The Masters Par 3 Contest… A Hassle?

[natureboy]

Seems like a nice event for players and past champions families and their kids. If I was a PGA pro and fan of golf history, I'd love the chance to tee it up there a few times in my career with a few legends and my kids. But it's not super TV worthy as an event. Don't think it should be required / expected of participants. I like it as a way to keep more past champions golfing at the event in some way other than posting an 80-80-cut. 

[Golfingdad]

9 minutes ago, natureboy said:

Seems like a nice event for players and past champions families and their kids. If I was a PGA pro and fan of golf history, I'd love the chance to tee it up there a few times in my career with a few legends and my kids. But it's not super TV worthy as an event. Don't think it should be required / expected of participants. I like it as a way to keep more past champions golfing at the event in some way other than posting an 80-80-cut. 

Yeah, agree with this.  I'd add that if I was a pro and qualified for my first Masters, I'd soak it all up and participate in all of this stuff because you don't know if you'll have another chance.  But if I was successful, then I'd probably skip it often.

I forgot to vote in the poll before ... I went with "background noise."  It's still pro golfers, and Augusta, and it's better to look at on my second screen at work than my Outlook. :)

[colin007]

Meh. I have no interest in watching geriatric swings. 

[Adunifon]

It's interesting, because if you go by pricing on the secondary market, it's generally the most popular day of the week behind Thursday and Friday. 

 

[Mike Boatright]

It's has something of a superstition to hit as no player to ever win the contest has won the masters! besides that I love it and wish there were more par 3 courses like this around the country.

[DaveP043]

On 3/29/2016 at 5:45 PM, colin007 said:

Meh. I have no interest in watching geriatric swings. 

You don't want to play golf with me, in that case 

[JetFan1983]

I enjoy it for some reason, but then again, I've always been a sucker for nostalgia. The Masters Par-3 Contest is kind of like the free bread at a really nice restaurant. It's nice to munch on while waiting for your actual meal to arrive, but I understand if people would rather not fill up on it. 

[Golfingdad]

10 minutes ago, JetFan1983 said:

I enjoy it for some reason, but then again, I've always been a sucker for nostalgia. The Masters Par-3 Contest is kind of like the free bread at a really nice restaurant. It's nice to munch on while waiting for your actual meal to arrive, but I understand if people would rather not fill up on it. 

Yeah, but you're one of those people that probably has the Masters theme song on your ipod playing year round, huh? 

[JetFan1983]

2 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Yeah, but you're one of those people that probably has the Masters theme song on your ipod playing year round, huh? 

Just in the month of April! It's fair game right now! 

 

Sniff, sniff... I think I have something in my eye. 

[colin007]

1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

You don't want to play golf with me, in that case 

Not at all!! I meant it in the way of not wanting to see what these guys' swings have deteriorated to, from the incredible swings they used to have. Better to burn out than fade away, perhaps.

[Rainmaker]

Voted "don't care".  It makes for a few minutes worth of highlights or MAYBE tune it in for 10 minutes . . .

If I were a pro, I'd skip it.  I'd skip everything, though . .pro-ams, sponsor appearances, Thursday, etc.  

[boogielicious]

18 hours ago, JetFan1983 said:

Just in the month of April! It's fair game right now! 

 

Sniff, sniff... I think I have something in my eye. 

And from the other Loggins.

 

[bste]

Only caught the highlights, during the dead space, with the talking heads.

 

[JetFan1983]

1 hour ago, boogielicious said:

And from the other Loggins.

 

Talented family. Billy Payne should invite the Loggins boys to the par-3 contest one of these years hehe 

[Zeph]

I've had it on in the background a few times, but I don't get much out of it. Probably a lot of fun for the children and spectators, but not much worth as TV entertainment for me.

[RandallT]

Ironically, I'd enjoy the event if there were zero fanfare. No hype, no announcing- maybe just a couple cameras watching groups come through on a couple holes. If players decide to play it, fine. If players stayed away for their own reasons, fine. Old-timers mixed with current players- great.

But once it starts to become a "thing," and the broadcast hype kicks in, and the antics with caddies or girlfriends or whatever starts to escalate. At some point, it does the cliche "shark jumping." The lower-key something like this par 3 even is, the more interest it has for me.

It could be an inconspicuous glimpse into different generations of golfers enjoying themselves quietly, but it seems like it has become something of a press spectacle "for the fans." 

[Patch]

Never really paid much attention to it. I might read about the occasional hio that happens, but thats about it. 

The Masters is one of the very few tournaments I record/watch. Not so much for the golf, but for the course scenery itself. 

[natureboy]

4 hours ago, RandallT said:

Ironically, I'd enjoy the event if there were zero fanfare. No hype, no announcing- maybe just a couple cameras watching groups come through on a couple holes. If players decide to play it, fine. If players stayed away for their own reasons, fine. Old-timers mixed with current players- great.

But once it starts to become a "thing," and the broadcast hype kicks in, and the antics with caddies or girlfriends or whatever starts to escalate. At some point, it does the cliche "shark jumping." The lower-key something like this par 3 even is, the more interest it has for me.

It could be an inconspicuous glimpse into different generations of golfers enjoying themselves quietly, but it seems like it has become something of a press spectacle "for the fans." 

I think it's a nice thing for the participants and the champions. In that way it's got a little of a feel of family reunion picnic. I don't think it makes for compelling tv other than as highlights. It does seem to be a way to bring in non-golf celebrities to expand media buzz. I think a lot of that can be 'highlights' on social media.

I think for tv as a kickoff to the family aspect of the golf season the drive/chip/putt is more compelling and a better fit with the competitive nature of a Major.