Rick Shiels: Golf’s Global Inspirer  02:39, 07/11/2025

“I want golf to continue to grow and get more popular than ever before.” – PGA Tour Pro & Youtuber Rick Shiels

With a golf club in one hand and a camera in the other, Rick Shiels has redefined how the world experiences golf. From a young PGA professional’s passion, he built the world’s most-followed golf channel, inspiring millions to play, improve, and love the game.

His honesty, warmth, and belief that “Golf is for everyone” have turned him from coach to trusted companion, reshaping the role of a golf influencer. By simplifying techniques and building a global community, Rick embodies passion and openness in golf. In this exclusive VGL interview, he shares his journey, the pressures of fame, and his mission to spread the love of golf even further.

What inspired you to pursue golf and later share it with millions on YouTube?

I got into golf thanks to my mum. I was 11 and only cared about football. One day she took me along to her golf lesson, gave me a club and a bucket of balls, and told me to entertain myself. At first, I couldn’t hit a decent shot to save my life. But near the end, I struck a few good ones — and it felt amazing. From then on, I was the one asking to go to the range. That’s how I fell in love with golf.

When did you realise YouTube could become a real career?

So the backstory of me starting my YouTube career was to bring new lessons into my teaching bay, new clients. So I saw it as an advertisement tool. After a few years of making YouTube videos, I realised it became a monetised platform and realised I was probably earning as much as I would doing a day's worth of coaching. So I was like, OK, if I now maybe do less coaching and more YouTube, what could the possibilities be? And that kind of carried on from doing, you know, when I first started, I was doing six days a week coaching and one day a week YouTube. Then I was doing five days a week coaching and two days a week YouTube. And then, you know, carried that on until now. I don't actually coach anymore. I pretty much do YouTube at least five days a week. I now have a nice weekend spent with my family and my kids.

What’s the best part and biggest challenge in content creation?

I think the most rewarding part of making content is helping people get better at golf and enjoy their golf more. You know, I'm a golf coach by heart. You know, that's why I got into golf as I forged my career to become a golf coach. So I still get a massive kick of helping people get better at golf. I would say the toughest challenge is to keep coming up with fresh video ideas. You know, that's why I'm super excited to come to Vietnam because, you know, there's going to be so many new golf courses I've not been to before, and I get to show my audience a new part of the golfing world that they might not have seen.

How do you help make golf more approachable for newcomers?

It's weird because, again, when I started playing golf when I was 11, I didn't know what it was like to be a newcomer. You know, for me, I was just a kid trying a new sport. But I've seen there's barriers in place. I think golf has gotten a lot better over the last few years in the sense of, you know, more relaxed dress code, easier practice facilities, things like Top Golf that do a great job at bringing new people into the game of golf. Also, mini golf courses. I think they're great for bringing people into the world of golf as well. So I do think the game is definitely getting more approachable.

You’re known for honest reviews. Why is that so important to you?

I’ve never been sponsored by any golf brand, which allows me to stay completely honest and transparent. I don’t work for any company. My responsibility is to give my audience the best advice. I want them to improve their game and choose clubs that truly suit them. I try to cut through the marketing noise and share genuine opinions, built on 13 years of testing experience. That’s why honesty has always been my approach - to give golfers the most accurate, reliable information to make the best choices for their game.

How do you balance fame with everyday life and family?

That's taken a lot of years of becoming thicker-skinned. You know, when I first started YouTube, it wasn't to be quote-unquote well-known or famous. It was just more for bringing people into my teaching bay like I mentioned earlier. So as that started to grow and I started to get, you know, hundreds of thousands of views and then millions of views, it definitely changed and you start to get more comments, a lot of positive comments, but also unfortunately some nasty ones, but it is just what it is. I just try and do my best to not worry too much about those negative comments and just focus solely on the positive comments.

How do you hope your channel impacts the next generation of golfers?

I just hope more people play golf. You know, I genuinely hope that the younger audience who predominantly live on YouTube and watch YouTube content see golf as being exciting and fresh and approachable, like we mentioned before, and stylish. And they want to play more golf. You know, that would be my dream. I want more kids to enjoy the sport that I've loved so much, that's given me so much. And, you know, I want golf to continue to grow and get more popular than ever before.

What excites you the most about your first trip to Vietnam?

I'm really excited about coming to Vietnam. The golf courses I've seen online at the moment look unbelievable out of this world. I think the caddies look like they're having a lot of fun. The food looks unbelievable. I can't wait to try the food in Vietnam. And I'm always excited to meet new people and play new golf courses, and I think that obviously ticks so many boxes for me.

What inspires you most moving forward?

For me, it's exploring new places, making better content, and keeping pushing the barrier. So that's what excites me the most, and I'm excited to continue that journey. 

Rick by the Numbers

• 2011 – Launched his first YouTube video
• 2020 – Surpassed 1 million subscribers, making his channel the most-followed golf channel worldwide
• 50M+ – Monthly video views on YouTube
• 6.4M+ – Total audience across all platforms (YouTube, podcast, social media)
• 271K+ – Subscribers on H.I.T Golf (as of 2025)

Podcast at a Glance: The Rick Shiels Golf Show

• Launched: 2019
• Style: Conversational, insightful, entertaining
• Reach: Top-ranked golf podcast in 20+ countries
• Episodes: Weekly, with hundreds of thousands of downloads per week
• Content: Golf tips, trending news, gear chats, and plenty of laughs

Fast Facts

• Background: PGA Professional from the UK
• Philosophy: “Golf is for everyone.”
• Signature Style: Honest, approachable, relatable
• New Ventures: Partnership with LIV Golf (2025) & launch of H.I.T Golf review channel (2023)
• Upcoming Highlight: Attending Vietnam Golf Course Owners Summit at Laguna Lăng Cô (October 2025)

Top 5 Viral Videos

1. “Budget vs. Premium Driver Test”
   Over 5M views – Rick proves that skill sometimes matters more than price.
2. “Can a Beginner Beat a Pro?”
   4.2M views – Fun, relatable challenge showing golf’s unpredictability.
3. “The Longest Drive with a 20-Year-Old Driver”
   3.8M views – Nostalgia meets power as Rick takes vintage clubs to the limit.
4. “Golf in the Dark Challenge”
   3.5M views – Glow-in-the-dark balls, night play, and pure entertainment.
5. “The $1,000,000 Hole-in-One Challenge”
   3.2M views – A mix of suspense, humor, and impossible odds.

Career Timeline

• 2002 – Qualified as PGA Professional

• 2011 – Uploaded first YouTube video

• 2019 – Launched The Rick Shiels Golf Show podcast

• 2020 – Hit 1M YouTube subscribers (world’s #1 golf channel)

• 2023 – Launched H.I.T Golf (gear review channel)
• 2025 – Multi-year partnership with LIV Golf + attending Vietnam Golf Course Owners Summit