GOLF ON TELEVISION

seems to apply to golf on television.  Many of us can still remember the “dark ages” of televised golf, where it would come on for a couple of hours each on Saturday and Sunday, with the action being picked up on the 12th hole.  Now, every round of every domestic tour event is televised for three or more hours each day, along with numerous events on the Nationwide and LPGA Tours, and every event on the Champions Tour – not to mention most European Tour tournaments, too.  Has televised golf reached the saturation point?  In a free-market society, the answer has to be “no.”  Otherwise, the market would dictate contraction, but so far we’ve seen none of that, even in these tougher economic times.  Also, if you’ve attended any sort of tour event recently, especially on the big tour, you can see that there are no shortage of spectators willing to endure parking some distance from the course and be shuttled in by bus.  So golf as a spectator sport is as popular as ever…at least for now.  One wonders if the saturation point of televised golf hasn’t been reached.  After all, what else is left to be televised?  But so far, this proliferation of TV viewing opportunities hasn’t seemed to dampen any enthusiasm. Golf’s television networks seem to have a good handle on production values that draw in the viewers.  Here’s a brief, very biased, ranking of the top productions:  1) CBS.  They just know how to do it.  2)  NBC.  We really like Johnny Miller, even if a number of golf fans proclaim not to.  3) Golf Channel European Tour.  The understated British announcers are outstanding.  Only a disjointed random showing of shots by the production crew prevents this from being #1.  4) ABC.  Not exactly the great days of yore with Jim McKay, Jack Whittaker, Dave Marr and Bob Rosberg, but at least Peter Allis still shows up for stints. 5) Golf Channel all other tours.  Just too slow and serious for our tastes, although Jerry Foltz and crew do a pretty good job on Nationwide Tour events. There you have it, as we see it.  You see it differently?  Please let us know at info@usgtf.com.