How to fix golf at the Olympics

[muttleee]

Interesting article on golfdigest.com about the problems with the planned format for golf at the next Olympics. It'll be a standard 72 hole strokeplay event which they say could turn out to be so boring and one sided that it won't remain in the Olympics beyond 2020 (which is already settled).

Could taking the best of the Ryder Cup (matchplay, teams) and the World Cup (round robin groups) be the way to produce an exciting competition?

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/2014-10/olympic-golf-shane-ryan

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Quite happy to see golf be removed from the Olympics

I would make it amateurs only playing in it and allow each country to have up to two teams of two players and play better ball like the World Cup of Golf

 

[c1973]

I'd like to see it made amateur only as well. Two man team, betterball with some sort of group stage then straight forward knockout.

 

[guest100718]

I'd like to see it made amateur only as well. Two man team, betterball with some sort of group stage then straight forward knockout.

Yeah the crowds will flock to watch amateurs overs Rory....

 

[muttleee]

That's close to what that article suggests - apart from using amateurs and having only one team per country. Golf definitely doesn't seem like a good fit for the Olympics but I can understand the governing bodies wanting more worldwide exposure. Having a 72 hole limited-field tournament doesn't seem the best way to do it.

 

[Matty2803]

Ryder cup round robin group style, teams made up of males and females...

 

[muttleee]

Ryder cup round robin group style, teams made up of males and females...

I find it hard to picture mixed foursomes at the Olympics.

 

[c1973]

Yeah the crowds will flock to watch amateurs overs Rory....

Where did I mention the crowds flocking to watch amateurs over Rory?



You can watch the pros every other week if you want and there's plenty of talented amateurs out there that are worth watching and would benefit from the exposure. Let's face it golf isn't going to be the big ticket event at the Olympics anyway (I'd argue it shouldn't be there at all, but that's just my opinion).

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not excited by golf in the Olympics. Doesn't seem a good fit and a 72 medal format not the best way of displaying the sport. What format is the World up of golf these days. Doesn't that have different formats

 

[Duckster]

All depends on if they are going to have a course to play on!

If, it does get finished, then I'd have it as foursomes matchplay, straight knockout with one team per country.

 

[Pin-seeker]

Shouldn't even be in the Olympics,neither should football.

 

[srixon 1]

How about a big break style format.

 

[guest100718]

How about a big break style format.

Excellent idea

 

[ColchesterFC]

In my opinion the Olympics should be the pinnacle of any sport that takes part. For example being the Olympic 100m champion is the highest accolade in that event. For that reason I'd take out golf, football and tennis for starters. Winning a major, World Cup final or Grand Slam event is the pinnacle of those sports so they shouldn't be in the Olympics.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Golf should never be there. In fact I find it slightly offensive as I love The Olympics. And it's a chance for a lot of minor sports to get there day in the sun and we get to hear great stories and see new sporting superstars. Not watch a bunch of golfers who could earn over 1 million dollars most weekends for winning a tournament being greedy and now wanting an Olympic gold medal, trying to live like common people in the Olympic village, trying to see what common people see for a few days before boarding their private jets to take them out of there and stop it all.

I know The Olympics has long since stopped being for amateurs only, but to me golf (and as already mentioned tennis and football, without googling it, name me the current Olympic football champions anyone???) should not be an Olympic sport and golfing authorities should really think of other ways to grow the game an make it accessible, rather than muscling in on The Olympics. Plus all it will do I fear is expose just how boring a lot of 72 hole stroke play is to watch, so that's probably going to backfire. To be honest I'd rather watch the qualifying heats of the greco-roman wrestling than Olympic golf. And I like golf.

 

[Slab]

Yeah looking forward to the Olympic golf

There's a lot of dross Olympic sports (by which I mean completely TV unfriendly) that despite the undoubted skill of the competitors, & has no place (10m pistol shooting)

There's also far too many incremental levels for a lot of the current Olympic sport that adds no real value i.e boxing and other combat sports with 48 diff weight divisions in each, swim an extra 10m and its another gold medal opportunity etc

So plenty scope to stick in a few rounds of golf but I would much prefer it to be a team event

 

[Imurg]

As above.......
If they want Golf at the Olympic Games have a long drive event and a nearest the pin at varying distances.
More fun to watch and you wouldn't necessarily get the top Pros winning....

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Football has been in every Summer Olympics since 1900 ( before WC's etc ) bar one

And in 2012 Mexico beat Brazil in the final ( that's without googling )

 

[Dan2501]

Yeah looking forward to the Olympic golf

There's a lot of dross Olympic sports (by which I mean completely TV unfriendly) that despite the undoubted skill of the competitors, & has no place (10m pistol shooting)

There's also far too many incremental levels for a lot of the current Olympic sport that adds no real value i.e boxing and other combat sports with 48 diff weight divisions in each, swim an extra 10m and its another gold medal opportunity etc

So plenty scope to stick in a few rounds of golf but I would much prefer it to be a team event

Agree with this. There's so many dross, dull sports in the Olympics, squeezing a 72-hole Golf tournament in shouldn't be an issue. I worked the Sochi Paralympics this year, and jesus, some of the sports were dull as dishwater. The endless biathlons, match after match of curling, Golf is infinitely more entertaining a spectacle than either of those. Also, if people actually sat down and watched it, they'd hopefully realise it isn't as dull as it's made out to be, and it could actually end up getting more people involved in the sport, especially if the tournament is an exciting one.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Agree with this. There's so many dross, dull sports in the Olympics, squeezing a 72-hole Golf tournament in shouldn't be an issue. I worked the Sochi Paralympics this year, and jesus, some of the sports were dull as dishwater. The endless biathlons, match after match of curling, Golf is infinitely more entertaining a spectacle than either of those. Also, if people actually sat down and watched it, they'd hopefully realise it isn't as dull as it's made out to be, and it could actually end up getting more people involved in the sport, especially if the tournament is an exciting one.

I'll bet you a pound to a penny that 72 hole stroke play Olympic golf will never recreate the excitement of the 2002 womens curling final in Salt Lake City and probably won't get anywhere near the viewing figures either. Even if Tiger and Rory and battling it out down the 18th.