Arizona might quietly be the future of golf media.

This week, Celia Palermo joins The Cactus Club to talk creator golf, personality-driven coverage, Grass League, Rory’s Devil Wears Prada cameo, and why younger audiences connect more with creators than traditional golf media.

Missed the Masters?

Good. Less fake experts clogging the leaderboard. This isn’t about getting lucky for one weekend. It’s about stacking smart picks across the biggest stages in golf.

Golf media is changing fast.

Not because people suddenly stopped loving professional golf. But because audiences are starting to care more about personality than polish. More about creators than corporations. More about feeling part of the experience than watching it from a distance.

And honestly, Arizona is becoming one of the most interesting places to watch that shift happen in real time.

That’s why this week’s Members Story with Celia Palermo felt like the perfect conversation for The Cactus Club.

From creator golf to Arizona culture to where the game is headed next, Celia sees the modern golf world from inside the ropes and inside the content itself.

Here’s our conversation.

Celia believes the biggest change started during the pandemic, when audiences began moving away from traditional coverage and toward personality-driven content.

She pointed to things like mid-round interviews, Happy Hour with Smylie, Johnson Wagner’s shot recreations, and the Creator Classic as proof that golf fans want more than highlights and scoreboards now.

They want personality. And honestly? She’s right.

Golf spent years trying to feel important when it should’ve been trying to feel interesting. The brands and creators winning today are the ones making audiences feel like they’re part of the group chat, not sitting in the back row of a press conference.

One of Celia’s favorite stories happened while interviewing Rory McIlroy at the TOUR Championship last fall.

Before the cameras started rolling, she casually asked him how he was doing.

His response?

“Good, just got off a movie set.”

Turns out, Rory had just filmed a cameo for the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada after the director learned he had watched the original movie before winning THE PLAYERS Championship.

That’s the kind of moment traditional golf coverage rarely captures anymore. The weird, random, human stories that make athletes actually feel relatable.

And honestly, golf needs more of that energy.

Celia thinks it comes down to relatability.

Most golf media outlets cover what’s happening in professional golf. Creators show what golf actually feels like.

That difference matters.

Creators hit bad shots. Laugh at themselves. Show personality. Bring audiences into the experience rather than presenting themselves as polished broadcasters. And younger audiences connect with that immediately.

That’s powerful.

Because the average golfer probably has more in common with a creator grinding through a chaotic match than they do with a Tour pro striping 4-irons under pressure for millions of dollars.

This might’ve been the smartest answer of the entire interview.

Golf’s biggest mistake is trying too hard to convince everyone to love the game the same way. But younger audiences don’t enter sports through tradition anymore. They enter through culture, entertainment, community, and personalities.

That’s why experiences like Grass League work so well.

Lights. Music. Team formats. Drinks. Creator energy. Competitive golf that still feels social. And as Celia pointed out, some people only show up for the concert. That’s fine.

Because the people who truly connect with the golf experience are the ones who stay long term.

Celia didn’t overcomplicate this one.

She’s right.

Arizona golf culture feels different because golf here feels accessible. You can play a serious money game at sunrise, walk nine holes after work, or spend an afternoon filming content with friends during golden hour.

There’s space for every version of golfer here.

Competitive players.
Creators.
Beginners.
Twilight walkers.
Golf addicts.
Country club members.
Muni grinders.

That diversity is what makes Arizona feel alive right now.

And honestly, it’s becoming one of the biggest reasons golf creators are thriving here, too.

This answer perfectly captures modern Arizona golf culture.

Then comes a long-range session at Grayhawk Golf Club, a Water Hazard cocktail from Izzy’s, and the last tee time of the afternoon, watching the sunset dip across the course.

The day ends with pizzas, friends, and hanging out after dark.

Honestly?

That sounds a lot more like the future of golf than another hyper-serious private club, because the best part of golf has never just been the scorecard.

It’s the stories, the people, and the feeling you get when a random round somehow turns into an entire day you don’t want to end.

Arizona golfers run on Burrito Express.

Breakfast burritos, carne asada fries, and late-night recovery meals built for post-round hangs and range rat lifestyles. Multiple Valley locations.