I remember not too long ago you could go to the Byron Nelson or Colonial here in the Dallas/Ft Worth area and really get up close and personal with the pros. You could get into the game and see what the Pro’s were dealing with on the golf course. You also could walk along with the pro’s or stand at the ropes of the tee box or green and get a great view of what they have to deal with the shot they had to make. It was the only way to get a full appreciation for the game.
Now, if you can get within 30 yards of tee or green you can’t see anything because of all of the friggin cameras and photographers and volunteers. And forget about seeing anything if Tiger is in the field..geez.
I know we need all of this commotion for coverage of the game to the rest of world, but is it helping or hurting golf?
The real experience of golf is seeing it played live in the environment it is played in. Sitting at home watching it on analog TV in the comfort of home just does not show how difficult the shot they had to make was and that it is 120 degrees here in Texas..none of that could be experienced watching golf on TV.
Until now, with the invention of the High Definition LCD television sets, you can see the sweat rolling and the tenseness in the forearms and how Phil’s Brown Belt clashes with his black shoes. OK, the fashion statement was a side-shot, but all of the things you cannot see from the sidelines of the event you can now see on these HD Sets.
We broke down and bought a large screen LCD HD set. I have been totally blown away with how it has changed viewing golf. We got one of the larger screens since we have a larger living room. When I walk into the room when golf is on I feel like I am standing on the fairway with the players. It is simply marvelous.
After watching the Masters and the Players and other golf events in HD, I now have to ask, how long will it be before people quiet going to the golf tournaments and stay at home and watch it on HDTV? The experience is much better and the environment is more controlled..that is if you mute out Johnny Miller.
So here we have another ‘What if’ line of questions.
What if nobody went to the tournaments? Would we have to start paying to watch golf on TV?..or did I just give the Golf Channel an idea? How will golf survive if the events were just Televised and not set up for live audiences? Certainly the economy of the area the event is held would suffer.
All of these questions asked in today’s economy are concerning. Especially with non-golf marketing companies looking for everyway to capture an audience for their Non-golf clients.
I am not an advocate of the push for golf to go to TV and away for the live events, but with more and more people wanting that up close experience and are willing to pay for it, anything is a possibility. Will it help golf? I doubt it..but we will have to deal with it if it happens. Won’t we?
Scot – Have to disagree with you about fans not being able to get up-and-close to the action at PGA TOUR events anymore. I haven't been to the CPI or the HP Byron Nelson yet, but I have been to three events this year and followed along with all the players I wanted to see — including Tiger. Of course, if you want to walk along with Tiger, Phil or the local hero, you have to plan your strategy and be patient with the other hundreds or thousands of fans who are doing the same thing, but it can be done. Even at THE PLAYERS this past week, I followed Sergio Garcia, Camilo Villegas, Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, Richard S. Johnson, etc and was able to get in position on tees and greens to see the lines of their tee shots and breaks in the putts where I wanted to. Yes, there are photographers and videographers inside the ropes, and volunteers stationed around each tee and green, but they have never ruined my experience of trying to watch my favorite players. Even following Tiger can be done easily, if you can commit to being at the course at daybreak on a Tues or Wed when he plays his practice rounds.
Golf is the sport that has benefited the most from HDTV, for the reasons that you mentioned. However, I hope there is not a time when people would choose to stay at home to watch TV rather than have the chance to watch their favorite players live, experience all the activity around a golf tournament, and help give back to local charities by attending a tournament. I think we're safe from pay-per-view golf, with maybe the exception of made-for-TV programming like the Skins game, for quite some time.
Lauren, Thanks so much for your comment. I truly respect your opinions and also agree that there are ways of seeing the pros play live. As I mentioned, that experience of watching a golf tournament live can not be duplicated and I hope it continues.
However, producing a golf event has gotten more and more expensive each year. With Tiger raising the bar for the purses the players are playing for the price of a ticket to watch the event will not come close to covering the costs. The burden on covering the costs is strapped on the sponsors. Today's sponsors of the golf events are only there for business. Their love for the game of golf only goes as far as the bank. So they will look for more and more ways to make money off the events. Thus is why watching golf on TV and selling advertising minutes on those programs could be an OLD way of going things soon.
I am a veteran of watching a lot of golf live at the tournament in many different ways. The way golf use to be viewed at a tournament has changed immensely. There are far more hassles with viewing golf live today which is pushing more people to watching golf on TV. The hassle of parking and then being bused into the venue. The pushing and shoving of crowds that sometimes are not there for the golf but to be seen. All of this plus the media taking priority of plopping down in front of you blocking your view of the players…. well, more people like me are going to stop going to the events and stay at home and watch it on HDTV. The sponsors are going to want to capitalize
on this thus is why I feel it is only a matter of time before watching golf can only be done on TV.
I too hope it doesn't, but am afraid it is a possibility..
Scot, in my experience, I'm inclined to agree with LB about golf tournament access. I can catch most players (all but Tiger, Phil, top 5 guys) without much problem at all. Even those top five guys can be done with a plan. Mine is to always stay 3 holes ahead of the guy I want to see. I can catch him 6 times per round that way. But, I digress.
Purses generally remain pretty static on the PGA Tour during a television contract. The current deal ends in 2012 and the purse size is pretty steady outside of the majors and the Players – they fluctuate each year. The bulk of that definitely does hinge upon sponsorship. Title sponsors are very critical, but as are more local secondary sponsors. Those secondary sponsors tend to use sponsorship as an opportunity to entertain clients, etc. The in person experience is what they invest in with the PGA Tour – be it the company-client, player-company, etc. relationship.
The title sponsors definitely appear to be trying to integrate their sponsorship in more ways. For example, Zurich has bought space on Waggle Room to promote the charities that benefit from their event in New Orleans. Seems like brands that get with golf are going to try to take the integrated marketing and communications strategy to the game.
As for the media, you know there's been quite a reversal in the amount of golf media. Less than a handful of newspapers have a full-time golf writer. The number of people covering golf is going down in the professional ranks. So, that might improve – or is already.
Ryan,
Thanks for the comment.
I agree with you to a point. What I agree with is, yes, if you manage your time effectively you can see the PGA and LPGA tour players live and close up at the tour events..yes that is even Tiger.
The experience of a live even had nothing to compare with until technology kicked in recently. Now, that same experience of being their live can be experienced in the comfort of your living room. Which is the point I was making.
The quality of the HD is going to affect the number of people who attend the events. Then from there it becomes a numbers game.
The economy of golf is very fragile right now and it will be getting harder for the PGA to sell sponsorships to cover the costs of most events. So they are going to lean on everything of value to the PGA to raise money…which could be raising the bet on the TV contracts. That would be where the HD TV's will be effected.
We will get to watch golf but will have to pay for the privilege of watching it from home.
Scot, in my experience, I'm inclined to agree with LB about golf tournament access. I can catch most players (all but Tiger, Phil, top 5 guys) without much problem at all. Even those top five guys can be done with a plan. Mine is to always stay 3 holes ahead of the guy I want to see. I can catch him 6 times per round that way. But, I digress.
Purses generally remain pretty static on the PGA Tour during a television contract. The current deal ends in 2012 and the purse size is pretty steady outside of the majors and the Players – they fluctuate each year. The bulk of that definitely does hinge upon sponsorship. Title sponsors are very critical, but as are more local secondary sponsors. Those secondary sponsors tend to use sponsorship as an opportunity to entertain clients, etc. The in person experience is what they invest in with the PGA Tour – be it the company-client, player-company, etc. relationship.
The title sponsors definitely appear to be trying to integrate their sponsorship in more ways. For example, Zurich has bought space on Waggle Room to promote the charities that benefit from their event in New Orleans. Seems like brands that get with golf are going to try to take the integrated marketing and communications strategy to the game.
As for the media, you know there's been quite a reversal in the amount of golf media. Less than a handful of newspapers have a full-time golf writer. The number of people covering golf is going down in the professional ranks. So, that might improve – or is already.
Ryan,
Thanks for the comment.
I agree with you to a point. What I agree with is, yes, if you manage your time effectively you can see the PGA and LPGA tour players live and close up at the tour events..yes that is even Tiger.
The experience of a live even had nothing to compare with until technology kicked in recently. Now, that same experience of being their live can be experienced in the comfort of your living room. Which is the point I was making.
The quality of the HD is going to affect the number of people who attend the events. Then from there it becomes a numbers game.
The economy of golf is very fragile right now and it will be getting harder for the PGA to sell sponsorships to cover the costs of most events. So they are going to lean on everything of value to the PGA to raise money…which could be raising the bet on the TV contracts. That would be where the HD TV's will be effected.
We will get to watch golf but will have to pay for the privilege of watching it from home.