Memberships are down, fewer patrons are attending tournaments, the economy is still recovering and the Tour’s main attraction is searching for his game. If I could put one blog post in front of Tim Finchem, it would be this one.
My message would be simple: golf tournaments should adapt to these times. Not golf, not the players, but tournaments – the entire experience. The on-course experience carries over directly to the TV viewer. When the fans are into every shot, the viewers are in it as well.
These aren’t the boom years of the Tiger Slam. The PGA Tour now has an opportunity to let fans feel much more engaged with golf’s best.
Opportunity
Every time I’m at a tournament, I always hear a fan exclaim how excited they get when players or their favorite player walk by in between holes. This is valuable for the Tour to know. Let the patrons get closer — closer to everything: the players, the green, maybe not the fairway.
Here is a great example of a classic golf gallery:
Photo/Getty Images
I love this photo. It shows appreciative fans who want to see one of the greatest work his craft. This is how golf should be spectated…even today.
Another great example is the video below. Look at how close the patrons are standing to the green. They are experiencing the round with Gary.
Compare both of those examples with the very exciting finish of the year’s Kodak Challenge. Rickie Fowler flew all the way back from China for a chance to win the $1 million prize. The only bad thing about the finish was that the Tour made it boring! No anticipation or crowd participation — it looked like just another Nationwide event. The video below is pretty good thanks to the artful editing and music, but that can only take you so far. Exclude the cinematic magic and you have the same old experience week-in and week-out.
The game has alway been great, but we’ve been hiding its true greatness with static tournament experiences for too long now. It’s understandable to view the other end of this debate: there’s too much risk to players, there are too many people now, etc.
However, there are ways where to balance it. One idea is to allow certain ticket holders to follow groups in the fairway. What, you didn’t think I was going to leave you without an option for a solution?
Happy Thanksgiving!
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great points, jon. the tournament experience has really become sterile. i dont even like going these days, i feel closer to the action watching on my TV in high def – which is sad. it’s a fine line that commissioners and front office types have to walk these days given the issues with security and standards of privacy that players have come to expect – not to mention the changes with technology and how that impacts the world of sports. it sucks, really. that shot of jack at the british with the guys sitting 8 feet behind on the ground are awesome and I think europe as a whole gets the interactive fan experience better than the US does.
I just wanted to drop by and let you know that I stumbled across your blog today, spending about 30 minutes checking out a sampling of the articles. They’re very good. This one in particular. And I couldn’t agree more with you… instead of the tour contemplating loosening their no-cellphone policy, maybe they just need to give the fans a reason to not want to talk or text on their phones. Get ‘em involved in the action. Make ‘em wanna come back.
Anyway…
I’ve been blogging about golf for about a year myself, although I admit that I’m nowhere near your level. You cover a lot of different angles of the game and share a deeper perspective that I can appreciate. I just wish I could convey it as eloquently as you do.
Keep up the great work, and I will certainly drop in more often to see how it’s done.
Happy Holidays.
Scott
Scott and Sean,
Thanks for the kind words and support. You guys get it and I think it is our job as golf fans and ambassadors to let others know the different levels of appreciation one can have for the sport. Thanks again for the comments.
Best,
Jon