"Announcer-lite" golf broadcast...

[Dad-2-3]

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/tour-i...-39513/?hj=xfs

For the most part, the viewer will get to enjoy pure golf with all the audio coming from the players and caddies. Each player in the last four groups will have a dedicated boom-microphone (a big furry thing that can hear a gnat sneeze from a mile away) and no announcers will be able to interrupt while you’re listening to the good stuff

I won't be able to watch this on Saturday, but I think its about time.

[sean_miller]

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/tour-i...-39513/?hj=xfs

Great - now we can find out how many players fart on the downswing. If you want commentators, that aren't too annoying, check out the live feed on pgatour.com when available. It's good coverage with fewer ads.

[golfro]

Great - now we can find out how many players fart on the downswing.

speaking of fart

and another perhaps

[Shanks A Million]

speaking of fart

Ol' Tiger's anus has been known to trumpet up a storm from time to time:

[Zeph]

Those videos were so far from funny...it's almost funny itself.

I'd watch the announcerless round. Could perhaps get a bit more boring with a lot of silent moments. I also apprechiate knowing the distance, what club, lie, dangers etc.

[JWL1957]

I would fall asleep in 5 munutes watching golf without announcers. Who wants to watch some pro stand over his bag for 10 minutes deciding on what club to pull.

[Lemay427]

Yawn. The only tournament I could watch without announcers is the Masters. Silence is better than hearing Jim Nantz annoying voice.

[zeg]

I think this is great, it'd be great if it catches on, but I wouldn't put even a small bet on that happening. I often watch on mute, but you miss the game sounds and the occasional factual interruption. If they produce it right, this could be excellent, telling you what you need and filling in the truly dead time with interviews or info about the conditions/standings/etc.

Personally, I would love to see more of the players walking around the course, inspecting conditions, picking clubs, etc. I think you can learn a lot from watching what they do when planning a shot. Of course, part of the reason that's interesting is that you don't get to see it, so it might be that pretty quickly I'd lose interest....

[sean_miller]

I think this is great, it'd be great if it catches on, but I wouldn't put even a small bet on that happening. I often watch on mute, but you miss the game sounds and the occasional factual interruption. If they produce it right, this could be excellent, telling you what you need and filling in the truly dead time with interviews or info about the conditions/standings/etc.

I think the commentators should speak less. Not disappear completely, just for a couple minutes at a time here and there.

Then again, I also despise the way they zoom in on the ball as it approaches the hole, so you have a good feel of the path the ball took to the hole until you see a replay - if there's one available.

[zeg]

Then again, I also despise the way they zoom in on the ball as it approaches the hole, so you have a good feel of the path the ball took to the hole until you see a replay - if there's one available.

YES, that is the most pointless shot in golf. Yeah, sure, you have a great camera guy who can track and maintain focus on a golf ball as it flies overhead. Sure, it's dramatic.... once in a while. Why can't they just stick with the over-the-shoulder shot they use before the swing?

[jamo]

YES, that is the most pointless shot in golf. Yeah, sure, you have a great camera guy who can track and maintain focus on a golf ball as it flies overhead. Sure, it's dramatic.... once in a while. Why can't they just stick with the over-the-shoulder shot they use before the swing?

I wish they could do what they did at #17 at the British Open for every full shot. All Shot Tracker, all the time. Probably not a doable idea at this point though.

[zeg]

I wish they could do what they did at #17 at the British Open for every full shot. All Shot Tracker, all the time. Probably not a doable idea at this point though.

Yeah, I imagine there's some fairly serious hardware for that. At the US Open this year I chatted briefly with the guy who carries the scanning laser rangefinder that surveys the greens for the occasional display where they show the precise line of the putt. He carried around some very, very expensive hardware while running ahead of one of the groups just in case it came up for use (didn't on the hole I was at).

But I'd just be happy with one of the wider shots they use where you can make out the trajectory of the ball, even without the nice line showing it.

[Shorty]

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/tour-i...-39513/?hj=xfs

You aren't missing anything, believe me. The first 2 minutes of the coverage here in Australia (I'm assuming yours is the same) was like listening to paint dry. Listening to caddies talking to their caddies is much more irritating than listening to commentators rambling on. If they can say something in 10 words, the caddy wil be sure to use 300, to prove that he's worth his money, and the players are just showing how dumb they are by having to be told that the wind is behind them.

Add to that the fact that they are very conscious of the fact that are being recoirded and are trying veruy hard to sound smart/witty/conscientious. Give me commentators anyday. I can turn the volume off myself.

[jamo]

I'm watching it right now, and I don't like it. It would be better for napping though, if I was a napper.

[TheGeekGolfer]

I'm watching it right now, and I don't like it. It would be better for napping though, if I was a napper.

+1 - This is the worst. I started watching it and I was talking to myself after 5 minutes. I couldn't stand it. Sure, most announcers don't have much to say that's very good, however, at least there's some analysis that you can at least make fun of or learn from on the off chance that they say something right.

[iacas]

+1 - This is the worst. I started watching it and I was talking to myself after 5 minutes. I couldn't stand it. Sure, most announcers don't have much to say that's very good, however, at least there's some analysis that you can at least make fun of or learn from on the off chance that they say something right.

So the takeaway is this: we don't want less (or no) announcing, we simply want BETTER announcing.

[Boyder]

OK - My 2 cents says it sucks .... and it sucked some 30 years ago when the NFL tried the same thing! Guess it's true - History always repeats itself ... it apparently goes for dumb ideas too ....

[iacas]

OK - My 2 cents says it sucks .... and it sucked some 30 years ago when the NFL tried the same thing! Guess it's true - History always repeats itself ... it apparently goes for dumb ideas too ....

I thought it might work. Golf isn't football, after all. I mean, for football I think it was a really dumb idea. For golf, more of an interesting one... I've recorded it though. If it sucks as bad as everyone seems to think I'll just go back to watching my Bones season 3 episodes from Netflix.