Matt Adams is Making His Own Way on the Fairways of Life
Author and personality Matt Adams is a veritable golf media titan reaching an audience in the millions on various platforms. Beginning in 2006 with Fairways of Life, he has written twelve books including two New York Times Best Sellers.
2006 would become a nascent year for Adams. While still serving as general manager of Newport National Golf Club in Rhode Island, he started a golf interview show on XM Satellite Radio featuring legends of the game.
He then launched his Fairways of Life program on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio eventually becoming an impactful on-air presence on Golf Channel and NBC Sports. Seventeen years later, he is an omnipresent golf reporter and raconteur.
In 2020, Adams began construction on his own TV studio in Orlando. The Fairways of Life Show is now the largest, most listened to, and most widely distributed daily live golf talk show in the world.
It can be seen live AT 8:00 a.m. EST weekdays on YouTube Live and heard around the world on the Fairways of Life apps. The program is also available on Adams’ syndicated national sports network on affiliates coast to coast including AT&T SportsNet, Bally Sports, NBC Sports, New England Sports Network (NESN), Root Sport, DIRECTV, and MSG Networks.
“We are the only independent daily live golf show,” boasts Adams, and he has indeed built Fairways of Life into a golf media empire. He has also built one of the best array of contacts in the golf business, regularly providing inside information in addition to entertainment, interviews, interactive discussions, and the latest in the sport’s innovations.
For Adams, it is all about passion for the game of golf – and this passion has turned into profits. The Fairways of Life property is available on demand 24/7 and it can be heard on every major audio platform.
Despite the enormity of Adams’ success, his mission remains basic. “I consider myself a storyteller,” says the New Englander, born in Hartford and raised in Rhode Island. “Domenic Scarano, my producer, is a critical piece in what we do, and I have the best staff in the world. The mission of Fairways of Life is to share my passion for the game of golf.”
In addition to his multimedia platforms, Adams has more than 30 years experience working in club operations and management. He is also an expert in golf equipment and technology having built and/or designed golf clubs for Nicklaus, MacGregor, Ram, and Wilson.
Adams’ email signature is more like a novel. He is a golf course operator, frequent speaker, chairman of collegiate golf tournaments, golf historian, and travel writer. His interview file is basically a Hall of Fame wing with names like Billy Casper, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and more.
The Fairways of Life website features information and video offerings focusing on quick-hitting news and reports, golf instruction, and show clips. With the 2023 Ryder Cup slated to begin on September 29 at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome, Adams and Scarano recently offered some telling commentary on the event.
Their lively discussion included speculation over who will qualify and whom Captain Zach Johnson will pick for the U.S. team. They also talked about whether Brooks Koepka and other players who jumped to LIV Golf would be selected.
Adams and Scarano discussed key questions. Will Justin Thomas be left out in the cold, and do Jordan Spieth, Cam Young, Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Keegan Bradley, and Max Homa have a shot at representing the United States?
Always ready to offer an opinion, Adams talks about the current state of the game, “I really believe that golf is at its height right now. The talent is deeper than ever. With the technology available, training, and improving college programs, players are coming to the PGA TOUR ready to compete and win.”
Adams stresses the game’s outreach to heretofore underserved populations stating, “The game’s governing bodies are communicating more and embracing a larger demographic. There is a greater percentage of females coming to the game. It is important that we make people feel welcome. Retention of players and fans is essential.”
Adams certainly can speak from a worldwide viewpoint. He doesn’t just have a large footprint; he has the whole shoe store. Fairways of Life delivers headlines from golf’s professional tours, featuring interviews with players and industry leaders. The show also explores the history of the game, golf architecture, and includes interaction with golf fans.
Despite this global reach, Adams’ approach to both writing and broadcasting remains decidedly intimate. He relates, “I don’t know if I’m a good writer,” says the man who has co-authored several books in the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series. “But if I am, it’s because I stopped trying to be a good writer.
“I just want to talk to people about the game I love, to let it be what it is, not what it is supposed to be. I write constantly, getting phrases in my mind and keeping notes. I don’t look at it as broadcasting to 100 million people, I always see it as having a conversation about golf with one person.”
Adams latest assignment was doing on course play by play on the World Radio feed for The Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. He was assigned to eventual champion Brian Harman. He will also be on the World Radio feed for the Ryder Cup.
Clearly, Adams has a lot of irons in the fire, but his golf irons remain largely in the bag. He now broadcasts live coverage of the PGA TOUR with PGA Live on ESPN+. This, along with his other commitments, leaves little time for play.
He explains, “I hardly ever play golf anymore, but I am the eternal optimist, and I plan to make time to get out there more.” He has a few other items on his bucket list as well. “One of my goals is to use technology to grow the Fairways of Life brand.
“I’ve always been interested in documentary film type of content. There is so much history and so many stories to tell about the game, players, and courses. I want to keep our worldwide golf focus, share interviews with people in our game, and continue to take our viewers and listeners wherever they want to go.”
Story Originally Written By John Molori for Barrett Sports Media
