-rate brand ambassador—but rather through an affiliate model.
That would mean he’d only earn if he directly generated sales via his content.
Rick said on his own podcast that this was a no-go for him—because he’d constantly have to hold Nike gear up to the camera to get paid.

Same reason he refused to be an ambassador for a major club manufacturer while still trying to be perceived by his audience as an objective reviewer.
No test would ever seem neutral again—it would all have a bad aftertaste.

Now, he’s exclusively outfitted by Lyle & Scott. And he tests every club he can get his hands on.
Which he gets—plenty of them, directly from the manufacturers.

Often among the very first.

Because they value his judgment. And, obviously, his reach.

But that’s all changed in 2025:
Rick Shiels—long celebrated as a YouTube pioneer—is now an ambassador for the controversial LIV Tour.
For many of his fans, that’s a break in character: from outspoken critic of the split to the face of a system he once questioned.

“Hypocrite,” some call him.
Others simply call it: Business.

In a statement on the LIV Golf YouTube channel, he addressed the controversy:

“Social media is a toxic place now.”

„Hypocrite“ – so nennen ihn einige.
Andere nennen es einfach: Business.

In einem Statement auf dem LIV Golf-YT Channel sagte er zu der Kontroverse zu seiner Person:

“Social Media is a toxic place now”

But let’s get back to the Good Good Golf deal with Callaway.
When they teased in late 2022 that something big was coming in January, the internet completely lost it.

More products? Maybe even a public listing?

The mastermind behind it all: Matt Kendricks, CEO and founder of Good Good Golf.
He crossed paths with Garrett Clark, who at just 20 already ran a successful trick-shot channel and had co-created BroFive—with current Good Good members Matt & Stephen.

Matt Kendricks didn’t just bring a good idea and a good good name—he came with a serious business plan:

He had already disrupted another—well—niche sport: fishing.
He was the founder of GOOGAN BAITS, MADE BY INFLUENCE, and FISH MEDIA, and CEO of their parent company HOO (House of Outdoors). These brands had over 8 million YouTube subscribers. Of course, they sold their own fishing gear. Merch too.
They built a community.

HOO was sold to Rise Run Capital LLC on December 31, 2020—for an undisclosed price.

It’s the blueprint for Good Good Golf.

Now with Callaway, they had access to the best resources in every area—and could finally build out their brand in a fully professional way.
With premium equipment, access to world-famous tour players for video content, textile partners, facilities, and events.

You could see all of it play out—on YouTube, and especially within the tour programming and its broadcast partners:
The boys started popping up at exclusive Pro-Am events in Dubai and the U.S.
They gave TV interviews. That important old-school reach.

They even launched their own golf balls—which became the best-selling item in Callaway’s online store at launch.

Matt Kendricks once said he sees Good Good Golf in the same league as TaylorMade and Callaway.
Now he had partnered with the latter—to get an even bigger piece of the billion-dollar pie.
And Callaway? Got direct access to fresh content—and, above all, a direct connection to the youth market.

With that much ambition, it’s no surprise that on March 25, 2025, Good Good Golf announced this:
 A financing round with over 50 global investors, led by Creator Sports Capital, including Sunflower Bank and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions:
$45 million.

The Social Game has become a Serious Game

In addition to that investment, here are a few more key milestones in the rise of social media golf:

– Grant Horvat, briefly criticized after leaving Good Good, has long since established himself as his own brand—with 1.27 million YouTube followers, ownership stakes in the apparel brand PRIMO, and in the club manufacturer TAKOMO (along with the Bryan Bros).

– The Bryan Bros own their own golf course—where they can create unlimited content with their creator friends.
Wesley Bryan, technically still a PGA Tour pro, was recently suspended by that very Tour because the brothers participated in a LIV Invitational event.

The power dynamics and animosities in global golf remain… complicated.

– Tiger Woods & Rory McIlroy, via TMRW Sports and in partnership with powerful, strategic investors, have now launched the high-tech digital event TGL.
The number $500 million floats around online if you’re looking for credible valuations.
Just the tech development for the stadium is said to have cost $50 million.

What’s also new: the opening up to co-owners, as seen in American franchise sports.
Stars like Michelle Wie, Serena Williams, Jimmy Fallon, sports clubs like the Detroit Lions or Denver Broncos, and Greg Maffei (CEO of Liberty Media) are now co-owners of TGL golf clubs.

And of course, Justin Timberlake is in too.
He’s a partner at heavyweight 8AM Golf, which owns incredible assets including premium brand MIURA, Nicklaus Companies, and the media giant GOLF.com.
And yes—you guessed it—Good Good Golf is also an investor in Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC).

– And real golf pros have long since entered the social media dancefloor.
The closeness and relatability of YouTube formats, building a personality beyond one’s golf skills, the

And so it happened that a former everybody’s grumbler quickly became everybody’s darling—and, even more surprisingly, a role model for modern golf entertainment:
Bryson DeChambeau – the Mad Professor. And early LIV defector.

He amassed 2 million YouTube followers in no time.
His video with Donald Trump? 15 million views.
On TikTok? Nearly 34 million! 

His YouTube video with Grant Horvat & Garrett Clark (yes, you guessed it—there are collaborations again among everyone. Streams are thicker than water and blood) has 5.1 million views.

He’s also filmed with John Daly and Tom Brady.
Through DeChambeau, golf has fully arrived in mainstream entertainment—and in mainstream society. I mean… a round with the POTUS!

DeChambeau’s content formats—like his 16-part YouTube Shorts/TikTok/Instagram series „Hole in One Over My House„—have thrilled millions.
The final day alone, where he nails the shot?
12.8 million views—on TikTok.

Nobody stages golf virality like DeChambeau.

But also scratch golfers like Paige Spiranac (YouTube: 446K / Instagram: 4.1M) and Claire Hogle (YT: 156K / IG: 974K) are major players in golf entertainment now.
Judging by their content, they probably have quite a few non-golfing male fans.
Either way, they also receive their fair share of hate.
That’s the uncomfortable currency in the social media game.

Grace Caris (4 million followers on Instagram) told the Daily Mail:

“Sometimes people aren’t there for the golf game and they’re there just because I’m a pretty face or something.
But they’re still getting exposed to the game.
At the end of the day, no matter what, the game of golf is still getting pushed—which is kind of what I want to share with people: my love for the game.”

Did someone say Overkill?

Well, here’s another truth: A lot is stagnating.
LIV never really took off. And even many PGA Tour events are struggling with declining viewer numbers.

Add to that: stalled negotiations among tour stakeholders, inflation, tariffs, global uncertainty, and real-world wars…
A war on eyeballs in the digital space…

…all of it pulling attention away from the sport.Social media creator numbers are exploding.
But they’re fighting over a pie that isn’t getting any bigger.

Still:
In Golf We Trust.

More than ever.
But: interest has shifted. Offerings are messy.
And thanks to AI, everyone can now build their own escapist world.

The trend toward shorter formats runs through the entire world of sport and entertainment:

Padel instead of tennis, Netflix miniseries, Icon League and co. in football, the trend toward 9-hole or even 6-hole golf courses and tournaments in real-world golf.

No teenager wants to play a 5-hour tournament round on a Sunday—only to then have schnitzel with the club president before the prize ceremony.

Instead: short courses, indoor golf, and gamified experiences (TrackMan Range, anyone?).

Of course, long formats will still exist:
18-hole courses, long concert nights, Netflix documentaries and series.
Endless Martin Scorsese films.

Top tournaments like The Masters still get top ratings.
But the entire middle tier seems to be eroding.
Just like with mid-sized concerts, events, clubs, and venues:
The middle is struggling.

Ask any artist—they’ll sing you a song about how tough it is for medium-sized acts in this distribution war.

The global trend seems to be:
Go short. Or go big. Or go home.

And YouTube covers all of it:
Shorts, silly stuff, deep dives.
It’s become the new TV, the new cinema, the new Netflix, your new best advisor—and the most present medium across generations and demographics.

YouTube now has 2.5 billion users.In 2024, its parent company Google/Alphabet posted a record result:
$36 billion in ad revenue—from YouTube alone

BUT WHY WHY?
A SUMMARY & RECKONING.

So what does this all have to do with you?

A lot—even if YouTube has peaked.
Even if golf is saturated.
(Though both of these remain to be seen.)

Because new formats will emerge.
Golf will be rethought—with 6-hole rounds that count toward your handicap (something Nick Faldo has been preaching for years) and even more gamification that makes the game faster, more attractive, more modern.

That means: new content, new target groups.
And yes, a danger of overkill—but also a big chance for traditional golf.

Because with all these people on all these channels, the future of our sport is being secured.
And with it, a perspective for your club, your cherished golf experience.

Thanks to new green fee players and members—who, in turn, fund your golf.

TopGolf, for example? Still operates massive venues in urban centers. Still attracting mostly young, curious people.
And many of them hold a golf club for the first time there.

Same goes for indoor golf:
Studios, entire franchise chains, pop-ups—are appearing everywhere.

And many of them show up because of the protagonists we’ve been talking about above.

They experience their first touchpoint with golf through fun.
Without etiquette, without hurdles, without pressure.
Just joy.

That might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
The music can be annoying.
The flashy lights at TopGolf, too.

And yes—it’s not real golf……but also:
it’s a really good concept.

And a very valid touchpoint for tomorrow’s member—or at the very least: tomorrow’s golf player.

In Hamburg, Golf Lounge took over the 9-hole city club Red Golf Moorfleet and turned an already short 9-hole course into an even shorter one—with an additional 6-hole layout and a range of event options:
The Golf Lounge Resort.

The 6-hole course features artificial turf tees and greens.

And while those facts alone are enough to make any traditional golfer’s face turn red with rage—like only a shank off tee 1 can—please read this as well:

You’ll sometimes find eight very young people at a single hole.
Only three of them actually playing—from one single bag.
The rest?
Just enjoying the flight.

Enjoying the show!
See how the circle closes back to YouTube?

Not a polo collar in sight—but tons of passion.

Thanks to the artificial turf, you can play in any weather, the tee box can’t be chopped up.
It’s a fantastic entry point to experience the sport without pressure or friction.

And we all know it:
Once the golf virus hits, there’s almost no turning back.

The gear spiral. The full membership.
Every free second becomes a round.
You start discovering other courses.
Green fees here. A new club set there. A golf trip next month.

And you can bet: the ones who stick with it will eventually follow the rules and respect etiquette—where those values still matter.

These are the places—and the many, many big clubs investing in academy courses—where kids and teens can first experience golf freely and without barriers (no membership, no expensive gear, no minimum handicap, no pricey green fees).

So let’s thank social media for the traffic.
And welcome the newcomers with open arms—and even better, make sure we don’t lose them right away to all the other tempting leisure options:

With fresh concepts.

That would be good.

No—Good Good.

—

By the way:
DGV youth membership numbers for children and teens under 18?
Rising again—for the first time in three years.