The Golf Channel Programming; love it or hate it?

[JRC]

I've become a Golf Channel junky, but I've lately become a little annoyed by the programming, specifically the golf gadget-mercials to improve your game. OK, OK, I know that's been part of the golfing culture wellllll forever I suppose, but man I groan-out-loud when I channel jump to the Golf Channel and have nothing offered but the Medicus, The Swingsetter, this DVD and that DVD touting the real secret to lowering your score, etc... Yes I know, its how they pay the bills, but man...what if they had such a great line-up of programs outside of tour events, that draws in so many viewers that advertising sales bring them earnings. I’d rather see more Classics, more here’s how to improve your game, here’s the history of the game, here’s Tour tips that can make your game better or more challenging, or anything other than, the new fix your swing in seconds club, with DVD.

What do you all think?

[FAHooGolfs]

  JRC said:

anything other than, the new fix your swing in seconds club, with DVD.

100% agree. I suspect that it may change a bit next year when TGC gets all of the early-round PGA coverage as well.

The best thing about TGC is getting up early in the morning on weekends to watch European Tour events... don't follow up great golf and great announcing with Peter Kessler selling The Perfect Club.

[Maverick]

TGC really bugged when they kept showing "Week Of Tiger" over and over again..my favorite is the "Shell's Wonderful World of Golf" even if they are outdated. Lesson with the Pro's is good to.

I think the fitness ones and Golf Academy LIVE are *yawn* I do like the Big Break stuff.

[Thrash13]

When it comes to my interest in golf, I enjoy keeping up with the PGA and a little LPGA on the side. I know I'm different than a lot of other golfers, but all the golf tips and playing lessons from the pros doesn't really interest me.

I enjoy Golf Central, 19th Hole, and the major championship preview shows. I also get into the Big Break seasons a little. I really don't like the infomercials and other stuff dealing with equipment and swing tips.

In other words, I only watch The Golf Channel an hour or so a day.

Also, I do enjoy watching old major championships and Ryder Cups on TGC. Those are fun to relive.

Hopefully The Golf Channel will implement more PGA stuff next year since they will be broadcasting a ton of it.

[DanB]

I think its great they have a golf channel at all but i do agree the infomoercials are crap. But they gotta pay the bills to keep the station on, now when they run more than one infomercial in a row during the day drives me crazy. I think the golf with the pro is a good show, I just watched rocco mediate with the lead guitarist from rush and a scratch golfer today, that was cool.

[iacas]

  DanB said:

I think its great they have a golf channel at all but i do agree the infomoercials are crap. But they gotta pay the bills to keep the station on, now when they run more than one infomercial in a row during the day drives me crazy. I think the golf with the pro is a good show, I just watched rocco mediate with the lead guitarist from rush and a scratch golfer today, that was cool.

My biggest beefs with The Golf Channel's programming, as a TiVo owner, are:

1) They shuffle their schedule around all the time. They say "8:30-9:00 - Playing Lessons from the Pros, Geoff Ogilvy" and I end up catching 12 minutes of a Nationwide Tour event and then 18 minutes of some old "What's In the Bag?" segment. They do this ALL the time. 2) Not marking shows thoroughly. As such, I can't tell my TiVo to record only one "19th Hole" - each shows up as if it's a new episode. They don't fill out the title/description field (or my TiVo would know I'd watched that episode in the past week or two), and they don't bother to mark "repeat" either. Those are independent of the actual KIND of programming on TGC, which is also supremely annoying. I have NO IDEA how they're going to get their act together in order to adequately cover PGA Tour events by next year. By this time next year, Lanny Wadkins may seem like a golden god of golf broadcasting...

[cold]

I like some of their shows, others not as much.. . lots of repeats, so it's good to tune into in moderation

[cmarkmyers]

The infomercials are annoying but yeah, they do pay the bills. And for the most part they are mainly on during the day when most people are working.

I do enjoy Shell's Wonderful World, Golf Central, Open/Masters/PGA etc. highlights from the past, Playing Lesson's, some of the Your Game Night stuff, WiTB and a few other specials and shows. But I do wish they would show more golf, especially some more European events.

Still, there is more than enough good programming to counter all the infomercials. Anywho, time to swing my Momentus or Speedstik before I check out eBay for a new Heavy Putter or Guerin Rife. Damn infomercials :(

[cheffdiddy_45]

I love the Big Break, not the chics though, just really cant get into that, same reason i slept in the stands while the girls played basketball and us guys waited for theyre game to get over so we could play. The European Big Break was great. The Fine Living Channel has some cool golf shows at times, had Arnold Palmers dream 18, showcasing his favorite holes from the courses he has done, also, another one, has some dude going to different golf locals, showing you the area courses as well as the area attractions, thought that was pretty cool. but the golf channels line up is hit or miss, the playing lessons from the pros is good, plus i just love the coverage of the majors and other big tournaments, i know this weeks coverage of the Western Open has been pretty insightful since im playing #4 next week.

[muskegman]

It kind of depends on whats on. You've got hours and hours of swingsetter, 2-bar mallet, and medicus commercials that keep my interest long enough for me to "click" to the next channel. I really like WITB stuff, playing lessons, any tournament coverage, history... that type of thing.

Their commentary has a long way to go to become ESPN thats for sure. I think a lot of the tournament coverage is too much yacking and not enough highlights.

The Grey Goose is painful to watch.

So yeah, there are some areas for improvement. I don't know what the PGA Tour was thinking when they moved coverage to TGC. Thats the biggest bonehead move of the century. Talk about relegating golf coverage to the fringe. Yuck.

[thehillgolfer]

usually its too boring, and i dont get it at home, just at the golf course...but i saw playing lessons with the pros for the first time today and that was awesome...unfortunately it was following by 15 hours of infomercials,

[Deep Stuff]

The informomericals keep the Golf Channel alive. If not for them, the channel would have probably no tmade it. I enjoy most fo the content on the Golf Channel and watch it regularly. All-Star Challenge is cool. I also am beginning to like "Whats in th bag" just to see the innerworking of the companies.

z

[cdriver]

I am an avid fan of the Golf Channel, BUT.... I hate the Grey Goose thing too. I liked the Big Break except they made it take way too long. Weeks and weeks of watching them hit half a dozen shots a piece could have been done in two or three shows, not 10.

European golf is as exciting as watching snails mate. I know it is heresy to say this, but Renton Laidlaw could put a caffiene freak to sleep in 3 minutes.

The instruction on Monday nights is pretty good and I also like the WITB.

[DDBowdoin]

big break is amazing! kelly is hot... but as much I love watching the show... how many times do I turn on the channel (thinking yes GOLF!) only to see the medicus 2000.... or that dude who hit a driving iron 335yds from the fairway...

get the infomercials off the channel, its horrible

[wachesawgolfer]

How many Cobra commercials can you watch? Now they run several in a row, repeatedly.

[DDBowdoin]

haha yeah, I've seen the David Feherty jumping on the tramp. like 10000000000 times, its a little annoying

"nice ball...."

[rembrandt]

  Maverick said:

TGC really bugged when they kept showing "Week Of Tiger" over and over again..my favorite is the "Shell's Wonderful World of Golf" even if they are outdated. Lesson with the Pro's is good to.

I agree.....I like the Shell WWOG and the instruction shows but I don't care for the ads. Range finders, Mind games and the Medicus drives me up the wall. I go to CNN and watch how the Lebanon war is going.

[Ghost Runner]

I used to watch it rather religously but it got somewhat stale for me. I currently don't have access to it and find myself pining at times for Golf Academy Live and the Grey Goose 19th hole..or whatever that was called.