Instagram sensation pairs golf with humor
PEBBLE BEACH — Manolo Vega is not one to sit around and mope. So when the pandemic hit two years ago, and the world practically screeched to a halt, Vega leaped into action — posting hip, funny videos on social media offering golf instruction to the masses.
Vega spoke in a fresh, lively way, his passion for the game on clear display. “Waggle dat s—, smack dat s—,” as his Instagram profile puts it.
Fast forward to this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and Vega was a pseudo-celebrity as he made the pre-tournament rounds. Daniel Berger, last year’s champion, sought him out at Tuesday’s media event. Two-time AT&T winner Brandt Snedeker teamed with Vega in Wednesday’s celebrity/ charity putting contest.
Or, as another measure of Vega’s impact, consider his 691,000 followers on Instagram. That’s a hefty audience for an unconventional instructor and content creator, even if Vega is charismatic and entertaining.
“If golf can’t survive this thing, bro, then what can?” he said. “Golf didn’t only survive, it thrived. And there’s a reason why: Golf has such a spiritual, powerful meaning.
“When people allow themselves to tap into it, and really be in nature and smack that s— for real, it can be an element of their life with their family and their business.”
Asked why his Instagram videos took off so quickly, Vega said, “Probably the ability to give a lesson fast. Things happen quick nowadays. … I also know the game is very slow. Go have fun. You’ll do better if you stop thinking so much.”
Vega grew up playing golf — he had pros in his family, he said — though he later went to San Diego State to pursue a college football career (he had played at a junior college in
Arizona). He soon turned to rugby, spent time in the wine business in Spain while studying abroad and ultimately returned to his passion for smacking that little white ball.
It’s not clear how Vega makes a living at all this — he does sell a wide variety of merchandise online — but he’s obviously in demand as a golf ambassador. Do not be surprised if he lands in the field for next year’s AT&T Pro-Am.
Mostly, Vega seeks to spread his enthusiasm for the game with strategic tips (he’s an excellent player), unfiltered jokes and pet sayings such as “suck the game faster.” He seems to resonate with a younger, more diverse crowd than the traditional golf demographic.
“I guess historically speaking, yeah, probably,” Vega said. “But I’ve never thought of anything other than life itself, whether you’re 5 years old or 65. I speak to people, speak to children — it doesn’t matter who you are, what you came from, what you have or don’t have.
“Golf is a game for everybody, so I’m speaking to everybody.”