Who Was Cody 'Beef' Franke? What To Know About The Media Figure
How Cody 'Beef' Franke Made A Name For Himself On Social Media
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Cody "Beef" Franke went from the green to the screens over the course of his career, as he turned his passion for golf into a way to garner followers on social media.
However, in 2025, several of his collaborators revealed he'd suddenly died.
We're going to take a look into the influencer's background and see what he did to end up with a following in the tens of thousands.
Franke Was A Native Of Chicago
Franke was originally from Chicago, and he played multiple sports during his childhood, according to PGA.
The media figure picked up golf at an early age, and he dedicated himself to the sport in high school after he was made to decide between golf and football, which are played during the same season in Illinois.
Franke's interest in the game extended into his college years, and he finished the PGA Golf Management program at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan.
We should also mention golf's pretty big in Franke's family, as his brother Craig also works in the golf industry.
He Worked On Golf Courses Before Joining Barstool
Franke began his career at Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert, California, and he later moved to Wisconsin to work at Thornberry Creek at Oneida.
He also began his career in social media after moving to California, and he would create content to help other golfers improve their game, which built him a following of 30,000 in just a month.
Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy reportedly contacted Franke in November 2024, and it was revealed the social media star would be appearing on the media company's "Fore Play Golf Podcast" as its in-house golf professional.
The social media star ended up leaving his position at Thornberry Creek to focus on his career as an influencer.
Franke Died In The Dominican Republic
Franke's death, which took place in October 2025, was announced on the "Fore Play Golf Podcast's" official Instagram account.
A short message was shared with the post, in which it was expressed that the social media star died after experiencing a "sudden medical issue."
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Franke's colleague Dan "Big Cat" Katz claimed the golfer was in the Dominican Republic for a wedding at the time of his death.
Portnoy issued a statement regarding the social media star's death and stated it was "hard to even process" his loss.
