Hank Haney: Are There Too Many Tournaments on the PGA Tour? Is the Product Becoming Oversaturated?

[nevets88]

This is side tangent to the Premier Golf League. I haven't listened to the whole thing though. Guessing the PGL sparked this question.

 

[TRUCKER]

I like Hank.

[Club Rat]

In general, there are other tours along with PGA, which has audiences around the world.

These others tours are spending a ton to attract many of the top players.

I doubt it will hamper the PGA structure and events.

The PGL may just be a flash for a season or two, but I do not foresee it surviving very long. 

[NJpatbee]

I believe that there are too many PGA Tournaments which has led us to the season ending in the Fall and new tournaments starting right up.  The FedEx cup is a great payday for one golfer but I could do without it and have a few autumn tournaments and then call it a season.  I understand the benefit that some charities get from the less prestigious tournaments but there is some over saturation.  As for the PGL is they get enough sponsors it may fly but there are too many traditional events that would suppress player participation.  And would they be willing to give up their PGA Tour Cards?  I doubt it.  

[iacas]

PGA Tour executives are paid by how many playing opportunities their members have, so no, there are not "too many tournaments." Not to them, not to most PGA Tour players.

[ncates00]

I don't think Hank's reasoning for why people aren't excited about golf is the correct assumption.  I highly doubt that making golf less visible on TV would make it more popular.

[Vinsk]

I don’t think anything short of another Tiger Woods will cause a surge in golf interest. There’s just that golf enthusiasts population and those that aren’t. The Olympics won’t do anything, the RC,PC nor FedEx will change anything. I’m not in the industry but it’s maintaining itself healthy yes? I see it just hanging in there and keeping shop open. 

[phillyk]

For the top pros, well they do take breaks. For the other couple hundred full time or partially exempt pga tour players, they probably want more chances to play.  

Didn’t the tour just pass 3 billion in charitable giving or something like that? I don’t think anyone is getting bored or attendance would waver enough to warrant getting rid of events.

[GolfLug]

I think not. We all know that all televised sport is a commercial vehicle. If it is oversaturated the market speaks for itself following with a correction in demand and sponsorship. As long as there are companies falling over themselves to sponsor and place commercials, it is not oversaturated. 

For me, I like the fact that there is a tour event available to follow any week I have time to actually do so. 

Edited January 30, 2020 by GolfLug

[boogielicious]

The fact that sponsors are stepping up to the lower tier tournaments indicates that interest is there for them. Hank is just filling air space. 

[Sandy Divot]

There are too many baseball games, basketball games, football games, hockey games. There are too many teams. There are too many teams in the playoffs, and there are too many rounds in the playoffs, but it is all driven by money. It seems like most sports and leagues are looking for more exposure, not less. As long as golf can attract sponsors, they will have a bunch of events. That being said, I didn't pay much attention to anything after the Tour Championship. Too many other things going on in the fall.

[Bucki1968]

I'm not sure about this one...it seems like the amount of tournaments has taken away from some of the traditional tournaments that drew good fields in the past so I guess that doesn't create much excitement for the American Express or the Pebble Beach Pro AM (which used to draw all the top players). On the other hand, I like to watch golf so I'm not going to complain about golf being televised every week. I also don't mind seeing the younger guys play (or lesser known guys). I can pretty much watch any golf. 

[DaveP043]

I'll admit, I haven't listened to the podcast, but I do agree with the text that shows up on the video. I think golf is overexposed.  I can remember when the only TV coverage of most golf tournaments was from about 3 to 6 PM eastern time on Saturday and Sunday.  Golf on TV was extremely limited, and I couldn't wait to see each little bit.  Now there's golf on TV 24/7.  For most PGA tournaments, you can watch 3 hours on the Golf Channel, then 3 hours on a major network, and then the whole thing will be replayed in the evenings, and that's true for all 4 days.  And the whole thing will be replayed again early in the following week.  And then the European Tour, the LPGA, the Korn Ferry, and the Champions Tour gets significant coverage.  The Korn Ferry even ran a Sunday-Wednesday event to get live golf on TV for those days.  So yes, there's so much golf coverage available that its hard for me to be very excited about most of it.  I'll watch it, I'm an addict, but I'm just not that excited to see it outside of the majors.  This doesn't mean I think there are too many PGA Tour events, just too many tours getting too much air time for any of it to seem special in any way.

[billchao]

1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

I'll admit, I haven't listened to the podcast, but I do agree with the text that shows up on the video. I think golf is overexposed.  I can remember when the only TV coverage of most golf tournaments was from about 3 to 6 PM eastern time on Saturday and Sunday.  Golf on TV was extremely limited, and I couldn't wait to see each little bit.  Now there's golf on TV 24/7.  For most PGA tournaments, you can watch 3 hours on the Golf Channel, then 3 hours on a major network, and then the whole thing will be replayed in the evenings, and that's true for all 4 days.  And the whole thing will be replayed again early in the following week.  And then the European Tour, the LPGA, the Korn Ferry, and the Champions Tour gets significant coverage.  The Korn Ferry even ran a Sunday-Wednesday event to get live golf on TV for those days.  So yes, there's so much golf coverage available that its hard for me to be very excited about most of it.  I'll watch it, I'm an addict, but I'm just not that excited to see it outside of the majors.  This doesn't mean I think there are too many PGA Tour events, just too many tours getting too much air time for any of it to seem special in any way.

24/7 coverage of the other major sports hasn’t really hurt fans’ enthusiasm for them, though. If there’s an excitement problem with golf, I don’t think it’s because of overexposure.

[turtleback]

No, but there are definitely too many golf teachers who are trying hard to extend their 15 minutes of fame.

[cutchemist42]

I agree, and that too many tournaments look the same from course layout/design/maintenance.

F1 and tennis events are more spcial to me as there are less of them and the venues are different.(moreso in F1)

[bkuehn1952]

I am not interested in listening to Mr. Haney's podcast.  My personal opinion is pro golf needs an off season.  Since the Tour decided to start the season in Autumn, there is too much "TV golf season" for this guy.  I formerly watched The Champions Tour a bit but it has been years since I saw one of their events.  Korn Ferry?  Not a chance.  Euro?  Only if I am really bored at breakfast time.  Outside of the majors, I probably watch the LPGA more than any other tour.