Shell's Wonderful World of Golf...

[MSDOGS1976]

What happen to this show? I know they started the series back up in the 90's but looks like the last episode was taped in 2003. I always thought it was a pretty good series.

[tonyy]

I've been watching this all day on the Golf Channel.

[indacup]

I LOVED the older ones...the Hogan vs. Snead was a classic!

[ks8829]

I watched Nicklaus and Watson at Peeble Beach yesterday on the golf channel and it was magical they both played well and Nicklaus edge Watson.

[uttexas]

Great show. The GC used to show old black and white Shell's and other player vs player shows on late night/early am. Now we get the Speed Stick or the Hammer. Pow!

[Quinn07]

I would love to see some updated ones with some of the younger guys like Donald, Kim, Poulter, JB, Boo...I think they would be fun to watch. I LOVE watching the classic Couples matches.

[apex53]

Great show... Everytime one of the episodes is on TGC I watch it... Definitely would like to see some new episodes with current players

[Crafty]

I watched the match between Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson. The thing that really impressed me was..... GARY PLAYER. I thought he was an awesome commentator!

[uttexas]

Gary Player is pure greatness. Amazing what he did considering his build. Arguably, the best bunker player ever. He also has the best one liner golf tips. "strike the match" when chipping. "Complete the follow through" on the full swing.

That, and he was and is stubborn enough to wear all black even in 90* plus weather. I support him with not divulging who told that he/she was taking performance enhancers. Something public needed to be said, and not divulging the source, despite pressure from the media (the media seem hipocritical on this and a lot of things) shows great character.

[mirv]

i'm a history buff, so i absolutely love the older episodes of SWWOG. i've got hogan vs snead on dvd, and ordered snead vs demaret on vhs from amazon just the other day. next up i'm going to try to grab one featuring byron nelson. these air on the golf channel, though? i need to get the golf channel.

[uttexas]

golf channel is the only reason to have cable TV. (OK, and to keep the wife happy)

[longfornothing]

These were back in the day when $100K went to the winner. These guys today laugh at that. It would take probably $500K to the winner to get anyone worth watching to fly off somewhere and play a match. That is why you won't see any new Shell WWOG.

[mirv]

on my hogan vs snead dvd, the total prize package was $5,000 - 3k to winner, 2k to loser, 2500 each in tie.

course, that was 1965.

[PEZGolf]

I LOVED the older ones...the Hogan vs. Snead was a classic!

A real classic with Hogan winning in Houston. Another was Gene Littler vs. Byron Nelson at Pine Valley. Most golf fans have never seen the #1 course in the US on TV, but if they get that show, they will see why that course is so highly ranked.

[longfornothing]

I believe I saw Littler vs. Nelson. Didn't Littler struggle and shoot like +5? I also saw Nelson get mopped up by some euro dude in the Netherlands. Course looked awesome.

[PEZGolf]

I believe I saw Littler vs. Nelson. Didn't Littler struggle and shoot like +5? I also saw Nelson get mopped up by some euro dude in the Netherlands. Course looked awesome.

You are right about the scores at Pine Valley. Both Littler and Nelson were over par. Of course, Lord Byron was 48 years old, and had been retired from competitive golf since 1946. The match was filmed in 1960 (televised in February of 1961) and Littler was in his prime since he won the US Open the following year. The course is unbelievable. I know a couple of people who are fortunate enough to have played it, which is not easy since it is so exclusive. Every shot that is not struck well is brutally punished. Forget up and ins if you miss greens. If you are not on in regulation, expect to make double bogey or worse!

There is a course near Saratoga Springs, NY, that is somewhat similar, and it is named MacGregor Links. Around the greens, the soil is sandy, with scrubby grass just off the fringes. If you are there, you cannot hit a normal chip shot because the ball is lieing right on sand and may have grass behind it. You cannot blast the shot since the sand is not soft. What can you do? I put the ball back in my stance and hit down on it, or use a putter. Your goal is to get the ball on the green and not have it roll off. You never think that you can get the ball within 2'. When you are on one hole, you cannot see any other hole on the course because it is cut through the pine trees. There are a number of elevation changes, and the 11th hole is a 245 yard par 3 that often plays into the wind. The 18th hole is a par 3 (how many courses finish with a par 3?). The green is elevated and surrounded by traps. You hit the ball out of a chute in the pine trees, and it plays at 165-195 yards. If you miss the green, you will be "rewarded" with a double bogey. The clubhouse looks down on this "Final Hole of Torture", and members like to look down and watch the disasters occur. Many, many Club Championships and other tournaments have been decided on that hole, needless to say.

[Quinn07]

i'm a history buff, so i absolutely love the older episodes of SWWOG. i've got hogan vs snead on dvd, and ordered snead vs demaret on vhs from amazon just the other day. next up i'm going to try to grab one featuring byron nelson. these air on the golf channel, though? i need to get the golf channel.

VHS ?! THEY STILL MAKE THOSE??!!! Man I would have gone for the Beta version if they offered it. I remember those large black plastic cassette tapes...GOD, I honestly didn't think you could actually purchase those anymore...WOW.

[mirv]

haha, well, i don't know if they still MAKE them, but they do still SELL them. in fact, 90% of the SWWOG episodes i've found for sale have been VHS. only a handful, like the hogan vs snead match, have made it over to DVD.

i got in my snead vs demaret tape the other day, and it's a good watch, though both players struggle through it. snead ends up 2 over par (he'd been even par up until the last two holes, if i remember right) and demaret staggers along to 4 over par.