Why Do You Watch/Care About Pro Golf?

[GolfSpy_APH]

We asked this question in the rollback thread, and I think it deserves a deeper dive. The question was just as the title reads and the overwhelming majority said yes you do in fact care and or watch pro golf. We want to know why! 

[Bad Golfer]

I watch for many reasons.  

1. They make bad shots too. How they recover from those shots are pretty darn amazing. 

2. I like watching the best players battle it out all at one time but it is getting harder with every golfer that goes over to LIV.

3. I'm always looking at their technique and how they approach playing a hole. I find it interesting that depending on a green some choose to bump and run and others kinda flop it up close.

There are other reasons as well but those are probably some of the main reasons other than I just enjoy watching. 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

I enjoy watching professional golf because they make the game look so easy. Elite ball striking, great wedge shots, clutch putting. You see it week in and week out. 

We all know the LAST thing this game is, is easy. It’s a testament to all of the work they put in to be able to make it look that way. 

So I would say one of my primary reasons to watch is to appreciation of their dedication to their craft. 

[Josh Parker]

I watch golf to try and learn something that may help my game.  How and why, they decide to play a certain shot from different parts of the course.  

I particularly like the slow motion on tee shots.  

[Byrnzee]

I watch professional golf for the same reasons as many others have stated:

• To learn about how to approach shots, play certain holes, recover from trouble, etc.
• To watch textbook swings that I aspire to have
• To see how these players perform under pressure against the best competition in the world
• Similar to watching an NBA player dunk over someone, it's insanely impressive to watch professional athletes do things with a golf club I can only dream of (e.g., watching Rory drive it 400 yards or Hovland chip it off the green in the Ryder Cup)

[ParFore74x]

We all make bad shots, including the pros. Recovering from them is the key and watching the pros recover is fun to watch.

I really enjoy the moments where players and caddie talk out a shot to see what the best option is. They both have a shot visualized and most of the time we get to see how that visualization becomes real. 

[russtopherb]

I'm in that gray area of no/don't care. The televised golf as it is right now has zero appeal to me. I'll tune in for things like the Phoenix Open or The Masters, and even then it's in drips and drabs. The most pro golf I watched all of 2023 was Rose Zhang's LPGA debut.

I love watching them in person when they're at TPC Boston - it's incredible to watch them make shots from just a few feet away. But TV? Nah I'd rather be on the course or the range.

[Shapotomous]

I tune in during jan / feb cold spells to feel the warmth of the sunshine they are playing in.  And i watch some of the majors. It is the same with the lpga.  Other than that i dont tune in much at all.  

The only aspect of their game i try to get something from at this point is from their putting.  The setup and stroke are what i watch for tendencies.

[rkj427]

I watch more during the cold winter months here, again more to see the warmer weather which eventually makes it back to this area.

Also, I would be more interested in their course management during play, and recovery shots when they do get in trouble or difficult situations.

Also tend to watch more LPGA or Champions than PGA as their games are more in line with what I see in my real-world golfing experiences,

Will watch the Masters for spring visual effects of the grounds, the US Open and Open Championship more for the course and playing conditions and how they impact those involved.

[tdroma98]

I enjoy watching Pro Golf - Champions, LPGA & PGA Tours.  

LPGA has a lot to offer, just wish the LPGA had a better televised schedule. American stable of golfers really appears to be good, as @russtopherb stated Rose Zhang may be the one to watch this year. Ladies game are good, love their swings. Nellie Korda's swing is so sweet! 

Still partial to PGA Tour, great talent pool.  The Hawaiian & West Coast swings are great for January & February going into primetime tv.  Of course watching the PGA players we grew up with, makes the Champions Tour fun to watch.  Mr. Langer is incredible at age 66! 

I've not watched any SaudiLIV play.  Honestly, have zero interest in it. I know this can be a controversial issue, but I don't miss a player who defected/left the PGA.  Their format is of no interest, the loud music you can keep, there's just nothing about the league that interests me, not even Rahm joining them. I believe Rahm checked out of PGA after his Masters win.   Lost any and all respect for Greg Norman! 

[vamosjackets]

For me it's mainly being intrigued by elite competition - watching the best of the best go at it. Secondarily, the personalities involved.

This would be the same as other sports I follow sometimes (football, baseball, basketball). Another comparison would be college football where I have a loyalty/vested interest in my team (Georgia Tech) that is beyond just the elite competition aspect ... If I had to choose, I'd rather watch my team play even if they're not in the championship than watch the championship ... There have been a few golfers like that for me over the years. Currently I am all in on Scottie Scheffler (due to his character that I witnessed when he won the Masters). If Scottie is out of a tournament, my heart will tend to gravitate toward one of the other guys in contention for one reason or another.

Edited December 26, 2023 by vamosjackets

[vandyland]

I am home with my children (2 yr old and 4 yr old) a lot on the weekends. We don't have them watch TV/tablets really very often, tablets are only for the airplane or a long car trip and TV is like a couple hours per week max. The irony here is that I watched TV constantly growing up but I can see how it turns my kids into zombies but I digress. So my wife is fine if I put on golf because the kids think it is "boring" so they don't even look at it. So that is a plus. But, despite that I enjoy watching pro golf because:

(1) I just really like watching well struck golf shots. There is something very pleasing about it. 
(2) I am constantly working on and filming my swing so I generally look for what I am working on to show up in some or most of the swings I see on the telecast.
(3) A lot of the golf courses are very interesting to see so I can see which ones I would want to play (TPC Deere Run for example) and which ones you couldn't pay me to play (Bay Hill, PGA National). 
(4) It also highlights how they can and do miss fairways, greens, flub chips...etc. 
(5) Shot tracer and trackman info has greatly improved the viewing experience. 

Here are the things I DISLIKE about watching pro golf (most are obvious):

(1) The commercial load is insane, playing through is a disaster unless you have a 80+ inch TV. 
(2) Waaaaaay too many putts. Would much rather see full shots and tee shot. I get that putts are important but it seems like there are a disproportionate amount of putts shown (probably because of fixed cameras around the green)
(3) The fluff pieces, boring player interviews (they never say anything) and CEO interviews. Just show more golf shots and less putts (see point 2).
(4) Hard to follow all the rounds going at once and I don't envy the producers trying to keep up with everything. 
(5) I generally don't find the announcing to be "additive", would prefer just to hear the sounds of the players/caddies talking and the course and the crowd.  
(6) Some of the innovations that they try (like Goldboy at the Players, the "expected shot outcome") are embarrassing wastes of money. 
 

[MGoBlue100]

At this point, I’m only watching to see “special” courses (I’ll watch Maui b/c the course is SO visually stunning) the Majors (courses count there, too), or to see players I especially like. TBH, a lot of the players with any personality have moved to LIV. I like the format (shotgun = faster) and the team element. The majority of PGAT events are robots in khakis to my eye. LPGA is simply too slow for me. (I don’t watch the WNBA or much women’s soccer either; boring…)

I know it’s not part of the question, but I do like Men’s and Women’s college golf, mostly for (again) the team element and the competition. Those matches are NEVER over; anyone can make a Quad at any moment. 

[cnosil]

I watch strictly for the entertainment value and background noise.   If I am looking for something to put on TV  I'll put on golf and watch some of it.  I don't go out of my way to watch any tour event.  

[fixyurdivot]

2 hours ago, cnosil said:

I watch strictly for the entertainment value and background noise.   If I am looking for something to put on TV  I'll put on golf and watch some of it.  I don't go out of my way to watch any tour event.  

+1.  It's still one of the less offending things on television.  

[EasyPutter]

2 hours ago, cnosil said:

I watch strictly for the entertainment value and background noise.   If I am looking for something to put on TV  I'll put on golf and watch some of it.  I don't go out of my way to watch any tour event.  

This is also my reason for caring, the Tour Pros are real people as I got to know being inside the ropes as a Standard Bearer at the PGA Championship and they work hard to get to where they are and stay there, and that is something I can respect and appreciate.  I saw phenomenal shots and some that were like what sometimes happens to my golf ball so they are very real and experiencing a popularity unparalleled to most people's lifetime.  Amongst the "real" things that happened was being blocked on the combined 10th/14th tee box by someone bending down to get something from his golf bag held by his caddie, which at first not being able to follow my scorer was somewhat concerning, but when he stood up and it was Brooks Koepka well, he could block me anytime and that was perfectly fine, he had a much bigger job at hand than I did.  Before my playing group of Shaun Micheel, Braden Shattuck and Steven Alker had their tee shots on 14, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa with caddies came around to the 10th tee and the crowd was nuts but on my side of the rope it was easy to see they were just men like us in their zone taking care of the job that was going to pay the bills and make it a good day for the homefront, just like the rest of us.

This was the second day carrying for a different playing group.  Same thing, different group of men.

19 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

+1.  It's still one of the less offending things on television.  

It is my serenity to be in the atmosphere and surroundings of a golf course and having it on television with the coverage that is presented to us, it really is the next best thing to being there.

[cnosil]

7 minutes ago, EasyPutter said:

This is also my reason for caring, the Tour Pros are real people as I got to know being inside the ropes as a Standard Bearer at the PGA Championship and they work hard to get to where they are and stay there, and that is something I can respect and appreciate.  I saw phenomenal shots and some that were like what sometimes happens to my golf ball so they are very real and experiencing a popularity unparalleled to most people's lifetime.  Amongst the "real" things that happened was being blocked on the combined 10th/14th tee box by someone bending down to get something from his golf bag held by his caddie, which at first not being able to follow my scorer was somewhat concerning, but when he stood up and it was Brooks Koepka well, he could block me anytime and that was perfectly fine, he had a much bigger job at hand than I did.  Before my playing group of Shaun Micheel, Braden Shattuck and Steven Alker had their tee shots on 14, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa with caddies came around to the 10th tee and the crowd was nuts but on my side of the rope it was easy to see they were just men like us in their zone taking care of the job that was going to pay the bills and make it a good day for the homefront, just like the rest of us.

I never said they weren't real people, worked hard,  talented, or doing their job to pay the bills.   I just don't go out or my way to watch any event; including the majors.  If I happen to be home and golf is on I'll probably turn it on.  As it related to the ball rollback; which was the basis for the original question, I don't care it they rollback the ball, leave the ball as it is, or make it go 30 yards farther;  golf is still entertainment to me and the ball makes no difference on how I perceive professional golf.  

[EasyPutter]

1 hour ago, cnosil said:

I never said they weren't real people, worked hard,  talented, or doing their job to pay the bills.   I just don't go out or my way to watch any event; including the majors.  If I happen to be home and golf is on I'll probably turn it on.  As it related to the ball rollback; which was the basis for the original question, I don't care it they rollback the ball, leave the ball as it is, or make it go 30 yards farther;  golf is still entertainment to me and the ball makes no difference on how I perceive professional golf.  

I  agreed with you Chris but apparently I'm not thinking it through with any kind of depth that you are and I always learn something from your point of view.  I like to watch them play and yes the rollback question was the root for the original survey.

No matter what they do with the concept, it is the athlete's performance that is being measured not the equipment.  They just need to make a decision, and isn't it great how much dialog they are evoking by not making a decision!

[Tom the Golf Nut]

I’m mainly looking at the course. Do I like it ? Do I want to go play it if I get the chance?

I even watch courses that are played by decent golfers on You Tube. But it’s about the course and how to get around it strategically. (I watched Tobacco Road last night) 

I do get intrigued watching someone get out of trouble.

I do enjoy the Masters because it was always the official start of my golf season when I lived up north. Once I saw them playing I knew it was time to dust off my clubs. 

If I want to learn something I do prefer to watch the LPGA. 
Not to side track but, speaking of LPGA why does it seem to be Asian dominated but the PGA is not? 

[cnosil]

9 hours ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

Not to side track but, speaking of LPGA why does it seem to be Asian dominated but the PGA is not? 

The best reason I have heard is the military requirement for Asian males.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

4 hours ago, cnosil said:

The best reason I have heard is the military requirement for Asian males.

Ahhh, makes sense.

[Siamese Moose]

I have watched less and less, and I don't know if I'll watch again. One by one pro sports have turned me off, multi-millionaires fighting with billionaire owners while blackmailing taxpayers for subsidies, and golf is now in that club. I haven't missed baseball or football, never cared about many other sports, maybe pro golf is next.

[Another Steve]

I agree whole heartedly with the millionaires and billionaires fighting over how to divi-up the pie and add more n more filling to the pies. 
 

IF I remember to, I will try to catch the majors… and a couple select others. Beyond that, I tune in to see slow mo of full swings & short game and recovery shots. I grew up watching Palmer, Nicklaus,  Trevino, Seve, Chi Chi, and later when I really got deeper into playing it was Mickleson and Woods. When I learned to play, Shaping and flighting shots was an integral part of golf. I appreciate the ability to master the behavior of the golf ball and would/still do go out and practice the crazy recovery shots. 
 

i would find the telecasts a whole lot more interesting if the players and caddies were miked up.  Instead of the endless shotscope drives and talking heads blathering about what a putt will do - lets hear the discussions that lead up to those shots. That is where people can truly learn something. 

Edited January 1 by Another Steve

[EMacK1961]

I prefer to watch the LPGA. Their distance with clubs is more in my range and I can relate to that better than watching the men.

I enjoy the men's tours, PGA/DP World Tour, and the athleticism they bring to the game.

Watching the players scramble out of trouble is great. The creativity they show is amazing!

I don't like the SLOW PLAY! Get to the ball, talk about what you need to do and get on with it.

[Crashtestdummy]

You learn a lot from watching the pros. It is also amazing how incredibly good the golf is. People don't realize how good the pros are until you have played with them. It is really fun to watch how they just tear tough courses apart. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

It has been interesting to see the responses so far. Appreciate the input so far and to see how or what draws our different members to watching golf or even turning it off. 

[Thegolfdean7]

I do watch the PGA, and the LPGA but not everyday, mostly on the weekend. 
Years ago I would watch the golf channel on a regular basis, but the coverage was biased to making people believe Woods was the next Arnold Palmer, that was awful for those who knew the truth. I also think that the broadcasts were boring and to concentrated on only a few players. Often you would be watching someone lining up their putt for what seemed like forever while you hated watching guys in your own foursome do that. The end of the golf channel for me was Brandel Chamblee, is there anyone who likes a know it all. Now the players have abandoned the one thing that got them where they are, golf on the PGA is still a gentleman’s game, and does not matter who the individuals are, LIV is like rooting for an enemy. Sad, vey sad.

 

[Julius]

Like many here, I love to watch them, they are so graceful to watch.  At the same time they are not perfect, they make bad shots, get into the rough, etc - how they play those shots is always interesting and educational.  It is like watching the duel between an ace pitcher and a .400 hitter - they will take everything the ace (the course) throws at them and let's see who wins!!   So it is partially just the joy of watching top golf athletes (and I watch PGA, LPGA and DP World) and also the educational aspect of it. 

[Drive2Survive]

I’m in the NO category. 
TV golf is boring, especially PGA. Commentary is stuffy, makes me think of the smell of mothballs in an old sweater drawer.. LIV gets it a little better, a bit more dynamic, takes itself less seriously. LPGA is a bit more interesting, I feel I can learn more from watching them.

at the end of the day, whenever I watch, I feel “forced” to watch big events because I am a golfer. But I really don’t care and switch off.

i think they need something to tell a full season story. Not just each event. Other sports have a meaningful full season. Golf has this Race to FedEx (whatever that means), which has no weight. LIV has the format right (or at least better) but the folks who run the PGA tour are probably too snob to acknowledge their product is for a tiny portion of the population. They’re missing a big opportunity by focusing on US only. 

The Ryder Cup’s format brings excitement like no other event. Why not more team competitions? As I write all this, I realize LIV has a good number of things right: condensed field, world tour like F1, team events, simple to follow season competition, soon to come in-team drama. I just need to find what channel it’s on!

[david636]

I don't really care for men's professional golf.  Don't watch it, but I do like reading about all the drama.  Big fan of the LPGA and LET.  I always find a way to attend at least one LPGA event per year.  Pro golf has no impact on how much I love the game, and the enjoyment it brings.