What Is a Pro-Am in Golf?

A pro-am in golf is an event that pairs professional golfers with amateur players, letting amateurs compete on the same team or in the same field as the pros. The name is simply a contraction of “professional-amateur,” and the format exists to give recreational golfers, sponsors and celebrities the thrill of playing alongside touring professionals.

Pro-ams are a fixture of the professional game, most visibly in the practice-day events that precede tour tournaments and in a handful of famous tournaments built around the format. Here is how a pro-am actually works, the different types you will encounter, and the practical questions of cost and prizes.

The two main types of pro-am

Not all pro-ams are the same. The most common by far is the pre-tournament pro-am, held the Wednesday before a regular tour event. Amateurs, often corporate guests, sponsors or paying participants, are grouped with a professional for a single relaxed round. For the pro it doubles as a practice day; for the amateur it is a bucket-list experience of walking the same fairways as the stars.

The second type is the official pro-am tournament, where the amateur element is baked into the competition itself. The best-known example is the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where professionals and their amateur partners play together across famous courses and both the pro event and the team competition run over the same days. These are far rarer but carry real prestige.

How the format works

Most pro-ams use a team format with handicap strokes so that players of very different abilities can compete together. The two most common structures are the scramble, where the team plays the best of everyone’s shots each time, and best-ball, where each player plays their own ball and the team counts the lowest score on the hole. Both let a high-handicap amateur contribute without holding the team back.

Pro-am type	When it happens	Who plays	Typical format
Pre-tournament pro-am	Wednesday before a tour event	Sponsors, guests, paying amateurs + a pro	Team best-ball or scramble with handicaps
Official pro-am tournament	The tournament itself	Pros and their amateur partners	Team competition alongside the pro event
Charity pro-am	Standalone fundraiser	Donors and local pros	Scramble, prizes for winning teams

Because amateurs receive handicap strokes, the pressure is lower and the day is built around enjoyment and fundraising as much as competition. To understand the scoring side better, our guide to the best-ball golf format breaks down exactly how team scores are counted.

What it costs and what you win

Cost is the question most would-be participants ask, and the honest answer is that it varies widely. Local and charity pro-ams might sell a team spot for a few thousand dollars, with the proceeds going to a good cause, while high-profile pro-ams attached to major tour events can charge tens of thousands of dollars per amateur, often as part of a hospitality package. There is no single flat fee; it depends entirely on the event.

Prizes for amateurs are usually modest. The winning team typically receives trophies, gifts or memorabilia rather than big cash purses, and the true reward is the experience itself. The professionals in an official pro-am, by contrast, are playing for real prize money and ranking points.

Etiquette and why pro-ams matter

Playing with a professional comes with etiquette expectations: keep pace, respect the pro’s preparation, and follow the group’s lead on customs like conceding short putts, our explainer on what a gimme is in golf covers that particular courtesy. Beyond the fun, pro-ams are commercially important. They generate sponsor goodwill, raise substantial money for tournament charities, and give the sport a friendly, accessible face, which is why nearly every tour stop features one.

The short version: a pro-am pairs professionals with amateurs, either in a practice-day event before a tournament or in a dedicated pro-am tournament, usually played as a handicapped team format like best-ball or scramble. Entry can cost anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, and for amateurs the prize is mainly the experience of teeing it up with the pros.