"It's very low stakes" - Golf podcast hosts explain decision to join the PGA Tour's Creator Council

In the latest episode of No Laying Up podcast, hosts Kevin Van Valkenburg, Tron Carter (TC), and Neil Schuster addressed a brewing social media "kerfuffle" around joining the PGA Tour's Creator Council. PGA Tour recently announced the formation of the Council to enhance content creation and fan engagement in the sport.

No Laying Up (NLU) is one of the golf creators popularly known for its podcasts. The golf company also has a video series called Tourist Sauce and a community platform, The Nest.

In the podcast episode released on Monday, December 9, Kevin Van Valkenburg started the segment with a tongue-in-cheek question echoing the voices on social media. He asked his fellow hosts:

"Why did we decide to join the Creator Council? What does it mean? Are we d*** riders? Is this the end of No Laying Up as an independent voice as we know it?" (1:05:32 onwards)

Host Tron Carter joked:

"They're paying us hundreds of thousands of dollars to be in this Council."

Further, Neil Schuster answered the question and clarified the misconception. He said that it's not a big deal:

"People act like there’s going to be some in-person Summit with all of these creators. That’s not it. It’s like, no, we hopped on a phone call. They’re just asking for feedback." (1:05:56-1:06:08)

He explained that the Council was part of the PGA Tour's fan-forward initiative under a new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). However, he later expressed a hint of skepticism, pondering the Council's functioning and approach to acting upon the feedback provided. He said:

"I don't know if anything's going to happen from it we're not getting paid for it it's very it's very low stakes."

Schuster also criticized the Council's press announcement, saying that one of their first recommendations was against putting out a press release until they had decided on some of the changes or action items to work on. He said that some feedback given to the PGA Tour included the need for better policies around media access and stats.

All three hosts emphasized that covering the PGA Tour feels easier from home as no help is provided to the creators at the event. Carter said:

"Our main product is hopping on every Sunday night and talking about golf for 90 minutes. You’d think they’d want us clued in and personally experienced at their events." (1:09:11-1:09:24)

At the end of the segment about their inclusion in the Creators Council, the hosts remained doubtful if their feedback would result in changes. Schuster said:

"The jury is still out on whether anything happens with that opinion. History tells me not to hold my breath, but we'll see what happens." (1:09:48-1:09:57)

In this week's podcast, they also discussed Scottie Scheffler's recent win at the 2024 Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas and the resignation of LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux.

---

Who all are part of the PGA Tour's Creator Council?

According to the PGA Tour's website, there are 10 popular golf content creators who are part of the newly formed Creator Council. In 2024, the PGA Tour initiated several initiatives to integrate content creators into professional golf. The notable events are Q at Myrtle Beach and the Creator Classic.

Creator Council is further another step in the same direction. Tisha Alyn, who has more than 500k followers on Instagram, expressed her excitement about the council and said (via PGA Tour):

"I'm so excited to be part of the PGA TOUR’s Creator Council and collaborate with such a talented group of creators. Social media is the future of golf, and together, we’re bringing a fresh perspective that will grow the game and connect with a broader audience in exciting ways."

The creators that are part of PGA Tour's Creator Council are:

• Paige Spiranac
• Bob Does Sports
• Bryan Bros Golf
• Erik Anders Lang
• Fore Play/Barstool Sports
• No Laying Up
• Roger Steele
• Tisha Alyn