In your opinion, Has Tiger helped or not helped the entire Golf movement?

[ipark1303]

Curious to hear your opinions....

[ricacu]

Personally? yes.

[BASHERBAKER69]

Hi

i agree that TW has done so much to help the golf movement and to make it cooler and more accessible for minority groups...he has certainly driven the cost of playing the game down.

I would say though that the Tiger factor has made the game more about power than skill and finesse, especially when you look at new golf course designs and what has been done to some of the most prehistoric of golf courses, such as Augusta National-this course has been lengthened and that only plays in to TWs hands and such like players-Vijay, Ernie etc.

TW has helped to eradicate some of the fuddyduddyism that golf has although i would say that it would be nice to still observe some of the old customs that golf has, such as courtesy, collars on and off the course, no jeans or trainers/sports socks. If ther's one thing that i find discourteous more than anything else, its mobile phones going off in the clubhouse and on the course- i don't want to hear about peoples' work at a place of so called leisure.

so there, to recap, yes TW has been great for the game but lets keep the game for ladies and gentlemen only please!

And by way, i think that we could witness a 'slump' in Tiger's terms this year..i wait with baited breath

bb69

[tartanjack]

This is a very interesting question. I think he has helped as much as one person can in that as one of the world's most recognized athletes he certainly keeps golf's visibilty high. What better way to showcase the game than by witnessing the career of the best player ever? His charitable works and clinics are also extremely worthwhile.

On the other hand, there's not much he can do to address the core issues holding back the game's growth... the cost to play, the time it takes to play, golf's inherent difficulty, and the barriers that still exist for young people to take up the game.

Too, his success and dominance have come at a price for the game. His minimal schedule on the PGA Tour is , I think, one of the reasons we fans have to contend with the FedEx Cup nonsense and the bailout from golf by ABC and ESPN.

So I think Tiger is a two-edged sword when it comes to promoting the game... although one edge, the positive one... is definitely sharper.

[jrbechthold]

I am an 18 handicap. I pay, on average, $40 for 18 holes with a cart. I hit the ball with a little fade that, although I am trying to work that out, still causes me to lose a sleeve of balls every now and then. I probably will never play at Augusta, Winged Foot or on the Old Course at St Andrews. There are still courses within 20 miles of my house I have yet to play. My idea of a "Golf Vacation" is just driving south to Mesquite or Vegas and playing over the weekend.

Tiger hasn't done anything (more than any other player) for my game of golf. Nor will he, unless his newly designed courses will be located somewhere in the midwest - not the Mid East - and cost about $100 for a round of 18.

I do love to watch him play though. He is a fabulous athlete, but just like marquis players in other sports - Michael Jordan, Roger Clemens, Zinedine Zidane - he hasn't done anything for the way I play the game.

[Clubswinger21]

Say the word golf, and ask anyone what the first thing that comes to mind is..

"Tiger Woods", is that a good thing? I dont know. I suppose it gets golf some form of exposure and im sure his awe-inspiring abilities have converted a few baseball fanatics to the darkside. I believe he sells tickets and draws crowds and thats good for golf.

The fact that he's re-shaped the way the game is played and looked at has both hurt and helped golf. Helped in the sense that golf is now recognised as a sport, people are working out, in shape, and becoming athletes. Hurts in the sense that now everyone wants to hit it long and you cant play the game or compete unless you can hit driver, wedge in to a 475 yard hole.

personally i dont like him, but i find an event more appealing when someone is beating him or challenging him, but if he's leading by 6 shots and everyone chasing him is making bogies.. i'll just turn the TV off out of boredom and anger.

[BASHERBAKER69]

Hi Clubswinger21

i totally agree with you about players melting when TW gets too close to them or when they get too close to TW...it bores me and i just switch over.

Tiger, great player though he is, there are other great players out there who just don't get enough publicity

bb69

[zebrasinamerica]

Tiger promotes a very positive image for golf on and off of the course. He has an effect much like Jordan Bird and Magic did for the NBA. But this whole class of the core PGA stars that we have right now have an effect on it's image as well, Tiger alone would not be nearly as promising if Lefty, Vijay, Mike Weir, and others weren't in the picture doing a lot of the same things as Tiger. They just don't happen to be #1 in the world so their spotlight is not quite as bright as Tigers. It is just like any sport though, if the best players in the world are in the lime light for their accomplishments in their sport and the positive things that they do it can do nothing but help the sport as a whole. This is very obvious when you look at leagues like the NBA or the NHL (nothing at all against the accomplishments that their athletes have acheived through hard work) but the way that they act off the court puts a certain image out there and all of the up and comers tend to adopt the life style that they portray and it becomes very hard for a leagues image to change after a period of athletes that are in the lime light for all the wrong reasons.

Zebra

[RyanR]

He's helped it a ton in my opinion. He's the most fun player to watch. He's aggressive and it works, he shows emotion that people can relate to, and he attracts a full range of audiences from kids to much older kids!

Ryan

[Jarno]

When he first started winning big the Tour started to use him, like many before him, to boost there publicity and ratings ("Tiger Woods is scheduled to appear, will he take down the rest of the field"). He attempted to sue the Tour for using his image! I'm not sure if he pushed it or his agent was pushing the buttons, but it was a sore subject.

But now after years he's become maybe the number one (not the only) reason the Tour has become what it is now. His ability to make the fourth round comebacks, like this past weekend at the Buick makes their ratings skyrocket. Also his attitude towards life boosts the appeal of the Tour, so now I believe he has helped like no one else can.

[iacas]

Why isn't there a poll on this thread?

He's helped golf, and he's helped the world with the learning center and the increased charitable donations raised by the PGA Tour.

[The Turlock Kid]

Anyone who says Tiger hasn't helped golf is an idiot. Tiger, Jack, Arnie, Ben, Bobby - they're all the reasons why anyone in America still plays.

Tiger has totally helped the game. Imagine what the top of the money list would be like if Tiger didn't come around!! I read Payne Stewart's bio and back in the '80's it was like $800,000 or something. Now they win that in a single tourney!

My buddy on the Tour says he loves Tiger, because even he (my buddy) gets unreal paychecks from sponsors, etc.

[muskegman]

Curious to hear your opinions....

There can be no doubt that Tiger has improved, helped, and in many ways bolstered golf's image. Foremost is how serious Tiger takes fitness. He has transformed the game into an athletes sport, redefined PGA Tour success, re-written the record books, and almost single-handedly increased pro earning potential.

Golf is taken more seriously by the media these days. Currently ESPN likes to mention his PGA Tour win streak. When we think of sports superstars Tiger will get mentioned with the best in any sport.

[Indaruff]

I say Tiger has done a great deal for the golf movement especially for the youth of today. Tiger has brought golf to more media outlets with what he has down over the years at the tournaments and he has become a household name for the sport.

[Baynative]

TW has done more for the game of golf in 10 short years than anyone before him. No question about it. His notariety, his clinocs, his learning centers, his personality, his record, his style, his legacy ...all good for the game.

Oh yeah, there's that thing about the purses these days - ask any tour pro if they think he's helped their bottom line.

[iacas]

Jeff didn't mention it, but this thread was our "forum topic of the week" in this past week's (published today) podcast.

[ipark1303]

Why isn't there a poll on this thread?

Sorry Iacas,

I am still new on this forum and I did not know how to creat a poll.....

[Hogan Fan]

I think he has helped the game of golf. He has brought athleticism to the game and that helps the sport compare to the top sports bringing it more to the mainstream.
He has taken golf to a new level we all thought not possible after Jack Nicklaus.
Guys have to keep in shape now to compete with Tiger and the beer gut guys have fallen off the radar like Daly. You have to be in top condition and have a great mental approach to the game. This aspect has helped the game imo.
His demeanor and fervor have uplifted the game in the way of Palmer and Nicklaus.
Have you noticed how many people are at the range and golf course when you go? This overcrowding all started with Tiger, everyone wants to be Tiger. Tigers popularity has contributed to a lot of golf courses being built across the country. We have about ten new courses in my area since Tiger. You see all kinds of kids golfing now which I think is soley attributed to Tiger and is great for the game. Not to mention what he has done for minorities, which is ten times greater than the reasons I mentioned above.