In golf, the stage matters almost as much as the players. The PGA Tour has long relied on tradition, returning to the same storied venues year after year, while LIV Golf has built its identity on shaking things up—taking its stars to fresh, often unconventional courses that test their games and spark fan curiosity. The contrast has ignited a new flashpoint in the ongoing rivalry between the two tours: are the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoff venues too predictable, and is LIV Golf winning the battle for excitement by simply picking better places to play?
On a recent episode of the 5 Clubs Podcast, host Gary Williams didn’t hold back his thoughts on the venues used for the FedEx Cup Playoffs. “East Lake is, I think it’s challenging as far as the environment, as far as the climate, the atmosphere. I think the same holds true for Memphis to the site of where FedEx — that is their home. Why not explore the Pacific Northwest or the West Coast and get some prime time hours and show some venues that would otherwise not see the light of day?” Williams asked as the first event of the playoffs is currently underway at TPC Southwind.
He was joined by the hosts from The Wagyu Filet Show, Johnson Wagner, and Brendon de Jonge, and they, too, echoed the same concerns. They debated whether the current venues effectively engage fans and players, despite the large purses and high stakes leading up to the season’s end. While the second playoff event, the BMW Championship, does move around, the Tour Championship has been played on the same course since 2004. In their view, that has led to low attendance and a lack of buzz from fans, and East Lake, particularly, is criticized for its lack of drama and spectator appeal.
Johnson Wagner echoed it especially. While he praised Andrew Green’s renovation work on East Lake in 2024, Wagner admitted there’s a limit to what can be done — “But there’s not so much you can do for a boring golf course. It’s just long par 4 after long par 4 and uninteresting par 3s after uninteresting par 5s. It’s not an interesting place that provides a ton of drama. I think East Lake as a whole is just it would be a great place to go play as a member all the time, but for a championship golf course, I don’t think it is what we should be hosting our Super Bowl on.” Wagner compared the final playoff event to the Super Bowl and said it deserves a more demanding and exciting course for a season finisher.
The criticism stands in sharp contrast to the praise LIV Golf recently received from fans for its Chicago stop at Bolingbrook Golf Club. A LIV supporter took to social media to share his enthusiasm, “I hope @livgolf_league never stop going to Bolingbrook! The maintenance team dials this place up into a legitimately stiff test, and when the wind comes blowing in, the place becomes a faux major venue. I hear people on its general looks and office park area location, but it keeps kicking these guys’ ass and asking them to hit highly skilled golf shots to score — and I love it!”
The road to East Lake begins at the @FedExChamp.
— TOUR Championship (@TOURChamp) August 5, 2025
That kind of raw, fan-driven praise is something PGA Tour playoff events have been struggling to generate in recent years. With the growing perception that LIV Golf is delivering fresher, more challenging venues, pressure is mounting on the PGA Tour to rethink its approach. Whether that means moving to more dramatic courses in new regions or reimagining the FedEx Cup’s finale altogether, the call for change is growing louder.
Comparing PGA Tour and LIV Golf Venues
On the PGA Tour, course selection has long leaned on tradition, with many venues appearing year after year on the schedule. While the Masters is an exception because of its rich tradition associated with the Augusta National, other tournaments do have the flexibility to move around. Take the Wyndham Championship, for example. It has been hosted at Sedgefield Golf Club since 2008. The 3M Open has been hosted at TPC Twin Cities since 2001, and even the Rocket Classic has been played in Detroit since 2019. While the tour has occasionally introduced fresh stops
That said, the Tour does occasionally introduce fresh stops like at the BMW Championship, but the bulk of its high-stakes events continue to circle the same familiar layouts, like East Lake. LIV Golf, by contrast, has made variety one of its calling cards. The league has showcased a mix of established and unconventional venues, from Bolingbrook Golf Club to Valderrama in Spain. Each season brings a blend of repeat favorites and new additions, with LIV leaning into global expansion to keep the schedule fresh. This approach has helped fans to look forward to seeing how players handle different styles of courses and conditions.
The post PGA Tour Under Pressure to Pick Better Courses as LIV Golf Gains Upper Hand appeared first on EssentiallySports.