The Social Media Effect On Golf

Its funny isn't it, social media has made everyday people some of the biggest stars on the internet. Golf has received a massive influx of support over the last few years. Instagram stars like Paige Spiranac are making waves in the industry, even featuring in a Sports illustrated swimsuit shoot recently.

Social media has seen a rise in new golf brands being produced, Golf Gods are a brand that springs to mind straight away. New clothing brands that are a break away from your stereotypical mould, can only be positive for golf as we enter into a new look. The days of wearing beige trousers, the Glenmuir club shirt & wool jumper (that say 'small' but fit you like a parachute) are slowly evaporating. I speak from experience, that's exactly what I still have to wear whilst representing Lamberhurst GC.

Which Social media platform in my opinion is responsible for this support?

Every social media platform holds a case for giving golf the most exposure. Through experience, I see one stand out platform, Instagram!

Depending on what you are looking for in a social media platform, Instagram may not be for you.

You will not find a 10 minute video to help you 'stop slicing golf shots', you will find that by the lorry load on YouTube.

Rarely will you scroll through them boring repetitive golf meme's you find every 5 minutes on Facebook (pictured)

Twitter can be a jungle of tweets, ranging a variety of subjects. Twitter is a great platform for popular profiles to run question and answer sessions.

Instagram is full of golfers sharing their stories on and off the course. You will see everything from their Everyday life, working on their game, working in the industry & sharing achievements.

There has been a noticeable change in the USA recently, with big communities of Instagrammers joining forces on trips and promotions. This has been proven lucrative for a lot of new brands, with sales & global exposure.

It begs the question, why are there not communities like this in the UK? There is a very good reason for this.. The UK social media attitude is mainly about self promotion, only promoting global brands in the hope to get noticed or signed. On the flip side, I see very few smaller brands in the UK, trying to work with UK Social media pages to help promote.

What are the different types of pages on Social Media?

There are various pages you will find on social media -

• Repost Pages - Reposting viral golf videos, Pictures, Giveaways & Product promotion (Colorado Golf Blog)

• Brand Profiles - Posting branding, deals etc (Bradley Putters)

• Personal Profiles - Posting Golf and personal posts to keep fans updated (Dustin Johnson)

• Fan Pages - Dedicated to their favourite golfer (There is no GOC Fan Page) (Tiger Woods Spot)

• Business Pages - Typical of companies to gain exposure of new equipment, clothing, Holiday deals etc

• Golf Club Profiles - Typically run by a member of staff to promote deals, update members/public and post pictures of events

How do I expect golf to be affected by social media in the future?

There is no getting round it, social media will continue to have an impact on Golf.

• More unique brands will continue to be founded

• Jobs in organisations will be made for social media specialists

• Players of all abilities will continue to showcase their talents to people all over the world.

The growth of golf is all about exposure. As communities grow and the stereotypical views on golfers disappear, we will start to see a younger and more unique clientele.

I understand that this article has been heavily sided towards Instagram. I have found the biggest & most successful golf communities have been grown here over the last 3 years. I would like to hear what your views are on Social Media in golf, I'm sure there will be people that support my points and people that will totally disagree with my points.

Thank You for taking time out of your day to read my views on 'The social media effect on golf', you can find the links to my social Media on my home and social media tabs.

GOC