Netflix Archives • GolfStinks

Perhaps I’m a bit late to the party, but over the past year I’ve come to really appreciate my Netflix subscription. The company is producing quality original programming these days – from the rebirth of the somewhat legendary sitcom “Arrested Development” to the awesome new comedy/drama, “Orange Is The New Black” – Netflix is challenging the likes of HBO and Showtime.

Now the folks at the subscription TV service have decided to produce their first original documentary…and they’ve chosen golf as their topic. But what really got my attention is this documentary doesn’t focus on the PGA Tour or any of the paid tours for that matter (which, let’s face it, would be an utter snore). Instead, it focuses on kids. The appropriately titled documentary “The Short Game” is set to debut tomorrow on Netflix and GolfStinks was given an advanced screening last week.

The story centers around eight of the most competitive golfers from around the world. The only catch? They’re 7 years old. These kids are the best golfers in their respective corners of the globe (amongst their age group) and are followed as they train for and compete in the World Championship of Junior Golf (which happens to take place at the famed Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina – lucky little tykes).

The kids are silly; a bit shy; sometimes awkward; and absolutely charming in the presence of the cameras. They all have great swings and a raw talent for the game. But to see a 7-year-old girl weight training because she’s getting out-driven on the tee by her peers is a bit shocking. Or the boy who’s up at the crack of dawn to run with his workout coach (who also happens to be wearing a CrossFit T-shirt). It is obvious from the very beginning: This is a serious competition.

Though as with any organized competition amongst youngsters, the storyline is also about the parents. To be sure, the parents are going to do whatever it takes to ensure their child does his or her best.

And this is where The Short Game becomes exemplary. It highlights the vast difference in parenting styles – from those that feel their child’s experience is more important than the final score; to those that feel the only important thing is the final score.

There’s a father from South Africa whose son is trying his hardest to break into the top 20. He wants his son to accomplish this goal, but more so, he wants his son to enjoy the experience. Meanwhile, there’s a dad from California who wants his daughter to be the next Tiger Woods. By the end of the documentary, we learn both father and daughter are in anger management counseling (Tiger would be proud).

There’s the mom that teaches her son how to play with dignity (regardless of the outcome); and the superstitious dad that changes his daughter’s entire routine (much to her chagrin) after her poor first round – from switching seats at breakfast to not taking a drink from a particular water jug.

There are wonderful moments in this documentary – many kids (it appears) are truly able to balance the competitive side with the fun side. But there are some alarming moments too. The pressures of wanting to be the best in the world would take its toll on anyone – especially a child.

Having two young kids myself, The Short Game really made me think about what golf is meant to be. Sure, being the best is great. But shouldn’t it be mostly about having fun – especially when you’re young? And if this is what it takes to produce the next PGA or LPGA player (or next professional athlete in general), is it worth it? My son is 3 – should I get him a golf coach and CrossFit trainer starting now? Perhaps a counselor to boot? Or is that overkill? After all, serious competition is just a few years away.

Regardless of the mixed-emotions I felt while watching this film, The Short Game is a fascinating look at where competitive golf begins. And to go a bit further: It is quite possibly the most telling and frank documentary ever made about this game. The film is directed by Emmy award-winner Josh Greenbaum (executive producers include Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake) and has already taken home the 2013 Audience Award at this year’s South by Southwest.

The Short Game premiers on Netflix Thursday, December 12th at 12:01 AM PT.

Can video games about golf drum-up interest? — Can video games drum-up interest in golf?

I grew up playing video games. I distinctly remember me and my friends from the neighborhood gathering at each others houses to play Atari, Intellivision and Coleco as soon as one of us got a new game. I remember the craze when Nintendo first hit stores, and I remember being the first of my friends to have it. It was like Christmas for everyone in my neighborhood!

All these years later, things aren’t so different. I still play games myself sometimes, although my Playstation 3 is used equally as much by me for Netflix and Blu-Ray movies. But my kids…that’s another story.

They love the video games just as much as I did when I was a kid. I have three different gaming systems in my house right now, not including anything portable. Seems silly, right? Well, not really. Each of them serves a bit of a different purpose. Besides a game system, my PS3, as mentioned earlier, is a Blu-Ray player and Netflix streamer. The Wii is for the more “active” games and is probably the most fun of the three systems. The XBox 360 is pretty much strictly for gaming. But I’ll tell you what else the games are – the Wii specifically, was used as a tool to get my boys interested in the game of golf.

People freak out and think that video games have a negative effect on kids. Many people feel if kids see violence in a game, they’re going to think violence is OK in real life. Well, I’m not saying these people are wrong, but if your kids play Grand Theft Auto for a few hours, then go out and steal a car and beat up a hooker…sorry, but it’s not the game. You’re failing as a parent. You’ve got bigger problems than video games.

Me, I’ve used my Wii to influence my kids. No, I didn’t buy Call of Duty so I can get them to buy guns…although, it seems to have influenced me a bit. Rather, it started out with Wii Sports (a “sampler” game that comes with the Wii). Included in this game is a cartoon-like 9-hole golf course. But the idea that you use the controller as a club is what intrigued my kids, as well as myself which is why I bought the system to begin with. And guess what…it helped!

My boys had no interest at all in watching golf on TV. And even though I play golf, they didn’t really seem to share my interest. That is, until they swung the controller on the Wii. Somehow, that seemed to open the door. Next thing you know, they want to go to a real driving range. Soon after, my oldest uses his birthday money to buy a starter set of clubs. The next season, we’re out on the course. Now, my youngest boy is interested in buying his own set of clubs! And I have to say, a golf video game is partially responsible for this.

So what could this mean for the future of this sport? Could golf video games help influence kids to pick up a real driver rather than just a virtual one? Should the USGA or PGA take this into consideration and do more to work these games into the sports promotion? I don’t have any real proof or statistics to show that a video game can influence this behavior, but I do know of two instances when it has.

Now it remains to be seen if golf does continue to hold my boys interest. For now, basketball is still first on the list for both, as well as baseball for one and soccer for the other. But the golf seed has been planted. And if it’s true that video games do have this “effect” on kids, then why not use it to your advantage rather than just complain about it? Get them influenced by something positive rather than some “shoot ’em up” game. You never know, you may end up with a future playing partner for years to come!

Swing ’til you’re happy, even if it’s with a virtual club!

Film Review: The Short Game

Could The Future of Golf Rely On Video Games?

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