When I was given this assignment, I didn’t really know where to start. Why would 2026 be better than 2025? Was 2025 better than 2024? Could I even explain it if that were the case?
These questions became existential and quickly led to other questions – for the golf world as a whole, but also for myself. And the truth is, the answer to why 2026 could be the best golf year ever is still deeply personal. More journal than Excel document.
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So to try to answer your question, I withdrew. I zoomed out as wide as possible. And suddenly, some pretty obvious answers emerged: why right now (and the year ahead) is better than ever for golfers, golf fans, etc. My thoughts are rooted in this one truth: golf is everywhere you look.
It’s on Instagram. LeBron James’ Instagramto be exact. The sport has officially won over one of the biggest celebrities on the planet and will surely only keep him around for many years to come. But if you paid attention to other athletes and celebrities, golf somehow takes over everyone. Justin Bieber. The Kelce brothers. Catherine Zeta-Jones. Yes, the President of the United States.
It’s on YouTube. Golf is so prevalent on YouTube that the phrase “YouTube Golf” has become its own industry…and it’s going nowhere. Sponsor exemptions for professional tournaments are granted to YouTube golfers. Tommy Fleetwood suddenly decided to try left-handed golf… exclusively on YouTube. Not to mention Bryson DeChambeau who recently hinted that he might turn less to LIV Golf and more fully to YouTube Golf.
It’s on TV…more than ever. It might have seemed strange for TGL to move its season forward into greater competition with NFL football, literally starting its year on a winter Sunday afternoon, but look around. There are not many places available for television more sporty. And golf continues to get more TV spots than many other sports. There’s TGL on ESPN and (occasionally) ABC. There is seemingly increased television coverage at the Masters every year. There are the first rounds of the PGA Tour on ESPN+. LIV Golf often fills the FOX Sports airwaves in the summer. LPGA Tour broadcasts will be new and improved in 2026 thanks to a recent agreement with FM Global and Trackman. Not to mention the longtime stewards of the professional game, NBC and CBS.
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It’s on Reddit a lot. I’m glad you’re here at GOLF.com reading the work my colleagues and I have been doing. But there are other places where you can find simple camaraderie, expert advice, travel advice, and more. from everyday golfers around the world. It’s on Helluva Connected Sport, and you can find it in droves on places like Reddit’s Golf page. Regulars post their recent scores, their trips, their advice, their equipment finds, etc. There are feeds dedicated to professional golf, LIV Golf, and even talking points from popular golf podcasts. There are many over there. Just go get it.
It’s in your imagination. By that I mean it’s customizable. You can have your own wedges printed, just like the pros do. You can get the grip color you would like to see when you take the clubs out of your bag. For the longest time, all you could do was buy wacky headwear, but now custom in-game items are everywhere. Golf shoes are infinitely customizable. You can simply buy sneakers and screw small golf cleats into the soles. Whatever golf look you want, you can achieve it in about an hour online. We didn’t have this five years ago!
Golf is like a college course. Bring your roommate with you. We’ll make that our final note – it’s a note I often like to invoke when talking about the game. This hobby, this hobby, this sport, whatever, is like going to college. You’re pursuing a degree and you’re surrounded by all sorts of other people trying to do the same. You’re probably pretty close to (and enjoy pursuing alongside) other people on campus. Everything is at your disposal and everyone is at different levels. Maybe you’re the freshest, wearing your lanyard around your neck, and still looking to move the ball from right to left instead of just left to right.
Maybe you’ve declared your major and are taking entry-level courses in that area, like golf travel. The people ahead of you on the travel/course front? They are in the 400 level class and study Raynor, MacKenzie and Doak. The next level stuff in this specialty? These are the discussion forums on Golf Club Atlas. Or diving down the YouTube rabbit holes of agronomy.
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Maybe you are more interested in teaching. 900 level classes will teach you the different “P” positions of the swing and the biomechanics of your body that go with them. If that’s too much, yes, you can hang out in the quads as much as you want, participating in any number of electives on whatever catches your eye. That’s the brilliance of golf right now, on the eve of 2026. There are so many routes to get there. Choose the one you like the most.
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