golf on TV stiring up a passion to play

[alexgolf]

The start of this is a little off theme but bear with me.....

I have been reading an artical today about the winner of the BBC TV show, MASTERCHEF (yes i know but hold on!)

He said that one of the main reasons (apart from his Mum i seem to remember..another Daily Mail spin to suit the story!!) why he started to have an interest in cooking was because of watching Gordon Ramsey on the TV. He could see the passion that there was in him and the subject in general fired him.

Now interestingly i have the same story with Golf. I know its a bit twee but i coume from the era of Around with Alliss, Pro cleb golf and the Tournys that the BBC did show in the late 70's and 80's. Truley a great time for golf as a showcase for the sport as a whole, without all the hype that surrounds the marketiting drive of golf by NIKE and TW.

I was naturally exposed to golf in a way that will not happen again. There is more tournament golf on UK TV now that ever, but it is only there for those that WANT to watch it.

This is why TW is so important to Golf as he brings another dimension to golf. That is why it was so important to get him back playing.

So i am saying we need a better balance in golf coverage for the future good of the game. Somehow (and i dont want this to turn into a BBC bashing thread so dont go down that route please) i would like to see more golf and golf issues on other chanells rather than just SKY.

Otherwise i really fear for the game in a few years time.

IMO We need more people to have a passion or just even an interest in the game.

Thoughts on this and how did you get a passion for the game???

 

[big_mean_bunny]

I got my interest from my dad, used to walk round with him and his mates when I was wee and tend the flag and chase moor hens!........which I admit I sometimes still have the urge to do!

I have always found that courses are busier when there is golf on the tele though?

 

[DCB]

Whilst I agree that Golf on TV is good for bringing folks into the game, we have to realise that TV has been very good for Golf. Without the money that TV has brought to the table, we wouldn't have a strong European Tour or PGA Tour in America. Unfortunately, whilst the BBC have the rights to show The Open as one of the "crown jewels" of British sport, their willingness to spend money on anything other than flagship events does tend to show them in their real colours.

TW has been good for the game, however the game is bigger than any one man. When Tiger has long gone, there will be another "star" who will be flavour of the month, and another, and another, the game of golf will go on regardless of Tiger and his successors.

Anyway, I can hark back to Trevino beating Jacklin at Muirfield in 1972 as the first time I can remember watching a lot of golf on TV. I had already started to play the game by then, so it was a natural progression.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I really got interested when my grandad starting working for Nick Faldo when I was a kid. I still remember sitting in my room with my cousin glued to the BBC coverage of the masters. I've been hooked ever since.

 

[viscount17]

I can't agree that there is more golf coverage on UK TV at all, for that to be true the coverage would have to be freely available on terrestrial tv - and that ain't gonna happen.

The Beeb just cannot compete with Sky (especially when they waste so much of our licence fee on paying way too much to far too many).

I'd love to have the opportunity to watch more but that would be another £20/month out of the golf budget - I'd rather play!

 

[alexgolf]

Morning all

Some good replys yesterday on a busy and (finally) a great day for GOLF....and nothing else!!!!

Have another look at this for those that didnt get a chance to look, tell us about their start with Golf passion.

If nothing else Woods's performance will hopefully fired up some who saw.

That hook/draw at 9. OMG!!!!!