Live vs TV

[flopster]

I actually know someone who prefers watching PGA golf on his TV and has said he would even turn down free tickets versus watching on TV, basically he contends that he knows what pure shots look like live cause he has seen it plenty of times from good golfers and even himself on "very" rare occasions. I personally cannot agree with this line of thinking other than maybe watching a practice round just to experience the atmosphere of being there and then watch the telecast in order to not miss any action. I know a very large number here are going to agree with the "LIVE" choice and I'm with them for many reasons, first and foremost you actually see more intricate things going on with the players than watching a tv you also can feel the conditions they are playing with like wind and temperature and lastly you get the privilege of seeing a golf ball being struck the way it's supposed to and you get a more realistic understanding of the tempo and force of a golfswing. Reality for me is these guys do not look to be swinging as fast as what we are being told but in reality they are, it's simply their timing at impact is so good that they hit the ball right at the clubs peak of speed through the zone and also they find the center a lot.

[imsys0042]

Live has its advantages. TV doesn't capture how beautiful their swings are, and you are correct. You see things live you don't on TV. However, you get to see all the action on TV and can follow several threads from home or TV. I'd not want to see the final 18 of the Masters in person if it was close and exciting, but certainly any round before that. For a (usually) horse race like the US Open, I'd want to watch on TV. Preferably with a drink and after playing 18.

[nevets88]

Live is excellent, way better than TV when you're up close, behind the ropes, don't have to deal with logistics like travel. But given the choice between buying tickets and dealing with parking, traffic, etc, just to get a less than optimal view, I'll take the telly, HD with good eats by my side. And with golf, the extra advantage of following multiple groups at once although soon, you'll pretty much be able to follow holes you're not at with your smartphone when you're at the course.

[Dave2512]

I prefer TV. More than the golf I don't care to stand around in crowds tweaking my neck.

[Golfingdad]

They're both great for entirely different reasons.  I much prefer TV overall, though, because you miss too much in person.  Consider that you basically have to choose between following around a group, or camping out at a hole.  You either see all of one groups shots, or everybodys shots on one hole.

You cannot be in two places at once, however, with the TV, you are basically in 18 places at once.

[flopster]

What we obviously need to realize also is we can record the telecast to watch when we get home and see if we see ourselves too.

[David in FL]

I prefer to watch just about any sport on tv, including golf.

[bste]

I prefer TV. Except for the commercials, you can turn down the volume,  with a warm drink and a cold body beside you. lol

See a lot of the actions, reactions, with a closer view. The camera is always following somebody.

[boogielicious]

I've never been to a tournament.  Maybe this year.

[colin007]

I prefer TV. Except for the commercials, you can turn down the volume,  with a warm drink and a cold body beside you. lol

See a lot of the actions, reactions, with a closer view. The camera is always following somebody.

hmmm....maybe the other way round?

[14ledo81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bste

I prefer TV. Except for the commercials, you can turn down the volume,  with a warm drink and a cold body beside you. lol

See a lot of the actions, reactions, with a closer view. The camera is always following somebody.

hmmm....maybe the other way round?

Warm drink wouldn't be to bad?? (coffee, hot chocolate), the cold body?  Not for me.....

[Fourputt]

I worked as a volunteer hole marshal for 4 years on a PGA Tour stop, and while it was fun to be inside the ropes, you still don't really see a lot of the action.  Golf takes place on a playing field that is too large for really following the action live.  Even though part of my perks were not only my pass, but a set of tickets for all 7 days for a guest, I only went to one day aside from the 4 days I worked each year.  I really didn't enjoy it that much when I wasn't working.

[bste]

Warm drink wouldn't be to bad?? (coffee, hot chocolate), the cold body?  Not for me.....

Mortician's nightmare? lol

Hot toddie, 60" TV and nobody to interrupt, try to maneuver around.

I'm sure it would be very exciting to go to a live event, never been, just too many people, crowds. Idiots yelling"in the hole"

For those of you who have been to a live event, is there always that one person yelling, on the cell phone?

[dbuck]

They're both great for entirely different reasons.  I much prefer TV overall, though, because you miss too much in person.  Consider that you basically have to choose between following around a group, or camping out at a hole.  You either see all of one groups shots, or everybodys shots on one hole.

You cannot be in two places at once, however, with the TV, you are basically in 18 places at once.

Agree with this.

It is great to go in person once in awhile. I get a greater appreciation of the contour of the land, the smoothness of the swings, the way the ball comes off the club. I was about 6 feet from Couples and saw him hit a 3 wood off a bare muddy lie, and the ground looked like you had very lightly rubbed over it with one finger. He was so smooth and quiet that you didn't know he was about to swing.

As Golfingdad said, you can be 18 places at once watching all the action on TV which you can't physically.

I prefer TV with an occasional (every ten years or so)visit.

[turtleback]

I actually know someone who prefers watching PGA golf on his TV and has said he would even turn down free tickets versus watching on TV, basically he contends that he knows what pure shots look like live cause he has seen it plenty of times from good golfers and even himself on "very" rare occasions. I personally cannot agree with this line of thinking other than maybe watching a practice round just to experience the atmosphere of being there and then watch the telecast in order to not miss any action. I know a very large number here are going to agree with the "LIVE" choice and I'm with them for many reasons, first and foremost you actually see more intricate things going on with the players than watching a tv you also can feel the conditions they are playing with like wind and temperature and lastly you get the privilege of seeing a golf ball being struck the way it's supposed to and you get a more realistic understanding of the tempo and force of a golfswing. Reality for me is these guys do not look to be swinging as fast as what we are being told but in reality they are, it's simply their timing at impact is so good that they hit the ball right at the clubs peak of speed through the zone and also they find the center a lot.

For watching and following a tournament I care about it is absolutely TV for me.  In 2008 my wife and I got tickets to the US Open practice rounds and it was great seeing the course in person (I could really appreciate the difficulty of Phil's pitches that ran back to him in the actual tourney because I has seen the size of that hill a few days prior).  But I was able to follow every ebb and flow of the actual event only because I watched it on TV

I think which you would prefer is an issue of local vs. global.  If you want to see what is going on in the tournament, that is global and TV i the way to go.  If you want to see the course and see (relatively few) shots in person to get the full appreciation of just how good these guys are, then live is best.  If I don't care about the outcome then live is the way to go for me.  But if I care about the outcome then I want to follow it and that means TV.  It is the difference between watching golf be played and following the progression of the tournament.

One of the things I've done which is pretty cool is attend US Open sectional qualifying.  The poseurs have been washed out in local qualifying so the golfers there are really really good.  And it is free and you have far better and closer access to the players and angles for watching their shots.  They are usually held on really nice courses (that I could never hope to afford to join or play) and best of all, it is FREE.

At the other end of the spectrum, my daughter interned at the Toshiba Classic Champions Tour event a couple of years ago and got my wife and I passes for the skybox right behind 18.  That was very cool in its own way.  Free (good) food and drink, covered seating (it rained one day) .  We saw everyone since they all had to play 18. But I really didn't care that much about the outcome - I could just enjoy the experience for what it was.

(Funny story - it is the only time in my life I was ever hit on by a woman - she was a little tipsy and naive me didn't really even realize she was hitting on me until my my wife, who was sitting right next to me at the time, told me later).

[nevets88]

Speaking of the USO sectionals, if I could watch golf this way all the time, I'd much prefer live. Even though TV you get to see all leaders, it is very cool to see the action up close and be around other people who know and love golf. I think live is the better experience and you can stream the telecast on your phone while walking to the next shot, but again, the travel, the crowds, etc... just not worth it to me. And it's not like in other sports, I can somehow manage to buy seats really close to the action, no matter what you spend for tickets in golf, you have to exert a major effort to get good views. There's just not enough room in a golf course to let a lot of people get up close and personal.