Very few people enjoy watching golf as much as I do, I am completely aware of this and openly admit it! I watch regular golf, seniors golf, european tour golf, ladies golf and once spent an hour watching the super putt world series. When I sit down to watch golf my thumb automatically clicks the remote to The Golf Channel! It is like breathing...I don't even know it is happening or understand why. It just does! I have even set my alarm for three in the morning so that I could watch golf.....not sure many people do this for the Bachelor, American Idol etc, so I realize I have a bit of a problem.
During the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open for the first time EVER I turned the TV off! Not because the golf wasn't exciting, but because the pace of play was so FREAKING SLOW!!! Ben Crane should be banned from every golf tour unless he can play a round (by himself) in less than four hours! These guys are destroying the game of golf and the PGA Tour has completely missed the boat. It used to be bad, but now it is REALLY bad and if they are losing wack job fans like me, how does the average Joe Recreation player or fan feel?
For the PGA Tour to allow this to go on is ridiculous, they could stop it right now...period!
I realize that they are playing for a lot of money but come on...glaciers move faster than some of these guys. Maybe the networks should just tape delay everything and show it all in a one hour show. We wouldn't have to watch a guy throw grass in the air for ten minutes wondering if the wind is NNW or just NW at 2 mph! It is crazy and I get so frustrated watching these turtles waggle, talk, practice swing blah blah blah. On Sunday I actually yelled "Hurry up" at the TV so loud my wife thought I hurt myself.
Let's be honest, we all know that golfs numbers are dropping because of three main reasons
1. The game is hard
2. It is perceived to be expensive
3. It takes way too long to play 18 holes
This needs to stop, and you don't need an entire revamp of the rules or any extra costs or a million time keepers and please no freaking warnings (warnings...what a joke they are, like an NFL rep WARNS a guy he might get penalized) puh leeze! You tell the group on the first tee "Ok boys here is your time chart, if you are not past the first green in 12 minutes (as an example) you get a one shot penalty. Simple!
If they find one guy in the group is causing the problem he gets an additional shot penalty. When guys start missing cuts they will get faster! Guaranteed.
If I guy gets three penalty shots in one round....DONE! Go home, you are a human rain delay, we don't need you on the course. Oh and please don't give me this argument that "I need a ruling, so it took longer to play that hole"...learn the rules pal, you are playing for a millions dollars a week, you can't figure out how to take a drop from a cart path? Are you kidding me, I have juniors members that can do it no problem.
The game of golf is being destroyed and nobody in charge seems to care. The PGA tour would argue that they are not responsible for growing the game or governing rules, they are entertainment. Well I got news for you boys, your product is putting people to sleep...literally!
The worst part is that every year it gets worse, I don't know how the fast players don't go to the tour policy board and complain like crazy. Did you see that poor Kyle Stanley (thankfully he eventually won) waiting and looking away at the clouds while Ben Crane stood over his putts? I can honestly say that I thought I had hit pause on the PVR and reached to hit the button and then he moved! I couldn't believe it he was a still photograph.
Somebody do something.....please!
Comments