How Social Media Has Altered the Perception of Golf

For years golf has been considered a boring sport that hasn’t been able to remain current the way the four major sports have.  While golf has always seen its fair share of participation, it has not gathered a great following in terms of viewership until recently.  This increase is due, in large part, to the rise of social media.  Not only has the PGA Tour been marketing itself in new and improved ways through social media, but its players have also allowed fans to get an inside perspective into their lives both on and off the course.  After all, as Jason Peck writes, social media has the ability to “complement real life events.” I wanted to focus here on five social media outlets that have been extremely influential to shaping the modern public perception of golf:

1. Facebook

Not surprisingly Facebook is the most widely used social media network, and therefore has the ability to reach a massive amount of people.  The PGA Tour’s Facebook page acts as a dashboard for all of the Tour’s activity, and allows users to consume content that includes video highlights, upcoming schedules, and even a Google+ hangout that allows fans to interact directly with Tour players.  Through Facebook, fans are provided with everything Tour-related that they need in a single place.  This essentially reminds fans that golf cares about its viewership and wants to retain its fans in all ways possible.

2. Instagram

In the past, we had to wait for magazines or web articles to see cool photos from the world of golf.  With the rise of Instagram, everything comes together in a single place.  Instagram gives fans instant access to some of the most captivating photos of both courses and players from all levels of golf.  Suddenly people are able to see a slow motion swing from an amateur player overseas, or the seventh hole of a world-renowned links course.  Instagram visually connects golf fans around the world and establishes a stronger sense of community, which goes against much of the early perception of golf as an exclusive sport.

3. Snapchat

This social media outlet is perhaps the most influential for the game of golf, particularly through the PGA Tour.  Snapchat gives fans an up-close-and-personal perspective of golf from people that are actually on the course at an event.  Fans can see action from their favorite players through a quick picture or video.  Additionally, many professional golfers have their own Snapchat accounts so that fans can see what the life of a golfer is actually like.  Often times they are surprised because they see just how different of a life they live off the course, a life that is much more lively and fun than the stigma surrounding golf.

4. Twitter

The exclusivity of golf has been severely diminished in recent years, and Twitter has played a major role in that decrease.  Twitter has given golf fans the ability to follow along in real time with analysis and stats that they previously couldn’t obtain.  The site also allows fans to voice their opinions, both positive and negative, and hear reactions from the professionals they see on television.  Twitter eliminates barriers between fans and the game, and continues to provide one of the most direct ways to consume golf in a much more contemporary way.

5. YouTube

One of the biggest downsides for many golfers in the past has been the cost of lessons, which are too expensive in many people’s opinions.  However, YouTube has provided a platform for golfers to receive free lessons from anywhere they are.  YouTube has not only saved money for golfers everywhere, but has also given users a chance to share their own content and publicize their work.