PGA on Golf Channel

Cafe Society
1

Apparently the PGA signed a long term contract with the Golf Channel. link. As part of the contract, the early and late season tournamnets are shown in their entirety on TGC. I’ve never tuned into TGC before the last couple of weeks, including yesterday’s final round of the Bob Hope.

I’ll look to see what the buzz is on golf sites/forums, but is anyone else unimpressed with the quality of their production? Makes you realize how professional the network guys are/were in terms of camera shots, editing, commentary - just about everything.

Nick Faldo may be an okay color guy, but he clearly needs a stronger anchor than that woman (Kelly or something). And he has no ability as a swing analyst. Simply has nothing to say. The two of them would spend long periods of time just shooting the breeze about things unrelated to the action. And they really were lacking in terms of on-course commentators, and seemed to have insufficient cameras to track individual shots as I am used to.

If nothing else, seeing a somewhat half-assed production really makes me appreciate the quality I am used to at the major networks. (So, in the minds of the millions, is a discussion of televised golf actually more boring than televised golf itself?;))

2

Oh no! Does that mean what I think it means? No more high definition for The Masters?

3

I believe the majors (Masters, US Open, British Open, etc) are still airing on network TV.

4

Yeah - as I understand it, it is only the first 3 tourneys and the ones in the fall after this new championship thing. But I was just a bit surprised at how substandard their presentation seemed.

5

They are now the learning channel. It will get better.

6

I also think their coverage lacks a certain…I don’t know what. Aside from big-budget/small-budget issues (like the number of camera angles, etc.), I think the biggest differenct between TGC and the major networks is that TGC pitches its coverage at the hardcore “golf nerd” audience – people who really obsess over the small stuff – whereas the major networks tend to pitch thier coverage a bit more broadly at casual fans. Watching TGC is a bit like hanging out with tech guys at an Apple convention. Occasionally interesting, but often tiresome. The fact that they close their golf news programs with cloying golfisms like “keep it in the short grass” tells you all you need to know.

-fig