Maybe a little reverse psychology should be used to grow the game
1 Oct 2012

Maybe a little reverse psychology should be used to grow the game

Every year a golf organization comes up with some type of initiative whose intent is to grow the game of golf. This year it is Golf 2.0. Last year was Play it Forward. We have also had Play Golf America, Link up to Golf, Get Golf Ready, and a myriad of other catch-phrase programs. Yet, the number of people playing golf has declined over the past five years. Maybe this type of approach is wrong. There is an old saying regarding golf that goes “less is more.”  Maybe that approach should be applied to marketing the game. Instead of trying to make it easier for people to take up golf, perhaps a forbidden-fruit philosophy or grass-is-greener on the other side mentality is the way to go.

I just read a terrific article by good friend Bill Fields in Golfweek Magazine about how he rediscovered his love for playing golf this year. In it, he wrote some very pertinent words to the point: “Golf requires effort. Effort requires commitment.” In none of the initiatives trying to drive people into the game is there any mention of effort and commitment. In many European countries, people have to demonstrate a certain skill level before they are allowed to play an actual round of golf. Those that I have met appreciate and respect the game much more and stay with it.

Now, it is unlikely such a system would be popular here in America, where anyone with a green dollar believes they are entitled to play, even if they don’t know a putter from a ball retriever. I am not saying we should make it difficult for people to take up golf, but maybe just put more emphasis on finding those willing to make the commitment necessary to really become enamored with the game. Those are the people that will stay with it and keep playing for years to come.
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Fedex cup good but, but it can be made great
1 Oct 2012

Fedex cup good but, but it can be made great

Several years ago, the PGA Tour instituted the FedEx Cup to give an exclamation point to the end of the season.  The Cup was based on the NASCAR system, which determines the champion of that racing circuit.  The Cup has done some of what it’s supposed to do, namely keep fan interest alive and provide some drama at a time when interest in professional golf starts to wane.

Still, in 2012, the FedEx Cup has somewhat of an identity crisis:  What, exactly, is it supposed to determine?  The major championships all have their long-established niches, and the Player of the Year may well be someone other than the FedEx Cup champion.  Contrast that to other sports, where there is a clear-cut champion at the end of each season.  The NASCAR Chase winner is THE champion; there is no debate.  Same goes for the World Series, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, and NBA Finals winners.  But winning the FedEx Cup means…?

Given golf’s somewhat random nature, where virtually anyone can win in any given week, it doesn’t make much sense that someone can come from 26th position, as Bill Haas did a year ago, and claim the overall championship. Sure, major championships are decided by who plays well in that given week, but the FedEx Cup is billed as a “season-long” event.  Here is a proposed fix to make the “season-long” part more relevant, but with elements of a playoff that keeps some unpredictability.

Right now, points in the three “playoff” events (Barclay’s, Deutsche Bank, and BMW) are quintupled (5 times normal points).  The points are re-set for the Tour Championship.  While this makes the playoffs relevant, it over-rewards those who do well in the playoffs.  Yes, we know other sports do the same thing, but remember, the FedEx Cup is supposed to be season-long.  We propose a more modest doubling of the points for the first three events, and then tripling them for the Tour Championship with no pre-tournament re-set.

Remember the playoff between Haas and Hunter Mahan last year for all the marbles?  How would you like to have that every year?  Here’s where it can get interesting.  After the Tour Championship, take the top four in points and have them engage in a series of three sudden-death playoffs:  #4 vs. #3, the winner to face #2, and the winner of that match to face #1.  The winner of the Tour Championship, if not in the top four, would automatically become the #4 seed, bumping whoever was there.

The integrity of the regular season would be maintained to a higher degree, and yet the excitement of the post-season would be in play, too, to a degree never before seen.  This formula would give golf fans really something to talk about during football season.
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