With a sports marketing career spanning two decades, Edd Hood has a global background in events, strategy, account management and much more. Mixing agency life with client side roles, Edd’s experience has taken him to more than 40 F1, IMSA and WEC races, sailing regatta, Olympics Games and DP World Tour Golf Championships.
Golf. The glorious game. A game steeped in tradition, nostalgia and ritual. It has also however suffered from an unwanted moniker of elitism, stuffiness and sometimes being a bit boring.
But things are changing. Today, a new generation of partnerships are reshaping the spectator experience, appealing to diverse audiences while still respecting golf’s heritage.
Experience-Centered Innovation
The driving force behind golf’s resurgence is a shift toward bringing the fan closer to the action, a trend mirrored across almost every other sport. Tournament organisers, brands and venues now design events with the spectator journey at the forefront, whether fans attend in person, engage online via social media or follow through apps.
Considering the game has existed for 600 years and we’ve been playing by the current rules for over 70 years, the fact that this evolution has kept the game’s fundamentals largely unchanged: 18 holes, 14 clubs, and the same objective of guiding a small white ball from tee to green, is remarkable – with some exceptions which we’ll come to. By preserving the core principles while innovating around it, golf is developing a rare advantage of attracting new enthusiasts while maintaining its traditional audience.
Disruptors and Innovators
While the PGA and DP World Tour remain the sport’s dominant entities, two newer organisations are setting out disrupt the landscape with very distinctive approaches:
LIV Golf: Condensed Entertainment
Backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, LIV has reimagined the tournament structure. Understanding time constraints facing modern fans, LIV employs a shotgun start (all players begin simultaneously on different holes) and a no-cut format, ensuring fan’s favourite players are on parade for all three days.
LIV incorporates music, diverse fan activations and dedicated “Family Green” areas at each venue creating destination experiences rather than mere sporting competitions. As leisure time becomes increasingly precious, LIV’s family-friendly approach allows adults to enjoy their passion and share it with their families.
It’s clear the team behind LIV Golf are fans of the game however they’ve chosen to take a different approach for a clear reason. Golf on the LIV Tour is designed to provide a destination, delivers a shorter format, has higher energy, focused at different audiences and is unapologetic. Its future isn’t written but right now it’s owning its own chapter.
Icons of Golf: Cross-Sport Appeal
Like LIV, Icons Series takes a fresh approach to attract new audiences to golf. Under the banner of ‘where sports unite’, it hosts a ‘Ryder Cup-like’ Team Match Play tournament; the twist being that it is played by non-golfing athletes who happen to have a talent for crushing a ball down the fairway.
Icons like Pep Guardiola, Harry Kane, Canelo Alvarez, Luis Figo and Michael Phelps play competitive golf led by golfing royalty, Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els and Fred Couples. All played in exotic locations from Vegas, New York to Dubai. What’s not to like?
It’s a serious competition, but what sets it apart is how it is designed for modern fandom; It is a fast four-session 10-hole competition, with specially created bonus point opportunities injecting intrigue into the round, like Call the Captain, where players can ask their team leader to play one shot per round, and behind the scenes storytelling that humanises the characters.
Social interaction sits at the core, where fans can vote for ‘shot of the day’ and participate as a community as the event is simulcast live on all social platforms, in addition to the global broadcast platform.
What was noticeable from its most recent event, Icons of Football, in Bangkok in March 2025 was how it attracted a new audience to golf; younger audiences and football fans curious to see their heroes in a new competitive environment. Indeed prior research highlights that 72% of icons visitors had never previously attended a golf tournament before.
“By blending a traditional sport with digital-first entertainment, Icons has been crafted to meet the changing needs of modern audiences” says Chris Sice, Chief Content Officer at Icons. “Fast competition, authentic sport that fans can lean into socially. Ultimately, Icons delivers relatable competitive moments that actually stick — because they come from legends being relatable humans.”
Corporate Evolution
Alongside important broadcast deals, corporate hospitality remains a key pillar of golf’s commercial success and here too innovation is evident. GPJ has been creating DP World’s golf fan zones and hospitality spaces for years, applying strategic vision and intent to these environments.
While corporate audiences differ from general spectators, the need to foster both emotional connections and meaningful business interactions remains paramount. The process begins well before events, providing business rationale for attendance and prioritisation. Beyond traditional putting challenges, these spaces carefully balance business messaging with experiences that promote relationship building.
“We’ve supported DP World from the beginning of their journey,” notes Jonathan Bentley, Account Director, Europe at GPJ. “Golf has been instrumental in facilitating key B2B decisions, allowing stakeholders to be entertained, informed, and engaged in settings that foster meaningful discussion. Our global Creative and Strategy teams scrutinise every detail, because these are what make the difference.”
A Bright Future
Golf’s transformation represents one of sport’s most significant evolutions and has significantly increased interest in the sport. In a 2023 study, PGA revealed that between 2023 and 2024 over 16 million people in the UK and Ireland played some form of golf. Outside of an actual golf course, this includes pitch-and-putt facilities, driving ranges or simulators, and even crazy golf.
By preserving the game’s essence while boldly reimagining the spectator experience, sports partnerships, between brand and event organisers as well as between brand and experience agency are capturing more diverse audiences than ever before.
These changes may not be embraced by everyone, but as long as the fundamental nature of the game remains intact, golf’s future appears brighter than ever with more fans drawing connections to the sport and brands like DP World capitalising on opportunities for growth.
