Rick Shiels
From club coach → to the world's biggest golf YouTuber, with over a billion views.
A club coach who started a YouTube channel to fill empty lesson slots, and became the biggest golf creator in the world.
Where they started
Completed a National Diploma in Golf Studies at Myerscough College, qualified as a PGA professional and coached at Mere Golf & Country Club before publishing his first YouTube video.
Career milestones
- 2004
Completed a National Diploma in Golf Studies at Myerscough College.
- Coach
Turned pro and spent years as a PGA teaching professional.
- 2011
Started his YouTube channel to fill empty lesson slots.
- 2020
Passed one million subscribers.
- 2026
Became the first golf creator to surpass one billion YouTube views.
What they do today
- Develop and present video and podcast concepts.
- Test golf equipment and explain the findings.
- Manage a production and commercial team.
- Build partnerships without losing audience trust.
Qualifications
Academic
- National Diploma in Golf Studies, Myerscough College
Professional
- PGA professional, The PGA of GB&I
Advice for aspiring professionals
How to get started in this speciality.
- Publishing consistently beats waiting for gatekeepers. Magazines rejected him first.
- Honesty and impartiality build the audience trust that lasts.
- A coaching foundation gives your content real authority.
Publish one instructional or course-vlog video to a public channel this month.
Which path is yours?
Take the free Career Planner and get three starting points built around your game, or join a workshop and turn them into a plan with us.