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The "Excitement" Of A Golf Tournament

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This past Friday I had the opportunity to attend game three of the Heat vs. Celtics playoff series.  It’s been a while since I’ve been to an NBA game, and even longer since I’ve been to a playoff game.  I forgot how much fun it is.  The intensity of the crowd, the players, and not too mention the game itself.  It’s a great experience and lots of fun.  It’s also something that’s missing from golf.

Now I’ve been to golf tournaments, but never a major.  So I may be a little off in my view here.  However, I have to say, in comparison to even a regular season NBA game, there is simply no comparison. 

Part of the draw for fans to any sporting event is how much fun and how exciting it is going to be while there.  And even though it’s not my favorite sport, a basketball game is where it’s at action-wise.  I love football, but there’s a lot of down-time.  I read somewhere once that, on average, a two-and-a-half hour baseball game has less than ten minutes of actual game play.  So you can see how baseball could be a little too slow moving as well.  But both of these pale in comparison to the “excitement” of a golf match. 

Talk about slow moving. I love the sport of golf, but watching it?  I’ve had people tell me they’re not interested in going to a tournament unless it’s free.  I’ve even had free tickets that people have refused!  If someone hands me tickets to a football, basketball or baseball game…count me in!  And that goes the same for most sports fans I know.  But golf? All of a sudden people have to mow their lawns.  They have some work to do around their house.  Or they have a birthday party to attend.  What’s the deal?

Well, when you take a sporting event at which half the fun of attending is going to the beer tent…you can see the issue here.  The excitement of standing still and being as quiet as possible, while absolutely riveting for some, is mind-numbing for others.  How do you talk someone who’s not really a golf fan into going to a tournament?  “Hey, it’s gonna be great!  Over-priced beer, sub-par food, wander around the course for a while and stand quiet as a church mouse.”  Yeah…good luck. 

I understand why people have to be quiet during the shots.  I also understand that the draw to a golf tournament is seeing the best of the best.  But that doesn’t make me want to attend a professional chess match!  So I guess I can understand why people feel the way they feel about a golf tournament. 

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not one of these people.  I will attend a golf tournament if I have the opportunity to do so.  I like the sport.  I want to see the guys who are the best at it compete.  But I can also understand how people find it dull and unentertaining.  Especially when you compare it to a sport like basketball where there is non-stop action and the only down-time is between quarters and during time-outs.            

So with that being said, I encourage everyone to at least give a tournament a shot if you haven’t before.  I plan on doing this myself in a couple of weeks at the Travelers Championship here in CT.  It’s only about 10 minutes from my house, so how can I pass it up?  Now, I’m just waiting for my boss to pony up a few tickets…    

Swing ’til you’re happy!
                

A New Kind of Apparel For the Golf Fan

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When you look at a golf blog and see the name Woods, obviously you think of Tiger.  So when a football jersey sporting the name Woods appears on that golf blog, some confusions likely ensues.  But any NFL fan knows that, pictured to the left, is an Ickey Woods jersey. 

And to prove the NFL’s marketing genius, every NFL fan who sees this jersey instantly recognizes it despite the fact Ickey has been out of the league since 1991 and played a total of only 37 games in his injury-shortened career.  Further, his career numbers have been eclipsed by several players in just a single season!

Jersey sales rake in boatloads of money for the NFL.  You can see them worn everywhere at NFL stadiums as well as just out and about.  I have several myself.  It’s a great way for the NFL to market their teams, as well as the players, at the same time.  This is something that the PGA is sorely lacking.  But because there are no uniforms or teams on the PGA Tour, there really isn’t much that can be done about it.  Or, is there?

The golfers themselves can cash in on numerous sponsorships.  But how much does a BMW logo on a players shirt help the tour?  Take a look at Tiger Woods for instance.  Nike has made it’s own brand out of one player.  What’s to stop Callaway from doing the same for Phil?  Or any apparel company from taking on Rory? 

Better yet, the PGA Tour puts out it’s own apparel line.  I have a white PGA Tour polo shirt, so I know they exist.  They could simply start there.  What if fans could purchase shirts, hats, golf shoes, etc. directly associated with their favorite tour player, much the same as a Patriots fan could purchase a Tom Brady jersey?  This way, the players as well as the tour are getting free advertising as soon as someone walks out their front door wearing one.

I remember back in the 90’s when sports jersey sales were really taking off.  Back then, besides a regular jersey from any sport, you could find lots of cross-promotion between sports going on.  Hockey jersey’s with NBA logos and baseball jersey’s sporting NFL teams were not uncommon.  This is a direction the PGA could choose to go.  Not too mention, most of the fans who would be purchasing something like this would be on the younger side – a demographic that the PGA needs to get more interested in the sport.  

But the problem is, not many others besides me seems to know PGA Tour apparel exists…not even the PGA, or one would think by looking at their apparel website.  This site tells you almost nothing about the actual apparel.  Not too mention, it looks like the PGA doesn’t do anything about it either as there is an advertisement clearly marked ’09, as in 2009, at the bottom of the page.  A three year old advertisement?  Yeah…they’re paying attention.

See, something like this, to me anyway, should be a no-brainer.  But instead, a worthless website that generates little traffic, is simply wasting the PGA’s money rather than doing something to generate revenue as well as the popularity of it’s players and the tour itself.

I know this all sounds a little silly, especially to the purists, snobs or the the fans who, for some strange reason, dress like they are about to step onto the course when they’re doing nothing more than watching a tournament.  But to put all of this in simpler terms, at the next tournament you attend, wouldn’t it be cool to see a baseball-style jersey with the back marked “Lefty 01” rather than just a bunch of polo shirts that all seem to blend together? Well, I think it would. 

Swing ’til you’re happy!           

Golf Needs Jeremy Lin

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Well, if you haven’t figured it out by now, it’s official.  Linsanity is running wild throughout the basketball world.  Actually, make that the whole world.  Being a basketball fan, I’ve been sucked in.  And why shouldn’t I be?  Here’s an Ivy League kid who wasn’t offered a scholarship by any school, went undrafted and signed as a free agent with the Golden State Warriors, was then cut by two teams before signing with the Knicks.  And supposedly was about to be cut by them if not for injury problems on their roster.

But then one game comes along and he outplays an all-star.  He starts the next game, lights it up and his coach decides he’s going to “ride Lin like freakin’ Secretariat.”  No looking back since then.  Eleven straight good, if not great, games and a star is born. 

But it’s not only Lin or the Knicks who are benefiting from this new-found stardom.  TV ratings for the Knicks are up.  Ticket prices have risen.  The international fanbase is growing again.  Hell, even stock prices for Madison Square Garden are up about six percent!  The NBA couldn’t have made-up a better story!

Now, I’m not really one for the “manufactured” story, but creating a Jeremy Lin may be something the PGA wants to look into.  I mean, why not?  Look at what it’s done for the NBA!  And coming off of a lockout, it couldn’t have happened at a better time. 

With golf’s TV ratings as low as they are, the sport’s biggest star clearly not what he once was and overall interest in the game falling every year, golf needs a knight in shining armor.  Think sixteen years ago to 1996 when Tiger first came on the scene prefessionally.  That’s what golf needs now in 2012. 

So who will it be?  Who knows?  How about they start with the next relatively unknown player to finish high in a tournament?  Remember, he doesn’t have to be a great player, or even a player who will compete for the win in every tournament.  It just has to be a player that everyone can get behind.  Lin is not a top-ten player.  He’s probably not even a top ten player at his own position, he’s just on a serious hot streak.  But that’s not what matters to fans.  First and foremost, it’s the story that matters. 

The beauty of competitive golf is that not alot of strokes separate the best 18-hole round from someone in the middle of the pack.  So taking a player and saying he finished only four strokes back might, in actuality, be a long way behind.  But it doesn’t sound like much, and that’s the key.  Losing by four makes you sound like you had a good shot down the stretch.  Play that out and hope.  And you never know, maybe you catch lightning in a bottle!

Well, I don’t know if this makes any sense really.  Just looking for ideas to help as usual.  Besides, who would you start with?  How about John Huh?  Who?  Exactly.  Some of you may know him now, after yesterday.  But you didn’t know him two days ago, did you?  Only the hardest of the hardcore golf fans did. 
 
This is a chance for the PGA to jump on it’s own Jeremy Lin-like hype.  You see what it’s done for the NBA.  Why can’t it do the same for the PGA?  It has to start somewhere.  Here’s as good an opportunity as any.

Swing ’til you’re happy!                   

Golf Gimmick Update

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It was roughly three months ago that I purchased, and blogged about, my first golf gimmick – an EFX Performance hologram wristband.

At the time, I referred to it as a golf gimmick, but after purchasing mine, I began noticing athletes from many different sports wearing similar, if not the exact same, products. So noticing professional athletes such as NBA star Deron Williams and NY Met Carlos Beltran sporting the same product, I thought maybe I was onto something.

However, in the golf blogosphere, I noticed many mixed reviews – some people swore by them, while others were adamant about their “placebo effect.” Well, I’ve been wearing the bracelet on a regular basis since purchase and in three months since, I think I’m able to draw some of my own conclusions. And I would like to report, while not life changing, I have seen a positive effect.

In my everyday life, I’ll be honest…I just don’t see a difference in anything. I can’t say that I feel or see a difference in my body and I’m not quite sure that I feel a difference in my energy level either. However, one thing I have noticed is that I feel I need less sleep. I don’t know if the bracelet has something to do with this or not, but it is a difference either way. There was a time when I felt that if I didn’t get at least X hours of sleep each night that I would not be able to function at a high level the next day. That feeling has been greatly diminished.

But what about the actual reason I bought the bracelet? What has it done for my golf game? Has it made me a scratch golfer? Has it dramatically lowered my handicap? Has it made me better at all? Quite simply, the answer is no. But, that doesn’t mean it has done nothing.

When I had purchased the bracelet to begin with, I was not purchasing it for any mystical healing powers. I didn’t purchase it to give me Tony Little-like energy levels. No, what got me excited was the supposed benefits to my balance. After all, balance is key for a golfer. So for only $20 I thought, why not give it a shot? So how has it worked out so far? Well, after a small sampling (36 holes), I admit, I am pleasantly surprised.

While my scores so far this year do not reflect it, I feel there is definitely some improvement in my balance. Through two 9-hole rounds and one 18, I have noticed that I have yet to take one off-balance swing this year. Is that a coincidence? I’m sorry, but I don’t think so. I didn’t practice any more than usual during the off-season. As a matter of fact, I practiced less. So why the sudden better balance on my swing? I have no other explanation.

So with the balance improvement being noticable, I am hoping that it will possibly lead to improvements in other areas of my game. But all of that remains to be seen.

Now, to speak to the nay-sayers who are quick to write this off as the “placebo effect,” I ask how many of you have actually given it a chance? I would venture to say that, despite what you would lead us to believe, most of you have either never tried one or had written it off before you ever did. Is it a placebo effect, or is there actually a benefit? Well, in response to the people who swear by the placebo theory (which, I admit, may be the case), I ask, whether it’s a placebo effect or reality, doesn’t that mean the product is working anyway?

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Is A Teenage Competitor Good For Golf?

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So by now, most golf fans probably know who Beau Hossler is. If not, he’s the 16-year old playing in the U.S. Open who, after the first round, currently stands at 5-over. Not bad for a 16-year old. Actually, not bad for anyone! I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve approached that number on 9-holes. So for me, a 76? Unfathomable.

Needless to say I find myself, like many other fans of the sport, rooting for this kid to do well. But as I do root for him, I also find myself wondering if that’s a good idea. It’s strange, but as much as I would like to see him do well, part of me thinks this is not good for the sport as a whole. Let me explain myself.

We as Americans, in general, are smitten with sports that are either fast, physical or a combination of the two. Golf, as if it isn’t obvious enough, is neither. Hence golf’s declining audience and participation. So when the likes of a high school junior are able to hang with the pros for a round or two, in a major no less, I can understand how non- or casual golf fans can be turned off by this.

Look at some of those other fast and physical sports. Take football for instance. I would like someone to point out one single 16-year old who could hang on the gridiron for even a few plays with some NFL pros. Imagine handing a football to some pizza-faced kid and having him run up the middle against the Baltimore Ravens D? His career would be over after a play or two.

Basketball? OK, before you go ahead and mention the names, Kobe, Garnett, LeBron and Moses Malone (some of the players who successfully made the jump from high school to the pros), keep in mind for every Kobe, there are three Korleone Young’s, Leon Smith’s and DeAngelo Collins’ (among the unsuccessful jumpers). Further, these players were all at least 18 and playing a sport far less physical than football. Further, one can even make the argument that high school players and college underclassmen making the jump to the NBA have been a detriment to the game.

Even in baseball, only 28 players in the history of MLB have made the jump directly from high-school to the pros. And of those, only a handful can be considered to have had successful careers. Quite simply, even though the sport is not overly physical, the strength and speed of players in the majors simply cannot be matched by 18-year old kids. But in golf, 16-year olds can compete with the pros? And in the case of Matteo Manassero, a 17-year old can make the cut?!

While I, myself, have no real issue with it (and as mentioned, I’m pulling for the kid to do well) I do believe it is a turn-off to fans of the faster, more physical sports that many of us love. After all, this is America. There’s a reason we love football, not futbol. Watching a teenager hang with the big boys, ala Pele, makes the sport seem less challenging and require less experience and less physical ability and prowess. While us golfers may understand that is not necessarily the case, you would have to admit that you can understand where the critics are coming from.

For a sport that is losing spectators and players every year, the last thing they should want is to turn-off any potential fans. Obviously, it’s not the kids fault – he’s just a damn good player. But if the PGA found the way to promote this properly, such as to use his age as motivation for the next generation of golfers, they could have a potential game-changer on their hands.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

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