Patrick Koenig - I Jumped Off The Cliff In 2018 And Began My RGV Tour, In A year, I Played 405 Different Golf Courses Across 48 States (Golf Photographer, USA)

 

Light, light and more light. Pay attention to those golden hours.

1. Tell us about your upbringing and journey? 

I was born in South Bend Indiana and learned to play golf at a little 9 hole course called Arlington Park in Fort Wayne IN. I have lived in Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, and currently reside in Laguna Beach, CA. For the past 3 years, I have been a full time golf course photographer.

2. When did you first decide you want to be a photographer and that also within a specific category as a golf photographer?

I have always wanted to do something in golf for a living, but because of the sport's popularity it was always difficult to find my niche. Eventually I just jumped off the cliff in 2018 and began my RGV Tour. 

Inn one year, I played 405 different golf courses across 48 states while raising money for The First Tee of Seattle. This is what launched my career as a golf photographer and social media personality.

3. What are some tips and skills you would like to share with the amateur photographers? 

Light, light and more light. Pay attention to those golden hours.

4. What does success look like to you in this job? 

Simply being able to do my job is success to me. As long as I stay busy and manage to cover my rent, I am one happy man.

5. Is there any favorite photographer you idolize. If yes, then why?

There are a lot of great photographers out there and I take a little bit of influence from each one. Walter Iooss comes to mind.

6. Is this profession financialy stable? 

I am still establishing my business, but it has been viable since I started.

7. Which is your favourite book and why? 

The Dirt by Motely Crue with Neil Strauss. I have always been a Motley Crue fan since my first concert at the age of 8.

- Patrick Koenig

My name is Patrick Koenig and I am a wildly enthusiastic golfer who loves to capture the outstanding people, places, and things that I encounter on the golf course.

Over my lifetime, I have had the opportunity to photograph some of the world’s most famous golf courses and I have found that every great photograph tells a story. These stories and photographs have been featured on the pages of GOLF, Golf Digest, The Golfer’s Journal, and countless other publications. Here on pjkoenig.com, you will find an exhaustive library of my favorite tales.

Below are the links to my golf blog, The RGV Tour, golf podcast, and general course galleries. Please jump in and explore. If you share my passion for golf, time spent on pjkoenig.com is time well spent.  

Hopefully, my experiences will in some way enhance yours. At the end of every golf trip I think to myself... "What if I didn't have to stop playing golf? What if I could just drive down the road and go to the next golf course? The next state? Just never stop playing golf?" For years that has been my dream.

I have decided that the time to live the dream is now. I have resigned from my sales position, I have purchased a recreational vehicle (RV), and turned it into a recreational golf vehicle (RGV). and I am touring the country playing golf.

- Interviewed By Kusum Jha