What did you make of Setanta's coverage?

[Atticus_Finch]

Usually Setanta ride on the back of The Golf Channel's coverage including their commentary team, but during The Players last week they seem to be having a go at it themselves with Dominic Holyer, Ronan Rafferty and Ken Brown in the studio, Jay Townsend on the course and Andrew Coltart and Sarah Stirk flirting somewhere in between the two.
What did you make of it? I thought it was a pretty good attempt for their first go. It definitly beats the usual biased American coverage and you could tell that the guys were rooting for Garcia all the way round.
Hope it wasn't a one off.

 

[benny]

I loved it. I think Ken Brown has a fantastic talent for TV, is very witty and always comes up with new words to describe things. I like his 'high tarriff putt' or 'a very smelly, 3 foot left to righter' - he's got his own style and I like that. Coltart I think has a future too and he brings the most recent first hand Tour experience to the mix along with his inimitable Scottish brogue. The Raff is great - no nonsense and straight to the point with a good sprinkle of humour and I really enjoyed 'Whispering' Jay Townsends oncourse perspective. Dominic Holyer is my main man, enough said.
I hope Setanta continue with this team in the com box, even if it is just for the big events on the PGA tour. I they could snare a Faldo or another big name ex-major winner for the box, then the team would be great. And that does not include Wayne Grady.

 

[stevelockie]

I liked it. I thought Andrew Coltart was particularly good. He was giving JB Holmes a bit of stick for being stupidly agressive on Thursday night

 

[benny]

Proper laid into Ben Crane twice as well for being the slowest for no reason, 2 bit, tin cup golfer in the field. I like his attitude, he says how we the club golfer feel about some of the modern day players. Holyer pretended to play dumb to it too, it was dead funny, you could tell they were all seething with this guys sloth like progress.

 

[mick]

thought it was excellent,got to agree with benny ken brown is wittiest golf commentator about he's on a par with larry david for making me laugh.

 

[viscount17]

I think the reason I enjoyed it so much was that they didn't praise for no reason and were prepared to 'tell it as it is'.

 

[theeaglehunter]

I thought it was great also, I would take Setantas coverage over the American controlled stuff anyday. The golf was good as well which always helps. Roll on the next event.

 

[rgs]

Agree the Setanta commentary was far superior to the usual drivel we get from the USA networks. Of course the coverage was helped by Tigers absence. Its not Tigers fault but once Tiger is in the field the cameras are drawn to him like a magnet-he could be walking from the car to the putting green whilst some one player is making birdies and eagles and all we get is "how focused Tiger looks" and other banal comments-Just show us the golf.

 

[Timberbonce]

i've not been sure wether or not to subscribe to setanta or not for a while now, i was a bit woried after i read some of the poor coments in the thread the other week, but i think it sounds well worth the tenner from what you guys have said.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Have to say I was a little disappointed in places. I thought Rafferty and Brown were superb and kept me amused all night with their quips and accurate commentary. Thought Coltart was a bit hit and miss and seemed to be trying too hard to be funny at times. He was still passable though.

Wasn't impressed with Townsend on course reports. Not a patch on Boxall or Grady over on Sky or Feherty on the American networks. Sarah Stirk didn't seemed to get much air time (still good excuse to get a tan) but she was functional as an interviewer

I preferred it to the American coverage we normally get (with the exception of Faldo who I think is class as a commentator) and would like to see them develop it more. A definite 7/10 but does need work in some areas

 

[Marko77]

It all appeared a bit amateur hour BUT that was a good thing. The main thing is the golf gets shown! I thought Coltart saying it as it is was the best feature, however, nearly missing the broadcast cos his car was impounded - how unprofessional lol

 

[HTL]

I liked it, the coverage was a lot better with no Tiger in the field.

They are still showing replays on the golf channel!