He attended East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in the United States on a golf scholarship, where he studied Communications and was awarded All-American honors.
He had a successful amateur golf career which included winning both the Irish matchplay and strokeplay championships and representing Great Britain and Ireland in the 1997 Walker Cup. Since turning professional at the end of 1997, Nolan has competed on the both the Professional Golf Association Tour and its official development tour, the Nationwide Tour. Having found little success in tournament golf, he has also worked as an assistant coach at ETSU as well as caddying for Garrett Willis on the Professional Golf Association Tour.
1996 Irish Amateur Open Championship Amateur Eisenhower Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1996 Palmer Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1997 Walker Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1997.
Nolan has been a member of the Professional Golf Association Tour and Nationwide Tour.