Golf has changed and will continue to change with each generation. Some of the changes are good..but many changes golf makes are really not for the better…or good for the game or sport of golf.
So, what are some of the things that need to be included in the next phase of golf?
Better Network TV Coverage
Right now golf is mainly seen played on television or…now…the internet. Golf on TV has brought on some good changes. However, how golf is covered is still not of interest to the people who like to cheer for their favorite players.
How golf is covered on TV is more focused on what the sponsors of the event and TV network want..which is focused on who is winning.
What will have to change with the TV coverage of golf today is TV Networks will need to give their viewers the option to watch the professional players they want to watch.
Yes, covering EVERY player on the course will require a lot more equipment and technology and…of course…a whole lot more viewers to appease the sponsors who will have to pay for those options. But..if you build it….they will come.
Tone Down the Golf Jorgan
If the sponsors of golf want more golfers to watch TV golf then might I suggest that the commentators on TV Golf might want to keep the “Golf Jargan” down.
Golf Jargon:
Golf Jargon is the specialized terminology associated with golf or the activities associated to playing golf. Golf Jargon is normally employed in a particular communicative context and may not be well understood outside that context of the person delivering the jargon. The context of Golf Jargon is usually a associated with the professional players, but any ingroup of golfers can have their Golf Jargon.
Talking about the ‘secret sauce’ that Phil puts on the ball when he hits in on ‘one grove up’ on his wedge….is not telling a Non-Golfer ANYTHING.
I have sat watching golf with many non-golfers who have no idea what the commentators say when they lay down a line of comments that are filled with Golf Jargon. Many times the non-golfers will get up and leave or worse…change channels.
To golfers, Golf Jargon is understood and in many cases amusing..but unless TV commentators want to put sub captions on screen translating what they just said then they are losing a lot of viewers which translates to losing a large number of potential new golfers.
Track Every Shot
This focus on promoting golf on television has offered a better view of the game and sport of golf. Watching golf played at the top level of skill is good. With the tracking technology that TV uses it now provides viewers the ability to see the flight of the golf ball..which provides an explanation of why people play golf.
Yet, just tracking the tee shot is not enough. TV coverage should track every shot the player makes. Being able to watch the approach shot would unveil the ‘Secret Sauce’ professional players have that average golfers do not.
Reel In the Amount of Time it Takes to Play Golf
Golf is always going to take time to play…but does it have to take 6 hours? The answer is NO! and the Question on why Golf has allowed the game of golf to get that slow is due to Golf allowing the players who are ambassadors of the game of Golf to play the game slow.
Yes, the professional golfers literally hold in their hands the image of how the game of golf is played. When millions of TV viewers see a pro-golfer take ten minutes to get a ruling on a lost ball..that is how long the average golfer is going to take.
Sure, pro-golfers have a lot on the line and to them playing golf is their living so of course, they are going to take a moment to make sure they are going to make the right club selection.
They are the masters of the game…the sushi chefs of the golf ball. They can hit a golfball within inches of exactly where they wanted to hit the ball.
So, by all means…let us average golfers see how they do that….isn’t that what they are getting paid for?
But do they have to line up a 3′ putt? No? Do they need to walk off the 135 yards shot to see what is on the green? No? Do they need to put on and then take off their Golf glove? NOPE!!!!
All that fooling around takes up a LOT of time…and..even worse…to the millions of people watching these ambassadors of the game of golf they are putting the stamp of approval that the way they play golf is how amateurs should be playing golf.
As technology improves everyone’s quality of life, the way we live is going to speed up. This shorter time span is pushing today’s golfers to require Golf to speed up. Or..they are not going to play golf. That is not GOOD for Golf.
Can the Learning Curve of Golf Be Speed Up
One of the many things golf will need to improve upon quickly is speeding up the teaching of the game and how to play golf. Yes, it traditionally takes years to master the game.
However, learning to hit the ball and how to play the game doesn’t take years. It shouldn’t take weeks or months. Yes, it should take more than an hour..but, not weeks.
How fast a person learns to play golf naturally depends on their abilities and level of determination. However, I have found that the person instructing new golfers makes a lot of difference in how long it will take for a person to learn to just hit the ball.
I am not suggesting that every golf student be released on the golf course after a 30-minute lesson. What I am suggesting is for the powers of being for Golf to find a way to speed up the learning curve of golf so more people can get to a point they understand the interest so many people have in playing golf.
The only way golf is going to improve is for more people to play golf. Moving golf into the modern era quickly will help. And these are just a few of the things Golf will need to improve upon if GOlf is going to move into the Future.
Let me know how I can help.
