The State of the Golf Media: The Death of the Golf Essay and the Evolution of Internet Content (final project)

On October 13, 2009 – just over two months ago – I sat in the office of my journalism instructor and announced, “I believe that I can be the best golf journalist in the country.”

The audaciousness of this statement was clearly derived from the competitive confidence that has encompassed my life, as well as what I have boastfully characterized as perhaps an unparalleled background in golf. I have spent my 22 years on this planet deeply rooted in the business of golf, the eccentricities of the game, the mechanics of highly skilled golf and the spirit and components of the competitive mind that separates the most accomplished golfers from the Saturday foursome enthusiasts. Through my experiences as a junior and college golfer, in the repeated golf discussions with my father, a PGA professional, countless golf instructors, sports psychologists, and other golf experts, I have come to accept my background as a framework with which to view the game and to write on it as unique in the golf media world.

I immediately accepted my instructor’s advice to recreate my former European football (soccer) blog as a golf blog. That afternoon, my new golf blog, “Never Three Putt,” was born. He also advised that I undertake a project of self-education on the golf media field. My original focus was to learn the foundation of the golf media and, specifically, that of successful golf blogging as way to enter the field. The project since turned towards the future of the golf media. After speaking with golf bloggers, newspaper writers, magazine writers, and production staff from the Golf Channel, I present the sum of my work.

I invite you to sit and observe my findings and the life transformation that this project has been a catalyst of. As I prepare to graduate next week, I do not believe that I have had such a vested interest in any academic undertaking in my collegiate career – the following conversation has both changed my opinions on the golf media, as well as taken me on an alternative career path.

Historical Perspective

Where the golf essay once stood as a beacon of journalistic class in sports writing society, it has long since evolved, some say transmogrified, into a commercial, macro-audience manner of writing – broad appeal, concise and direct, an absence of technical and therefore alienating golf terminology and analysis. It is not as if today’s golf writers are less-skilled or less-devoted in their reporting or writing than those of writers past, but it is evident that the climate of readership expectations has dramatically changed.

Grantland Rice is applauded as a champion of the American sports press. Although he may be most famous for his invocation of biblical prose when he referred to the backfield of the 1924 Notre Dame Football Team as the “Four Horsemen,” Rice’s impact on golf writing was profound. In The American Golfer (which joined with Sports Illustrated in 1936), Rice wrote in 1924 of Bobby Jones' victory: “Perfect weather featured the week, blue skies, sunshine and a great course in perfect condition. Just how so many stars broke so badly is merely another mystery added to the many mysteries of this baffling game. There is a new régime on the way and many of them have arrived. And in the same among some of the star veterans we have come to the twilight of the gods.”

Herbert Warren Wind is considered by many as the quintessential golf writer of the latter-half of the twentieth century. In a 1958 piece for Sports Illustrated, Wind famously titled the 11th, 12, and 13th holes at Augusta National, home of the Masters, “Amen Corner.” He writes, “On the afternoon before the start of the recent Masters golf tournament, a wonderfully evocative ceremony took place at the farthest reach of the Augusta National course—down in the Amen Corner where Rae's Creek intersects the 13th fairway near the tee, then parallels the front edge of the green on the short 12th and finally swirls alongside the 11th green.” Where Wind succeeded in cadence, prose, and style, he mastered the ability to line his writing with his unbridled affinity for the game -- with every passage, with every article, with every book Wind non-hesitantly told the world of his love for golf.

Current Newspaper

Where golf once had a significant presence in the newspaper industry, today it has almost none. Currently, there are only three full-time golf writers at newspapers – USA Today, The New York Times, and the Associated Press. Now, the only golf writing found in newspapers is often found in local papers covering local events. In 2009, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution printed 44 articles about the Masters written by six different reporters – most newspapers across the country ran AP stories, a few sent staff reporters, and some had a single writer for several newspapers (Teddy Greenstein wrote under the Tribune Company’s umbrella). Similarly, The Boston Globe printed 25 articles by six different reporters during the week of the Deutsche Bank Championship (Norton, Massachusetts) – there was even less of a presence of outside newspaper reporters than at the Masters as it was not a “Major.”

           

Perhaps this decline is due to the timeliness restrictions of newspapers. Most golf events are concluded in the early evening, by 6:00p.m. Not only is this well before a traditional newspaper’s evening print deadline, but perhaps most destructively, events are concluded in-time for immediate telecast and online publication. Local television news, the evening edition of ESPN’s SportsCenter, hours of analysis and commentary provided by the Golf Channel, in addition to the ease in updating PGATour.com can all provide fans with information presented in a more seminal context than they would be apt to find in a 350-word “game story.”

Teddy Greenstein, a sports writer for the Chicago Tribune, was recently hired as the nationally syndicated golf writer for the Tribune Company and its newspaper affiliates. Greenstein is responsible for covering Chicago’s local PGA Tour event (recently designated as a FedExCup playoff event; the BMW Championship), the three domestic majors (U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and the Masters), and The Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup when played in America (every other event). However, Greenstein continues to have obligations covering other sports beats for the Chicago Tribune -- I spoke with him during his drive back to Chicago after reporting on a Notre Dame Men’s Basketball game.

Current Magazine

Perhaps more so than many other sports, there are numerous golf-specific magazines. While multi-sport magazines such as Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine may feature golf writing, it’s important to note that Golf Digest (and its smaller publication Golf World) is affiliated with ESPN and Golf Magazine is affiliated with Sports Illustrated.

The golf magazine is perhaps the sole surviving golf media entity that represents the ideals of the past. Today, Golfweek, Golf Digest, and Golf Magazine remain the dominant mainstream golf magazines, while there are a few niche golf magazines throughout the country. Golf Digest and Golf Magazine are extraordinarily similar in their writing, topics, and style. Both rely heavily on the availability of golf instructors and Tour players for golf tip sections, both do little timely news reporting as they are monthly publications, and most of the writing is found in feature length pieces or short discussions of golf’s less timely, larger issues – equipment concerns, golf course reviews, etc.. On the other hand, Golfweek (a weekly publication) is significantly more devoted to reporting tournament news, providing rankings (professional and amateur, men’s and women’s), and new and classic golf course reviews. Where Golf Digest and Golf Magazine frequently may feature articles that are 2,000 words in length, most of Golfweek’s articles run 500-700 words and features are rarely over 1,200 words.

Yet, golf magazines are facing a parallel struggle to that of newspapers. The financial demands of print: the required overhead and the need to send multiple reporters throughout the world to events are negatively affecting the industry, particularly in the current economic downturn. Numerous magazines have decreased their staff and other overhead (Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, Golf World) and nearly all are looking to unconventional ways to turn a profit in a climate dominated by Internet driven free content, rather than subscription magazines.

Current Television

The Golf Channel currently broadcasts PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour, European Tour, and LPGA Tour events, as well as a daily half-hour golf news recap show (Golf Central) and multiple hours of live coverage before and following the live broadcast of significant events. The Golf Channel features a prominent group of former Tour players and a successful broadcast staff, which may benefit through Comcast's (owner of the Golf Channel) recent acquisition of NBC Universal. 

Yet, the Golf Channel has received criticism from the conventional golf media community; one prominent writer referred to it as the “PGA Tour’s PR machine.” If working there, the writer stated, “be prepared to write fluff since the Golf Channel goes out if it’s way to steer clear of controversy.”

As the worldwide leader in providing sports coverage, ESPN provides television golf coverage. While they broadcast a few golf events a year, there is only a rare sighting of golf on ESPN, unless it’s a SportsCenter top 10 play, a two or three minute tournament preview with former player Andy North, or a brief cameo by ESPN.com blogger Jason Sobel.

Some other networks that broadcast live golf events (TNT, USA, CBS, NBC, ABC) will feature an occasional PGA Tour special that airs, most often, immediately proceeding live tournament coverage. However, this programming is often produced by the PGA Tour Entertainment group, or is directly affiliated with the event itself (ie. Masters’ documentaries).

Current Blog

There are, essentially, three categories of blogs with respect to golf media: 1) the larger media institution affiliated blog, 2) the small, subset to traditional content blog, and 3) the independent blog.

Currently, Jason Sobel of ESPN.com and Jay Busbee of Yahoo.com represent the most significant bloggers in the first blog classification. Neither writer’s work appears in a traditional print medium – they produce exclusively online content, they are both affiliated with a larger corporate sports media entity, and their general manner of reporting is Internet, multimedia driven. However, at times both will write with a more traditional column tone.

With regard to the second category of golf blogging, numerous staff writers of golf magazines and newspapers post to a blog that is affiliated through the media entity that employs them. Golf Digest (golfdigest.com), Golfweek (golfweek.com), Golf Magazine (golf.com), and the Golf Channel (thegolfchannel.com), amongst others, require their staff to post to a blog. Their posts range from the less-than stories that wouldn’t find their way into a traditional article and follow-ups to simple humor and the utilization of multimedia platforms.

The independent blog ranges from, what one magazine writer called, “the basement writers – bloggers who never leave the house and write off transcripts” to niche golf experts that, for a variety of reasons, do not write or work for a traditional golf media entity. As it appears, few are actually monetized and seemingly serve as either a hobby or as a means of self-promotion for other commercial endeavors. Geoff Shackelford is an industry expert in golf course architecture. His blog is, generally, posted to multiple times per day and his postings range from first hand golf course analysis to more of a reader function where he hyperlinks and sometimes analyzes or comments on the work of more traditional golf reporters.

The Essence of Successful Blogging

While it’s a cliché, the general separation point between a good and bad blog is, simply, in the quality of the content. The nature of a blog provides for a more personalized discussion of a particular matter, but this should not serve as a justification for mindless rants or simple commentary. A certain credibility needs to be established; while this may be accomplished through reputation and background, ultimately it is determined by the perceived quality of content – whether it is in topics, perspectives or reader comments.

The quality of a blog’s content can be contingent on the access (player, Tour event, etc.) that a blogger has, unless the blogger is willing to provide an unique perspective to existing commentary. In asking successful golf writers and golf bloggers about what the most significant key to success as a golf blogger is, the most common response was providing a unique perspective not found elsewhere.

As a golf writer (blogger), what is the unique perspective on golf I can best provide? Is it architectural review? Equipment discussion and review? A more humorous side of the game? Reviews of golf clothing? This becomes the quintessential question in establishing a golf blog. My answer was in providing analysis as a competitor, as well as a discussion of the essence of the game: strategy and technique.

As someone with, perhaps, a greater knowledge of playing the game competitively than most golf writers, I find myself at times able to provide commentary that would not typically be found elsewhere. Yet, without the ability to provide first-hand accounts, have first-hand experience with a respective golfer, or being privy to the golf course, there is a clear credibility gap. My commentary on a golfer's round could well provide a unique combination of competitive perspective and writing technique, but the current economics of independent blogging prohibit physical presence on a regular basis.

The multimedia capacities of online writing have proven effective for Busbee and Sobel. During the 2009 Presidents Cup, Sobel operated a video blog, updated multiple times per day, where he would provide short video reports of content ordinarily found in print. Similarly, both are affiliated with podcasts; Sobel hosts ESPN’s On the Tee, while Busbee hosts Devil Ball Golfcast.

Technological advances in content production, a major catalyst for the decline of the conventional print media, have created an ability to produce and a demand for immediate content. Expectations have changed dramatically with the Internet; where people once viewed tomorrow’s newspapers as news, they are now more likely to refer to it as yesterday’s news. Where reporters formerly were concerned with print deadlines, today that concern has shifted to meeting the attention deadlines of an audience.

As an independent blogger, generating readers is significantly different than it is when carrying a Yahoo.com or ESPN.com attachment as Busbee and Sobel do. However, both point towards reciprocity as instrumental in gaining readership. “Link your posts in applicable comment sections throughout the Internet,” Busbee stated. Similarly, Sobel stated, “Give credit to other writers and bloggers; they’ll turn people your way as well.” While the Internet community is obviously constantly expanding, it remains a somewhat close-network of golf writers and bloggers.

“The key to maintaining readers is to give them a reason to come back,” Busbee stated. Whether this is accomplished through registering readers and providing them with e-mails of blog posts or through the simple reputation of frequently posting, readers need to be aware (whether through notification or reputation) of a new posting. Though Sobel is aware of the unmatched sports media benefits of being associated with ESPN and having his blog posted throughout the ESPN.com Web site, the notions of establishing some form of a relationship with readers remains pivotal.

Busbee and Sobel have turned to Twitter as means to maintain frequent contact with readers. Sobel, whose Twitter account is syndicated on the ESPN.com golf site, has (as of 12/10/09) 3,889 followers while Busbee has 2,415 followers. Though these numbers pale in comparison to their blog readerships, these symbolic gestures are unparalleled (with the exception of returning e-mails, phone calls, or re-commenting) in any other medium; and, it’s likely that their followers will continue to grow as more of the public becomes accustomed to the technology.

In Summary

Following my blog post on Herbert Warren Wind – where I linked to his famous 1958 Sports Illustrated article about The Masters and “Amen Corner” – a reader commented, “I guess we should lament there is no one writing like H.W. Wind these days, but who would read it when we have high definition television and the golf channel.” The point may be a sad testimonial to the future of golf journalism.

Perhaps it’s a cultural change or just a passed torch of another generation, but the romanticism of a well-crafted article does not often carry its former weight when compared with today’s multimedia and professionally produced television segment. GolfWeek writer Alistair Tait stated, “I lament the death of the golf essay. Sadly, the days of sitting down with a good golf essay, or a long Peter Dobereiner like piece on the eccentricities of the game are long gone. It seems these days that if you can’t reduce your observation to 140 characters or less then no one will read you.”

While some may point to the current economic climate as the source for some of the print golf media’s struggles, it would be irresponsible to expect a resurgence of the print media when the economy recovers. It is possible that the lessons of consolidation and the advantages of a writing staff with multi-platform capacities will remain implemented in the future. If the desire to be a golf journalist in the traditional sense still burns, a nontraditional versatility may be the only recipe for future success. As bloggers Jason Sobel and Jay Busbee, as well as Golfweek’s Beth Ann Baldry point out, the ability to work within all three mediums (Internet, print, television) is perhaps the quintessential attribute required of tomorrow’s successful golf journalist.

While I applaud the multi-platform endeavors of bloggers like Jason Sobel and Jay Busbee (podcasting, video blogging, multimedia style writing), at times this seems like golf writing on life support. As all journalists attempt to adapt themselves to the changing needs of consumers and the industry at large (economic), my question, maybe, has become how can journalists adapt their approach to golf media, and how can journalists adapt golf media at large to fit these needs?

The future of top-tier golf journalism may exist in more of a public relations capacity; facilitating player created content that lacks a traditional journalistic perspective. With the Internet and other technological advents, the ease of creating personal content – diary entries, video blogging, Twitter feeds, etc. – have allowed for the unprecedented development of the fan/athlete relationship. Without relying on mainstream media features and the decision of journalists to write about an individual Tour player, players are increasingly able to broadcast their personality and tell their stories without a reliance on the mainstream media.

With a microphone and a laptop, a 60-minute podcast can be produced and uploaded on the Internet in 70-minutes. A Twitter post of 140 characters only takes the time that is required to, perhaps, thoughtfully type those characters on a computer or an iPhone.

The central issue in society’s consumption of Internet content is the acceptance of its raw nature; consumers generally don’t expect the same strength of writing that is found on a blog as they do in a newspaper; Internet video content can be less polished than if it were on network television.

The future of golf media lies in facilitating player created content and providing for its worldwide consumption. While a journalist may have the skills to tell another’s story in a compelling fashion, it is unlikely that their re-telling of the story proves as seminal as a first-hand account. Moderating interviews, moderating diary entries, educating players on the adequacies and inadequacies of social media (Twitter and similar concepts most directly) is the next evolutionary stage of the golf media.

My Growth

This is as much a discussion of the golf media as it is the summation of a college student’s attempts to find himself; this project has steered me to a singular focus of my future career devoted almost entirely to facilitating PGA Tour and Tour player created-content. Where my passion for the journalistic enterprise is unwavering, my cynicism for the future of the golf media has grown.

I began this project believing that I could provide a perspective that was atypical to conventional golf writing. While I believe I’m able to write that unique perspective, I am now less optimistic and increasingly doubt the efficacy of it in generating readers. Jason Sobel points to his readership as ranging from “avids and PGA Tour lovers to I saw Tiger Woods in the headline.”

A discussion of the fundamentals of the game and a subjective analysis into the specifics of a Tour player's round may be meaningful to some, but with the consolidation of the media and the need for broad appeal this would prove an exercise in futility. I would like to evoke the instructional viewpoints of the game’s leading teachers; yet, it seems likely that readers would prove lost in the jargon and un-relatable content. “You want to be careful not to alienate readers,” Jason Sobel told me.

While it is not a condemnation of the traditional golf media, I have grown increasingly uncertain of my role in it. I don’t view niche golf reporting as being potentially engaging enough to achieve the level of success that I have come to expect from myself.  I find myself too interested in the positive promotion and advancement of the game to engage – apologetically – in the superfluous reporting that can characterize it. As has been evident in the drama of Tiger Woods’ unmasking as a philanderer, golf writers have been forced to report and comment on the story because of its appeal to their readership and their readerships’ demand for it. It could have been directly detrimental to their careers had they refused to report on it. I remain too idealistic in my passion for golf to repeatedly write on a story that I consider damaging to the game.

My Future

A statement from Golfweek’s Beth Ann Baldry is profound with regard to the industry; “People will always need news. We just have to figure out a way to make them pay to get it.”

As has been the case throughout the print media, the Internet has created a climate where readers demand free, unlimited access to content. Without subscription fees, these media groups are continuously relying on advertisements for support.

However, a future exists in producing player created content, under the blanket of the PGA Tour, for dissemination to the public. As a journalist, the key to success, under this framework, is to moderate and facilitate content provided by Tour players, instructors, and golfers in a manner that is latent and relatable to the golfing public – without losing the essence of their analysis.

With my skill set and interests, I see my future employment in the capacity of a journalist in a public relations atmosphere; aiding Tour players with their individually created content, assisting the PGA Tour (and other Tours) in creating its own content for Internet distribution, and in resurrecting the golf essay in a macro-audience perspective – most likely in a multimedia capacity.

Where complex golf analysis seemingly has no future place in the traditional golf media, providing anecdotal tales in this fashion will be essential to the future of the golf media. There is no person more able to analyze and comment on a tournament round than the player is (with the possible exception of his or her instructor). The knowledge gap between skilled and unskilled golfers is the principle obstacle to this type of reporting, but an ability to moderate these discussions and simplify them through appropriate interviewing and translation is the future of the industry. Without the need of a traditional golf media attachment, this type of content can be masterfully produced, while ensuring the public relations desires of the Tour, at an absolute fraction of the expenses found in print and television media.

Further discussions of PGA Tour and Tour player created content:
PGA Tour Blogging
Resurrecting the 1997 Tiger Woods Masters Special
A proposal for a "Tour-Zone" addition to PGATour.com
Twitter (and Update)

PGA Tour Blogging (I)

Last week when I recommended the creation of a sub-site to PGATour.com where PGA Tour created content would be housed, I mentioned the idea of bringing in Tour players to blog during events (and maybe even on off weeks).

On his website, Phil Mickelson last blogged on October 26 from China. He writes:

Greetings from Singapore, where this week we play the Barclays Singapore Open. It’s hot here again as it usually is this time of year, but Sentosa Golf Club is a wonderful venue and we have some of the best players in the world the entered, including Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington, so it figures to be another great week. 

  

Next week I’m playing the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, which is now a World Golf Championship event. I’m convinced that’s a great thing for our tours. It gives us one of the strongest possible fields in the fastest growing and potentially largest market. With golf becoming an Olympic sport, with China’s commitment to the Olympics and to golf, I believe the exposure of the world’s best players competing in Shanghai will drive the game in that country and throughout Asia. . . 

 

A lot has been said about my work with Dave Stockton prior to the Tour Championship and I’m so glad we had that time together. Dave was a great putter, and talking with him reinforced what I knew to be true about putting and the short game. It reaffirmed what I talked about in my short game DVD, the need for a scientific understanding as well as an artistic approach for short game success. 



In the DVD I talk about training my eyes for alignment, the importance of putter face alignment, the importance of reading the green properly. But to make putts in competition or away from the practice green you must develop solid fundamentals and practice properly but you also have to have feel and creativity to bring that short game out. That was the combination that I was lacking as the season wore on, and that I realized again with Dave. . .
 
 

I’m also excited about the release Tuesday of the companion book to the DVD, Phil Mickelson: Secrets to the Short Game. Guy Yocum and T.R. Reinman did a fine job on the writing and Golf Digest photographers Dom Furore and J.D. Cuban did in still photos what Terry Jastrow did in the video, which was a big success, too. 

 

My thanks to go to them and to Golf Digest for the great support they lent to the video and the book and, as always to you for your interest and support. 

 

On his website, Ernie Els wrote in his "weekly diary" December 7. He writes:

Although it's a pretty quiet time of the year golf wise, there's quite a lot to report from my first week back in South Africa. We flew from America last week and stopped off in Stellenbosch to visit the guys at the winery and see how things are in the Big Easy Restaurant, which opened last year. It's really buzzing, which was great to see. And our wines are doing extremely well, having picked up quite a few more international awards in 2009.

I also took the opportunity to meet up with Hannes van Niekerk, the CEO of the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation, to talk about what's been happening and to go through our future plans. Most importantly there is a change in the structure of the Foundation from 2010, which will allow us to expand our reach and help more kids. It's an exciting new phase and we're looking forward to helping change these kids' lives.

After all that I had a nice quiet weekend at the house down by the ocean in Herold's Bay. It was really good to be back. And there are exciting developments just down the road at Oubaai (pictured above). This was our first signature golf course in South Africa when it opened for play in 2004 and now there's a fantastic new Hyatt Regency Hotel & Spa ready for its grand opening next week.

Also at Oubaai is the upcoming opening of the South African Golf Hall of Fame, which will feature a library, lots of memorabilia, a Hall of Fame locker room, golf shop and putting green. I'm proud to be one of the 23 golfers inducted to this new Hall of Fame.

Anyway, back to this week's events. We flew up to Mpumalanga on Monday so that I have plenty of time to work on my game in the build-up to this week's Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek. I love this tournament and the golf course that it's played on. It has to be one of the most spectacular courses in the world, right on the edge of the Kruger National Park with the wildlife all around. It is pretty amazing. We have a house on the golf course, with lots of friends here and the family are staying, too, which makes it a great week all round.

As many of you will know, this is one of Johann Rupert's events; he's a great friend of mine and he does a great job looking after us all. I've won the Alfred Dunhill three times in all - 1995, 1999 and 2006 - although only the most recent of those was at Leopard Creek. That was pretty special, though. It was December 2005 and I was playing only my second tournament after coming back from ACL knee surgery in the summer of that year.

Obviously this year it is a significant week for other reasons. For one thing it's the first tournament in the 2010 Race to Dubai. And, as I was saying in last week's report, the rules on grooves have changed for the new season and in effect we're turning back the clock with irons that generate a lot less backspin. It's quite a big change at the top level of the game and it'll make a real difference, especially with shots out of the rough; you know, the players are not going to be able to spin the ball anything like we have done in recent years. So driving the ball in the fairway is going to be a bigger deal - no bad thing, to be honest.

Obviously I'm looking forward to the week. I'll write some more again next Monday and tell you all about it.

Bye for now.

In late November, several PGA Tour and Champions Tour players traveled to Iraq to visit with American troops. Tim Simpson, of the Champions Tour, wrote in the PGA Tour's Player Blog on November 26. He writes:

Last Friday, we all flew to Washington and joined each other at Walter Reid Hospital for an amazing afternoon with our wounded warriors, returning troops from Iraq and Afghanistan that have lost limbs. They hit balls on a makeshift driving range. We then visited a number of soldiers in their rooms. Their courage and desire to get back into battle as soon as possible was both amazing as well as humbling. It was a day that none of us will soon forget.

On Friday night, we boarded a plane for the 12-hour flight to Kuwait. After we landed, we were transported to our accommodations at Camp Arifjan. We all found it very hard to sleep with the eight-hour time change! We left the base early Sunday morning, then had lunch and did a clinic at Ali Air Base while on our way to our final destination of Camp Buehring.

We spent the rest of the day and evening with the troops and then were thoroughly entertained by county singer Matt Snook. Matt is a friend of Tom Watson's and is a great guy. We arrived back at Camp Arifjan at 11:30 that night and had to leave at 4 a.m. We were all exhausted but excited to meet more of the incredible young men and women that are fighting for our country.

We then boarded a C-130 transport plane and flew to Baghdad for our next stop, Camp Sather. While in flight, the reality of war hits us all as we were required to wear body armor and helmets. We hit the ground running, signing autographs and taking pictures, then held a clinic. Our group then went to one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces, the Al-Faw Palace, where we met with General Anderson for a briefing, followed by a great dinner at the residence of General Odierno.

General Odierno is a four-star general and a hulk of a man at 6-foot-6. There were at least six to eight other generals in attendance at the dinner, so the room was full of stars from some of our most powerful leaders. All of them could not have been nicer and more supportive of our trip.

After dinner we held another clinic, where we hit balls into the lake behind General O's home. All the generals hit balls, then were thoroughly entertained by long-ball hitters Wilson and Boever as they tried to hit the Al Faw palace some 400 yards away. The evening concluded with a concert from Snook, or "Snook Dog," as we now call him. We all had a great time, especially General Odierno. Exhausted, we retired to our quarters for some much-needed rest.

Tuesday began with a briefing at General O's office, then we flew to the first of three bases that day on Black Hawk helicopters. The first forward operating base we visited was Hammer, where we ate lunch and did a clinic in the desert. We said our goodbyes to the soldiers there and boarded the Black Hawks for Base Carver. We did another clinic that culminated with a challenge by the base commander to Dan Boever that he couldn't hit a ball over the tower that measures incoming mortar fire. To our astonishment, he did it and set off an alert that we had "incoming" fire, much to the pleasure of the commander.

We boarded the choppers for base Cache South well after dark. We did another clinic there, much to the delight of the troops. When we were done we boarded the Black Hawks back to our base in Baghdad, all thoroughly exhausted and ready for bed.

The thing that continues to impress us all is the dedication of our young troops to fulfill their missions, and the joy that they derive from our coming over and letting them know that we support them all. They are amazing young men and women. Today we will hit several more bases visiting our incredible forces, so it is time to say goodbye for now.

May God bless all of our troops and our country on this day.

And, finally, the following is the first installment of Rickie Fowler's "video blog."




Of the four, Fowler's obviously provides the most personal insight. Where Mickelson's reads like a testimonial/advertisement for his short-game DVD, where Els reads like a well-crafted public relations message meant to show how nice of a guy he is, Fowlers is humanizing. Tim Simpson's piece is well-written and it clearly tells the story of his travels to Iraq, with the exception of the final pargraph we don't really gain an insight into Simpson -- other than the respectable nature of his travel.

While Fowler's "video blog" is obviously tailored towards young people, I see no reason why other Tour players couldn't use this medium to present their respective personalities (code word for older guys). Maybe Fowler's blog and general use of social media is too tailored for younger generations, but, then again, Rickie is only 20-years-old.

Sure, not every Tour player has either the interest in or the character capacity to have themselves and their family so exposed to the public, but, for those that do, the video blog is the ultimate social media means to provide visibility to fans.

For the Tour players with an interest in video blogging, the PGA Tour could provide a support staff to facilitate it.

However, a humanizing, written blog entry has similar capacitites. But, I searched throughout the Internet and couldn't find an easy access to any. I couldn't actually find Simpson's piece anywhere on PGATour.com, I google searched "PGA Tour players blog" and it was an early result.

On a side note, I found a blog that Ty Votaw, PGA Tour Executive VP of Communications and International Affairs, kept during golf's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games.

On another side note, I've been looking at the existing PGA Tour online video content. I'll be discussing it next week and making recommendations for it going forward. The best work that I've seen so far is the "In the bag" section. The clip is excellent; if anything almost too well produced. Here's the most recent installment.

A PGA Tour Response to Tiger (UPDATE I)

Just came across the PGA Tour statement regarding Tiger Woods' statement:

Tiger's statement speaks for itself. We offer our full support to Tiger and his family and will continue to honor and respect his request for privacy in this matter. We will have no further comment on Tiger's statement.

I consider this statement to echo some of the sentiments that I mentioned earlier, but more-well stated, perhaps, than the statement I recommended:

"The PGA Tour does not comment on the personal matters of its players. We support our players and if they desire will provide them with professional support. We will continue to support and privately provide them with any needs they may have in the future." 

I do like my sentiment about a comment pertaining to the general privacy of the Tour's players and I do believe from a public relations perspective the comment could have been written without mentioning "Tiger," but I really like the opening "Tiger's statement speaks for itself."

PGA Tour Created Content (I)

Going forward, I'll will be posting on potential content ideas for in-house produced content by the PGA Tour. Last week, I proposed a sub-site to PGATour.com where Tour players' social media would be syndicated, blog (diary) entries would be posted, and potential video blogging could be housed.

 As I'll regurgitate in the weeks to follow, technological advances have provided for an ease in producing in-house content. A single camera, with a single, skilled individual is capable of filming and producing revealing, humanizing pieces that can advance the story-telling interests of the PGA Tour. The ability to remove a journalist, mainstream media lens should be desired; the content can be controlled, a more uniform message can be relayed, and, most importantly, the right probing questions and direction can be managed and facilitated by an individual with an expert golf background that isn't looking for commercial success via readership.


Today, I'd like to discuss resurrecting the "In his Words" 1997 Tiger Woods Masters Special.

Following a PGA Tour event, the winner would be invited (depending on support, perhaps mandated) to give a 5-15 minute interview to the PGA Tour.

The interview, ideally, would be filmed with a single camera positioned over the shoulder of the interviewer -- perhaps catching a glimpse of them just as a means to keep direction. The interviewer probably should be shown a few times during the interview, just to provide that context, but the raw focus should be the event winner.

The interviewer would simply walk the player through their winning round (maybe multiple rounds depending on context), while guiding them with specific, probing golf questions. The respective shots would be spliced throughout the filming.

For instance, assume that the eventual winner made a crucial birdie on the 17th hole to take a one-shot (and ultimate victory margin) advantage. Here's a scenario Q&A:

After "player x" hooked it in the left bunker before you hit, what where your thoughts? Did you play a conservative shot? It looked like you tried to curve it left-to-right away from that bunker? Where you thinking about forcing a maybe two-shot swing here?

Response.

Talk about the birdie putt you had here. Slippery downhill left-to-right putt; were you worried about it getting away from you?

Response.

How did you re-focus after the birdie? Adrenaline running?

Response.

This type of interview would provide golf fans with the behind-the-scenes access their looking for, while also giving them golf advice and a better analysis of the game than they would traditionally find elsewhere.

Obviously, different players (personalities) would provide for better interviews, but its also likely that the quiet, soft-spoken, humble Tour player may provide a more candid interview than would be expected from, say, Tiger or Phil Mickelson.

Ultimately, the show is an exercise in creating precise, well-formed soundbites for syndication. Better interviews, more golf specific questions and comments than would be found in a press conference. Also, it is the type of content that, once one begins watching, I don't believe that they're likely to turn off. It is the epitome of a humanizing interview while relaying expert golf commentary and analysis, from the player themselves, that a journalist is unlikely to provide for.

In terms of monetizing, the obvious standard side-bar advertisements, or even the brief 15-second commercial interruption could be used for online viewing and, I'd assume, the same syndication policies for other media agencies would be applied.

A PGA Tour Response to Tiger

As allegations have morphed into seemingly factual claims, the Tiger Woods aura going forward is going to be somewhat tarnished as he will likely go from a private family man to a man with a reputation of promiscuity and profligatory behavior.

Unlike team sports like football, baseball, soccer, etc., golf institutionalizes its players; where no single football player is larger than the NFL or no baseball player is larger than the MLB; the PGA Tour is not as much a "league" (in that sense) as it is a competitive home for the world's best individuals (golfers). Basketball and golf are related in that commercial success is found in its superstars (visibility, marketability, public perception). The revelations of a less-than sound moral compass for Tiger Woods is, obviously, a knock to the PGA Tour's marketability of its best player, most famous star.

Tiger will need to be active going forward in restoring his public perception; although I believe that this will be best accomplished by a strict "no comment" policy on the matter. When probed about it, Tiger should respond with ambiguous, bland statements; "It's a family matter between Ellin and I. I apologize. Her and I are working forward together."

But, let's not for a second forget the greatest recipe for alleviation in controversy surrounding sports, winning.

However, the PGA Tour will need a response. With calls for the Barbara Walters, half-hour prime-time tell-all, conversations breaking out in talk show and radio circles from The View and Glenn Beck to jokes made during half time of NBA games, with sports and editorial writers alike calling for a moral response from Tiger, the Tour has found itself in a public relations whirlwind -- one that I'm sure they are hoping fades further into the depths than the Tim Donaghy scandal, Kobe or Ben Roethlisberger's rape allegations.

The exact predicament that the Tour needs to avoid is the Pete Rose saga -- where a league related backlash and censure (band from the Hall of Fame) recycles the story.

Perhaps the Tour, if they haven't before, needs to set a precedent with regard to the personal lives of its players; "The PGA Tour does not comment on the personal matters of its players. We support our players and if they desire will provide them with professional support. We will continue to support and privately provide them with any needs they may have in the future."

Photo(s): Tiger Woods

My proposal: "www.pgatour.com/tour-zone"

As I enjoyed the Thanksgiving break and reflected on upcoming career conversations I'm hoping for, I spent a truly embarrassing amount of time playing with the Twitter application "Echofon" on my iPhone. For the dual followers of my @Michaelott23 twitter account and "Never Three Putt," you'll undoubtedly attest to the bombardment of tweets you got from me; although many of them were about European soccer.

Regardless, I noticed the --bordering on addict level-- twittering going on by some Tour stars; most noticeably Bubba Watson, Trevor Immelman, Paula Creamer, and Ian Poulter (future Tour star Rickie Fowler is worth mentioning as well). While their tweets ranged from Paula Creamer (and I'm not being misogynistic) talking about her new hair style, Bubba Watson talking about his Thanksgiving day charity work and religious services, to Trevor Immelman's fan hood of the Orlando Magic, each Tour star brought an interesting component to the twitter and social media world.


On Twitter, I currently follow:

Grame McDowell (@Grame_McDowell), Jamie Lovemark (@jamielovemark), Rich Beem (@richbeem), Kevin Streelman (@Streels54), Natalie Gulbis (@natalie_gulbis), Stewart Cink (@stewartcink), PGA Tour (@pgatour), Suzann Pettersen (@suzannpettersen), Annika Sorenstam (@annika59), Davis Love III (@Love3d), Geoff Ogilvy (@geoffogilvy), Trevor Immelman (@trevorimmelman), Paul Casey (@Paul_Casey), Peter Jacobsen (@Jake Trout), Chris DiMarco (@ChrisDiMarco), Brittany Lincicome (@Brittany1golf), Bubba Watson (@bubbawatson), Rickie Fowler (@rickiefowlerPGA), Rory McIlroy (@rorsmcilroy), John Daly (@PGA_JohnDaly), and more . . .

While at times I may over-discuss the Twitter phenomenon, its symbolic powers of transparency and fan-courtship are undeniable. Twitter is not alone in its powers from the social media world: Facebook, personal websites, video blogging, etc. each bring similar, but distinct, notions to the athlete/fan relationship.

With that said, my recommendation for a capitalization by the PGA Tour on social media, and similar online exclusive, player driven content is a sub-site to the PGA Tour's web site: "www.pgatour.com/tour-zone."

Create the exclusive home for Internet content created exclusively by PGA Tour stars. Just as I have on the upper-part of the right-hand column on "Never Three Putt," the site would have RSS feeds of the Twitter accounts of PGA Tour stars, links to their personal web sites, their Facebook accounts. That's the easy and perhaps most powerful part; providing a well-detailed access for fans to their favorite golfer's social media.

The next component would be an online diary and online video blog.

Each week, one to as many as is appropriate PGA Tour star would devote time to online blogging (100-300 word posts) perhaps as many as three times a day (before the round, after the round, and again in the evening). The posts would not need to be scholarly or literary works, but rather a brief, even run-on sentence of what the golfer is doing to prepare, where they had dinner, their thoughts on the round, what they worked on at the range afterward, what they were going to watch on television, etc.. Obviously these posts could be edited and uploaded by a single PGA Tour employee -- and probably should be.

For a video blog, one tour player would be selected each week and a single PGA Tour employee would shadow them and shoot raw footage to be uploaded to the site. While there may be some editing for fluidness and quality control, the raw nature of the video blog would be its most appealing attribute.

What to do without Tiger Woods . . .

VIEWERSHIP OF PGA TOURNAMENTS MISSED BY TIGER WOODS DUE TO INJURY IN 2008-09 (via: Nielsen)

TOURNAMENT	NETWORK	# OF VIEWERS P2+, 2007-08	# OF VIEWERS P2+, 2008-09	% CHANGE
BRITISH OPEN-SAT	ABC	3,040,000	3,278,000	7.8%
BRITISH OPEN-SUN	ABC	5,147,000	4,463,000	-13.3%
AT&T NATIONAL-SAT	CBS	2,630,000	1,442,000	-45.2%
AT&T NATIONAL-SUN	CBS	3,615,000	2,164,000	-40.1%
NEC WORLD SERIES GOLF-SAT	CBS	3,250,000	1,793,000	-44.8%
NEC WORLD SERIES GOLF-SUN	CBS	**4,541,000	3,018,000	-33.5%
PGA CHAMPIONSHIPS-SAT	CBS	5,947,000	^^1,298,000	-78.2%
PGA CHAMPIONSHIPS-SUN	CBS	**9,165,000	3,885,000	-57.6%
BUICK INV PGA GOLF-SAT	CBS	3,761,000	1,601,000	-57.4%
BUICK INV PGA GOLF-SUN	CBS	**6,193,000	2,868,000	-53.7%
DEUTSCHE GOLF CHAMP-SUN	NBC	3,658,000	1,960,000	-46.4%
DEUTSCHE GOLF CHAMP-MON	NBC	4,936,000	2,116,000	-57.1%
BMW GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP-SAT	NBC	3,113,000	1,091,000	-65.0%
BMW GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP-SUN	NBC	**4,358,000	1,678,000	-61.5%
TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP-SAT	NBC	3,573,000	1,372,000	-61.6%
TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP-SUN	NBC	**4,231,000	2,183,000	-48.4%
TOTAL		4,567, 000	2,430,000	-46.8%
source: The Nielsen Company 2009 ** – tournament won by Tiger Woods ^^ – play suspended by inclement weather

As anyone who followed golf during the 2008-09 season can attest, the noticeable lack in the intensity of media coverage of the PGA Tour, the lack in water-cooler discussions about the PGA Tour, and the general dwindled interest of professional golf were directly caused by an absence of the world's number one player, who happens to be the world's most popular athlete, the world's first athlete-billionaire, and one of the world's most recognizable people.

But, none of this is news. 

As someone who came of age in the Tiger-era, witnessing, firsthand, the impact that he had on a generation of young golfers has been profound.

Where I started playing golf perhaps before I could stand, watching, as a child, as my friends became intrigued by the game, began to notice the game -- I should say notice Tiger -- and began to take an interest in a game so long associated with everything non-progressive and non-youthful. As a generation of fist-pumping golfers emerged, so did an obvious resentment from the golfing status quo. Where much of the ambivalence surrounding Tiger has since disappeared, at times a certain negative cloud surrounds him -- whether it's racial considerations, doubting his accomplishments as he's never faced, what many consider, a single formidable opponent (Hogan vs. Snead, Nicklaus v. Palmer, etc.), or questions regarding the contemporary, distance-driven characterizations of golf (while some say this is a transmogrification of the game, I consider it progress).

Yet, as golf's popularity has seemingly dwindled over the past few years, a certain question has arisen, at least in my mind. What is golf going to do when Tiger is no longer able to capture the world's youth?

In ten years, Tiger will be 44-years-old and, at least in the opinion of some, he will likely continue his worldwide dominance of the game. But, it's doubtful that Tiger will remain the imposing force in drawing new (young) golf fans that he currently is (although, arguably, he's already lost some of his allure). What 14-year-old is going to idolize a 44-year-old?

My question, and the basic premise behind much of the conversation on this blog, is how is the PGA Tour going to reestablish a youthful audience without Tiger -- someone that has escalated the PGA Tour greater than anyone before him, with the possible exception of Arnold Palmer?

Is Ricky Fowler, Anthony Kim, Jamie Lovemark, or Rory McIlroy going to fill his shoes?

This is a conversation that golf's leading institutions need to have.

It is my belief that the advents of technology in the media are going to prove to be the greatest tools in golf's arsenal, assuming that golf embraces them. Today, golf needs to establish young stars that are, at least in a small possibility, able to serve as a fan's "favorite golfer." These young stars need to have their characters established throughout the golfing community; they need to not have yachts named "Privacy,"they need to provide an unlimited access to their fans, and they need to embrace stardom in a fashion that both the young and old, progressive and conservative can invest themselves in.

Stop hating on Phil. . .

Jason Sobel, who I will be interviewing tomorrow, blogged yesterday about the potential Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson rivalry which may unfold this year:

"That leaves Mickelson, one of the most accomplished players in the game's history who often receives criticism simply for the fact that he isn't Tiger Woods. At his best, though, Lefty can hang with his adversary on any given Sunday, as evidenced by victories at the Tour Championship two months ago and the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament this past weekend in China."


"He has now finished off the 2009 campaign playing his best golf since winning back-to-back titles at the BellSouth Classic and Masters three-and-a-half years ago, if not the best golf of his career. Thanks to assistance with the forward-press putting stroke from two-time major winner Dave Stockton, Mickelson is rolling his rock with the utmost confidence -- something he can only hope remains during the offseason."


Though many are quick to criticize Mickelson, he truly has been Tiger's most formidable opponent throughout the last decade. While he's battled inconsistency, off-the-course circumstances, and a seeming reputation as one who folds under pressure, he continues to prove his mastery at times.


But, there are a few certainties about Mickelson which the golfing community fails to fully acknowledge:


1) Mickelson is every bit as physically talented as any one to have ever played the game. (Here, Here, or Here). He has an uncanny sense for trickery and short-game mastery -- although, interestingly, his technique is noticeably different to that of Woods (Tiger v. Phil).


2) Mickelson's golf career has been filled with as much success as almost anyone in history. 


College/Amateur - (won 16 college events, 1990 Porter Cup, 4-time first-team All American, 3 NCAA Individual Champions, 3 Haskins  Awards, 1990 US Amateur, Won 1991 PGA Tour event as an amateur)


Professional (45 wins, 3 majors)


3) His game is better today than it ever has been. . . 


A few years ago I spoke with a friend and former teammate of Mickelson's at Arizona State. Ironically, we had dinner the night that Mickelson lost the U.S. Open at Winged Foot.


**Phil's 18th debacle starts at the 3:30 mark.

Phil's former teammate spoke of how even in college Phil had tendencies to play overly brash at the end of competition. My favorite anectode from the night concerned Phil's idea of shaping shots. When trying to either draw or fade a ball, the major focus needs to be in three regards: one) what line does the shot need to start on, two) what line do I want the ball to end up curving to, and three) is it more essential to start the ball on line and over/under curve the shot (say, when trying to curve it out of trees and you want to make certain that you don't hit a tree) or to make certain that the shot curves in its intended direction (say, when curving the ball away from a hazard).


Phil, as evident in the 18th hole at Winged Foot (and, truthfully, throughout his career) has struggled with this at times, perhaps focusing too much on executing the "perfect shot."


As a junior golfer, I was fortunate to attend a banquet for the 2004 U.S. Open which featured Arnold Palmer, Phil Mickelson, and was hosted by Jim Nantz (I blogged about it last month). While in the audience, I was offered an opportunity to ask Phil and Mr. Palmer a question. I asked them to comment on their shared aggressive playing style -- this was during the time that Tiger was battling off the tee (not that he still doesn't at times) and was playing with unbelievable conservatism. Phil made a joke, and Palmer told a wonderful story. Obviously, I find ways to tell that story often -- but I'm always certain to include that Phil was a true gentleman. I attended the banquet because Rolex, who hosted it, had invited the top juniors from the area (AJGA members). Phil, who has the most decorated AJGA career in history, spoke directly to a group of us candidly and sincerely -- he told us how he had never believed that he would accomplish all that he had and that one of us would one day play against him on Tour.


As someone with a vested intrinsic interest in Tiger Wood's history breaking career, at times I want Phil to come into his own for no purpose other than providing Tiger with that single formidable opponent which some overzealous commentators seem to use as a condemnation of Tiger's greatness.


Look forward to this PGA season. Tiger is going to be better this year than he ever has before, as will Phil, there's a generation of young players who are blossoming, and there's the old guard that isn't ready to go silently into the night.


-Michael


P.S. Check out Geoff Shackelford's excellent post on Tiger Woods and his golf course design business.
Photo(s):

Less backspin + tougher short game = less advantage for long hitters???

In an effort to take away some of the advantage that long hitters have, the United States Golf Association has successfully punished shorter hitters; they are putting a ceiling on how skilled a player can be with their wedges.

The USGA’s policy, to be implemented on the PGA Tour beginning Jan. 1, 2010, will alter current wedge (and iron) designs in two respects: one, it will reduce the maximum groove volume by 25 percent and, two, will limit the groove edge sharpness to a minimum radius of .010 inches.

Current U - Groove Proposed New Groove Traditional V-Groove

According to a recent Titleist study, the new grooves will result in a 30-50 percent spin rate reduction, a five-degree higher launch angle, and nine to 15 feet of more roll out. The study also found that players who generate less club head speed will be affected more than those with higher club head speeds.

Essentially, shots played from the rough with future conforming grooved wedges (and irons) will have less backspin than they did previously, will come out with less control (trajectory) than before, and there will be a greater likelihood for flyers – when grass between the ball and the clubface at impact causes the ball to fly with less than normal spin resulting in greater distance traveled—in the future.

Ultimately, this policy is regressive; it makes the short game equally more difficult for shorter hitters – who rely more on their short game – as it does for long hitters – who do necessarily need as much short game skill to score well – and, for the general public, it affects those with less skill, less knowledge, and fewer resources more than those who are acclaimed and privileged. As has been illustrated in golf throughout history, top players are able to accommodate to changes in the game with greater ease than those that are less skilled.

With the advent of the modern golf ball, skilled players note on how it is increasingly difficult to control the curvature of a shot. As a result, skilled players simply aim at their target more often and try to curve it there less often. New club technologies make the golf ball travel significantly higher than before, yet skilled players have learned to control their trajectories in adverse conditions if they desire, or simply use more club.

The USGA claims that the new wedge measures are “designed to reduce spin on shots played from the rough by highly skilled golfers, and thereby restore the challenge of shots played from the rough to the green. This should result in an increase in the importance of driving accuracy.”

Aside from the impractical workings of the policy, the USGA’s rationale for adopting it is equally unconvincing. They want to curb the benefits of distance by making the short game harder; they want to take away the advantage that distance provides by making it more difficult for players that rely on their short game to score well.

PGA Tour player Steve Stricker currently ranks 110^th in driving distance, 52^nd in driving accuracy, 54^th in greens in regulation, and 48^th in total ball striking – not exactly impressive ball striking statistics. Yet, Stricker currently ranks second in PGA Tour scoring, third in the Official World Golf Rankings, he won three PGA Tour events this year, and made over $6 million in earnings. Why the success? Stricker is ranked second in scrambling – how often a player makes par after having missed the green in regulation – on tour.

Now, take away the capacities of Steve Stricker’s wedge game . . .

At the end of the day, players with the physical abilities of the likes of Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, and Phil Mickelson will be able to spin the ball from the rough with greater ease than will be less physically able players, such as Tim Clark, Steve Stricker, or Zach Johnson. This is not due to skill to any degree; it is simply caused by physical speed/strength that allows certain golfers to generate more club head speed.

Yes, the new grooves will put an emphasis on accuracy; yes, the new grooves will make scrambling more difficult. But, it’s not as if tour players will suddenly prefer playing a five-iron from the fairway as opposed to a wedge from the rough.

As the golf courses continue to get longer, as they do each and every year on tour, players will be increasingly burdened with difficult up and downs. Long hitters have an advantage on longer courses in that it is easier to hit it on the green from 150 yards than it is from 200 yards – sometimes even if the ball is in the rough.

As there is an undeniable correlation between how close a player is to the green after their tee shot and the their proximity to pin after their approach shot, players hitting from a longer distance are more likely to miss the green. The USGA is simply making it more difficult for them to get up and down.

By permitting equipment companies to produce drivers and golf balls that have increased the median driving distance by over 25 yards in the last 20 years, the USGA has allowed an elemental transmogrification of the game. Where only three Tour players averaged over 280 yards in 1989, 25 did so in 1999, and today 157 of the 188 card carrying PGA Tour members averaged over 280 yards – similarly, zero averaged over 290 yards in 1989, five averaged over 290 yards in 1999, and today 80 average over 290 yards.

Since 1989, the median greens in regulation average has remained almost identical, the median scrambling average has gone unaffected, as has the median scoring average.

Where it is difficult for the average viewer to understand the skill behind shooting 68 en route to a 24-under winning tournament score at the Mercedes-Benz Championship, it is essentially impossible for an average viewer to comprehend the skill required to shoot 75 in a US Open winning four-under tournament total. The unparalleled difficulty of some championship golf courses is difficult for many to fathom as they’ve never experienced golf courses like them, needless to say the tournament pressure of competing on such a difficult course. On the contrary, almost every golfer has had an experience with being unable to shoot in the low 60s on even the easiest of golf courses.

The USGA missed the only opportunity to preserve golf as Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, and Arnold Palmer played it when they did little to prevent the excessive distance that the golf ball travels today; get over it.

Up until now, the USGA has tried to reconcile their mistakes by creating a culture where the size of a golf course is more important than its features and by bastardizing the country’s classic golf courses.

Golf is a game and it is meant to be enjoyed as such. The uniqueness of golf comes with the benefits of potential enjoyment by the young and the old, the athletic and the awkward, the privileged and the blue-collar, the intelligenent and the unsophisticated. The game played by the top professional golfers in the world is the same, although obviously at a higher level of skill, as the Saturday game with friends, with

grandparents and grandchildren, with wives and husbands.

The USGA’s sole mission should be increasing the access to and the enjoyment of golf throughout the country, establishing and operating competitions to determine who is the best in their respective competitive arena, and to implement policies that preserve what remains as the sanctity of golf.

Golf is egalitarian; it is a sport where 59-year-old Tom Watson competed alongside 29-year-old Sergio Garcia and 16-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero at this year’s (British) Open Championship.

Distance or physical ability does not always dictate success, rather it is skill and the potential for excellence that a golfer has with his or her own clubs. In hopes of taking away the advantages that distance presents, the USGA is making the area of the game where distance is not a consideration more difficult; that is like discouraging the three-point shot in basketball by making the hoop smaller, rather than changing the location of the three-point line. You have inadvertently created an advantage for basketball players who can dunk by making all shooting more difficult; the USGA has inadvertently created an advantage for strong ball strikers (or long hitters if one prescribes to the notion that ball striking is easier when playing from shorter distances) by making the short game more difficult.

The USGA’s policy discriminates against those who rely on their short game for success. That is far from its supposed intended demographic . . . I hope.

Photo(s): Diagrams/Graphs, Steve Stricker, Sam Snead/Ben Hogan