LET

[HomerJSimpson]

The ladies football analogy is a poor one in my opinion. They FA is backing womens football, and interest and sponsorship is increasing through televising rights (BT show the ladies PL) and the level is increasing and will do so over a length of time as further investment seeps through to grass roots. With the LET we have the Open winner who played brilliantly over the week to beat the best in the world including all of those plying their trade on the LPGA. Those in charge of the ladies golf game needed to be all over that success and pushing for new sponsorship deals and advertising on the back of it to re-invest. Sadly its too late

The LET is simply dying on its feet. As others have said while a player can retain rights on 12K it would represent a loss on the season with costs and you have to wonder how long a player could continue to rack up losses. With Carly Booth the OP quoted, she's a little different from the norm and has built herself a massive online presence on Instagram and youtube and is often featured in photo shoots so clearly has a secondary and reasonable source of income. Unless someone gets hold of the LET and runs it as a 21st century business and gets serious investment and backing, it'll continue to limp along, lose its best players to the LPGA and simply cease to exist probably within five years

 

[User 99]

The LET is simply dying on its feet. As others have said while a player can retain rights on 12K it would represent a loss on the season with costs and you have to wonder how long a player could continue to rack up losses. With Carly Booth the OP quoted, she's a little different from the norm and has built herself a massive online presence on Instagram and youtube and is often featured in photo shoots so clearly has a secondary and reasonable source of income. Unless someone gets hold of the LET and runs it as a 21st century business and gets serious investment and backing, it'll continue to limp along, lose its best players to the LPGA and simply cease to exist probably within five years

Very good point about CB, and I'm glad you brought her up cause I have a question for you all about her, do you think her online following is due to her golfing ability ? or A.N. Other reason ?

 

[Deleted member 16999]

The ladies football analogy is a poor one in my opinion. They FA is backing womens football, and interest and sponsorship is increasing through televising rights (BT show the ladies PL) and the level is increasing and will do so over a length of time as further investment seeps through to grass roots. With the LET we have the Open winner who played brilliantly over the week to beat the best in the world including all of those plying their trade on the LPGA. Those in charge of the ladies golf game needed to be all over that success and pushing for new sponsorship deals and advertising on the back of it to re-invest. Sadly its too late

The LET is simply dying on its feet. As others have said while a player can retain rights on 12K it would represent a loss on the season with costs and you have to wonder how long a player could continue to rack up losses. With Carly Booth the OP quoted, she's a little different from the norm and has built herself a massive online presence on Instagram and youtube and is often featured in photo shoots so clearly has a secondary and reasonable source of income. Unless someone gets hold of the LET and runs it as a 21st century business and gets serious investment and backing, it'll continue to limp along, lose its best players to the LPGA and simply cease to exist probably within five years

Nobody said it was a good analogy, it was discussed in response to R&G’s post, the fact is though, everything you say the LET needs is exactly what they were saying about Women’s Football until the FA actually stepped up, it needs proper financing, marketing etc.
What is the image of the LET, look at the Solheim Cup in Gleneagles next year, why aren’t the European Tour or R&A more involved, why can’t they take a risk and get some of the previous Ryder Cup vice captains involved, just to raise the profile.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Very good point about CB, and I'm glad you brought her up cause I have a question for you all about her, do you think her online following is due to her golfing ability ? or A.N. Other reason ?

Only for a tiny minority of Golf fans, the rest will be on her looks, probably in reverse to a top male golfer.

 

[User 99]

Only for a tiny minority of Golf fans, the rest will be on her looks, probably in reverse to a top male golfer.

Absolutely, and well done her for exploiting it but I personally find it all a bit disgusting that one player gets such sponsorship based on her looks while most likely another, quite probably more talented doesn't, tis a shallow world we live in.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Absolutely, and well done her for exploiting it but I personally find it all a bit disgusting that one player gets such sponsorship based on her looks while most likely another, quite probably more talented doesn't, tis a shallow world we live in.

Completely agree, it happens in all walks of life though.

 

[Jacko_G]

Was it the one with Carly Booth on it ? She's the golfer I refer to.

If that lassie put as much work and effort into her golf as she does with her social media she'd be a world number one and multiple major winner.

Yes Carly I appreciate your beauty and "assets" however I'd much rather be talking about you in the winners circle than about your cartwheels and smiles for the camera!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Very good point about CB, and I'm glad you brought her up cause I have a question for you all about her, do you think her online following is due to her golfing ability ? or A.N. Other reason ?

Six of one. I think she has always had the ability and has won on the LET tour albeit a few years ago, arguably when the tour was actually stronger. I think she's seen the tour going downhill and has had the nous to cash in on her looks (whether you consider that right or wrong) in photoshoots and used he golfing ability to promote herself online. I think she's using the social media opportunities to raise revenue the tour can't offer

 

[User 99]

If that Lassie out as much work and effort into her golf as she does with her social media she'd be a world number one and multiple major winner.

Yes Carly I appreciate your beauty and "assets" however I'd much rather be talking about you in the winners circle than about your cartwheels and smiles for the camera!

100%,

 

[User 99]

Six of one. I think she has always had the ability and has won on the LET tour albeit a few years ago, arguably when the tour was actually stronger. I think she's seen the tour going downhill and has had the nous to cash in on her looks (whether you consider that right or wrong) in photoshoots and used he golfing ability to promote herself online. I think she's using the social media opportunities to raise revenue the tour can't offer

She can't cut it on tour, 3 cuts in 10, 12k in prize money, she is using the LET and to promote her products through her good looks, not the other way round, but as I've said, fair enough on her to exploit it but as Jacko says, I'd much rather she was winning at golf than winning at social media.

 

[Imurg]

But what would she rather do...?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

She can't cut it on tour, 3 cuts in 10, 12k in prize money, she is using the LET and to promote her products through her good looks, not the other way round, but as I've said, fair enough on her to exploit it but as Jacko says, I'd much rather she was winning at golf than winning at social media.

Two LET wins so she could clearly cut it. Perhaps its a simple as she's seen the state of the tour an simply doesn't have the inclination to put the work in to practice for very limited competitions on a stop/start basis and for paltry prize money and has started to use her looks and social media to make money. Everyone has to earn a crust one way or antoher

 

[User 99]

But what would she rather do...?

Good question, she's fannying about all over the world based on her looks, if I were her, I'd probably do the same.

 

[User 99]

Two LET wins so she could clearly cut it. Perhaps its a simple as she's seen the state of the tour an simply doesn't have the inclination to put the work in to practice for very limited competitions on a stop/start basis and for paltry prize money and has started to use her looks and social media to make money. Everyone has to earn a crust one way or antoher

Ah but she has argued she does put the work in. I think she's realised she can make more money out of her looks than her game, which is the same but different to what you're saying, I tip my hat to her, she's very lucky to have her looks, doesn't mean I have to agree with it though, from a golf perspective.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Ah but she has argued she does put the work in. I think she's realised she can make more money out of her looks than her game, which is the same but different to what you're saying, I tip my hat to her, she's very lucky to have her looks, doesn't mean I have to agree with it though, from a golf perspective.

I would argue that she'd always say she's putting the work in certainly on social media and in public. Whether that's the truth is open to debate. Again if she wants to use her looks to earn money (not the first female golfer to do so, anyone remember Jan Stephenson back in the 70's) then whether that detracts from her as a golfer is a different conversation

 

[Dan2501]

Prize money is linked to how much folk will pay to watch, televise and advertise at. Same for all sport.

Not necessarily. The LPGA have created a different business model as they knew they wouldn't be able to generate enough money based on viewing figures alone, LPGA viewing figures are still pretty low. So they decided to shift the focus away from TV rights and advertisements and instead focus their efforts on attracting lucrative sponsors that could use the LPGA for a corporate experience for their employees and clients. They use the personalities of the LPGA players encouraging them to engage with the sponsor and the client, get them to move away from the robotic nature of the PGA Tour which makes for a much more up close and personal service for the Sponsor. It has served them incredibly well, they've been able to attract larger sponsors who because of the service they receive are unlikely to back out and cancel events which happens week in and week out on the LET. It's about time the LET did something similar and could use personalities like Carly Booth to help drive that, they're not going to be successful following the same route as the mens game, the interest just isn't there.

 

[USER1999]

Good question, she's fannying about all over the world based on her looks, if I were her, I'd probably do the same.

I don't think you would make much money! She is way better looking than you.

 

[User 99]

I don't think you would make much money! She is way better looking than you.

If I was her, I'd be as good looking

 

[Pin-seeker]

is Carly Booth that good looking?

 

[clubchamp98]

Women’s golf is just a minority sport.
The vast majority of clubs are trying to get women to join , mine has dropped the joining fee and offer lower fees to women beginners.
The brutal truth is most golfers (men) would not pay to watch women play.
The standard is nowhere near the men’s.
The football analogy is not valid, as schools teach football now and FA are trying to raise profile.

When people won’t go and watch there’s a problem.
Fixing that problem won’t be easy no matter who’s in charge.
Sponsors are not stupid they only put money in if they get a return!