Golf Tournament Hype

The fans are excited. The anticipation has been building all week. Fans are talking about it amongst their friends, family and co-workers. Everyone is expecting to see some of the best play they've seen all season. Everyone is expecting to see greatness. And this isn't even the championship! Then what is it you ask? It's the Chevron World Challenge!

Ha! I fooled ya, didn't I? I know you thought I was talking about the NFL and Championship Sunday. Well, I don't blame you. Seeing the two best teams from each conference square off against one another to decide which teams go to the Super Bowl is pretty exciting. But that's not how it is in golf.

See, this is what I've been talking about. The NFL ends the season with it's most exciting games leading up to the Super Bowl - a championship game. But the second to last tournament of the PGA season is the Chevron World Challenge. Practically meaningless. But not quite as meaningless as the final tournament - the Franklin Templeton Shootout.

So what do I mean by meaningless? Well, name me one sport, other than golf, that puts it's "playoffs" right in the middle of the season. You can't. Stupid, right? The PGA "playoffs" are made up of four tournaments in August and September. But for some reason, the season doesn't end after the playoffs. No, us golf fans are treated to a myriad of meaningless tournaments after the playoffs have ended!

So why is it so mixed up in golf? Why wouldn't they simply put the playoffs at the end of the season like everyone else? This is all part of what I've been getting at. And it was on full display leading up to this football weekend, and will be on full display again over the next two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. For cryin' out loud, the NFL gets more attention when there are no games going on during the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl than the PGA Tour gets during their two biggest tournaments of the year combined! That should tell you enough!

Ah, I'm spouting off again. But I just can't help myself. It's such an easy target. One day the powers that be in the world of the PGA will pull their heads out of their 19th holes and get with the program. But until then, well, I'll keep tryin'...

Swing 'til you're happy!

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More Crazy PGA Playoff Ideas

I'm sitting here watching the NFL Playoffs and I catch a commercial or two for a golf tournament. A golf tournament? Are you kidding? They say this is the first tournament of 2012. Well, I guess it is. It's just earlier than I expected. For cryin' out loud, the last tournament of 2011 just wrapped up a month ago! But now, along comes the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Someone help me because I don't know - Has golf always been a year round sport on the professional level? Wouldn't that cause fans to become a bit "golfed out?" I know it would for me. I mean, the off-season is one month long? Sorry, but that's just not long enough. As much as I love football, I need the off-season. It gives me the break I need so I don't get tired of a sport I love. If it was going on for eleven out of the twelve months of the year, I'd probably be bored of it.

Am I wrong, or would golf benefit from a shorter season? Do people get golfed out? I really don't follow the tour, and that's one of the reasons why. The season's just too long. And I would have to imagine many of these tournaments are somewhat "inconsequential." And if a tournament doesn't really matter, then that diminishes the interest.

I think the PGA Tour as a whole could benefit from a shorter, more focused season. If there was some type of a playoff system, then I'm sure every individual tournament could mean much more to both the fans, as well as the players themselves.

Further, if the season were to be shorter and a playoff system instituted, then due to the importance of each tournament, players would be less apt to skip any, thus creating a better chance at a star-studded field every weekend. Could you imagine Tom Brady just sitting out two or three games because they don't matter? Yeah, I know that some NFL teams will sit a couple of players during the last week of the season, but that's 1 game in 16.

Let's look at the PGA Tour numbers. Last year there were 50 tour stops. 50! Now, there were four weekends on which two tournaments were played. So, since you can't be in two places at once, that leaves 46 potential tournaments to play. Now, of the 445 players who played in a PGA Tournament last year, only 26 of them played in 30 or more tournaments, with the most being 35. So, even the player who played most often still skipped 11 tournaments! Doesn't that just get on your nerves - that players pick and choose when they want to play? That's like Aaron Rodgers sitting himself for four games, or Kobe Bryant sitting himself for twenty. What if Albert Pujols didn't play in over 40 games because they just weren't important enough? Are you serious?! It's ridiculous, but it happens week in and week out during the PGA season.

How about if that was eliminated? How could it be you ask? Make every tournament matter. Trim the fat and streamline the schedule. Make it so more players play in more tournaments. Make them count toward an end of season playoff for a real championship.

I've got several ideas to get this done. Besides this one, I've previously discussed a road to an actual PGA Championship as well as a championship itself. Someday I'll figure out how to get these combined into one revolutionary idea. And someday, maybe the right people will take it into consideration. Hey, after all, I'm just trying to help!

Swing 'til you're happy!

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The Top Golf Stinks Blog Posts of 2011!

So it's the end of December and 2012 is right around the corner. But before we pop the bubbly and don our party hats tomorrow night, we here at the Golf Stinks blog would like to thank our readers for their continued support!

And to do that, we're going to carry on with the tradition we started two years ago: It's time to reveal our top ten posts of 2011 (based on page hits)!

Number 10

The Beginning of the End to my Golf Season - In September, Stinky Golfer Chris explains why the start of the NFL season pretty much marks the end of his (as well as many others') golf season.

Number 9

Golf Course Bankrupt? Blame Tiger Woods - Way back in January, Stinky Golfer Greg pondered why more and more golf courses are going belly-up these days and is led to conclude it's all Tiger's fault!

Number 8

Analysis: What Makes a Golf Course Great - In March, we revealed the analysis results of our "What Makes A Golf Course Great" survey. The results may surprise you!

Number 7

Don't Dress Like a Fool on the Golf Course - In this April guest post from Joe Sponcia over at Pillars of Golf, you will learn how not to dress for a round of golf!

Number 6

Why Golf is Aggravating - In this "reality bites" post, Stinky Golfer Pete comes to the frustrating conclusion that average hacks will always be average hacks.

Number 5

Variations on the Game of Golf - Project Flogton - In his continuing series on alternate versions of golf, Stinky Golfer Chris explores the cheating interesting format of Project Flogton.

Number 4

Does Golf Apparel and Equipment Fuel the "Rich Man's Sport" Stereotype? - Stinky Golfer Chris tackles one of the biggest stereotypes in the game - that you have to be rich to play golf. He suggests that merchandise retailers (and their marketing efforts) aren't helping.

Number 3

Why Do Non-Golfers Play in Golf Tournaments? - In this post from August, Stinky Golfer Chris ponders why people who rarely play golf, play in golf tournaments - could it be the food?

Number 2

5 Reasons Why They Hate Golf - In July, Stinky Golfer Greg provides his explanations as to why some people just don't appreciate this game we know and love.









And receiving the most page views in 2011...

Number 1

10 Golf Etiquette Rules Most Jackasses Ignore - In this April post, Stinky Golfer Greg lists his biggest golfer pet peeves in a no-holds-barred rant about cell-phone use; playing from the wrong tee-box; and giving unwanted swing advice.


So there you have it; our top posts of 2011! Thanks again to all our readers - without average hacks like you, golf just wouldn't be the same!

Best wishes for 2012!

-The Golfstinks Team

Related Posts:
The Top Golf Stinks Blog Posts of 2010!
The Top Golf Stinks Blog Posts of 2009!

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Tiger Wins! Now How Long Will We Have To Hear About It?

He won. And for real this time. This time it wasn't just an over-abundance of highlights showing the third place finisher. This time it wasn't the media basically handing him the win after the second round. He actually won this time! And I gotta tell ya, I'm not looking forward to hearing about it.

I can picture it already. ESPN will be dropping to their knees (as usual) for Tiger. They can't wait to just ram it down our throats. As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to just avoid watching ESPN for the next couple of days. Well, outside of Monday Night Football of course.

But seriously, Friday night ESPN was already handing the tournament over to Tiger again! Do they understand there are four rounds to a golf tournament? Watching SportsCenter, I saw one of their sidebar stories state that Tiger had a "Big Lead" after the second round. So I stuck around to see how big it was. Three strokes. Really? Three strokes is considered a "Big Lead" halfway through a tournament?! Well, I guess when Tiger holds the lead it is. Even after the third round, when he lost the lead, it was still all Tiger high-lights. Zach Johnson was just an after thought.

Seriously, come on. When is that stuff gonna stop? People were growing tired of Tiger before his "transgressions." More were sick of him afterward. And now, even more are just sick and tired of him and the media who continues to just shove him down our throats! I know it's going to be all over ESPN, so the only saving grace I have is the NFL.

One place where ESPN has not lost any understanding is that the NFL comes before just about everything else. It comes before baseball. It comes before basketball. It comes before college sports (obviously this does not include World Series games or college championships and bowl games). And it certainly comes before golf. Of course, at the time of my writing, SportsCenter has yet to air. But if history is any indicator, Tiger's victory will not lead after a day an NFL Sunday. But, I can only hope.

However, could you imagine if this victory came outside of football season? I think I would physically choke on the coverage. Add another reason to the list that football is my favorite sport.

Swing 'til you're happy!

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The Beginning Of The End To My Golf Season

It's already begun. This past Thursday night Stinky Golfer Dog shows up at my house, beer in hand, ready to watch the first NFL game of the season. This will be the official start to my favorite time of year...football season.

Every year, immediately after the Super Bowl, I find myself already anxious for the start of the next season. It's not just the fact that I love the sport itself. It's everything that goes along with it. Getting together with friends to watch the games, the fantasy football leagues, maybe a few pools here and there...and of course a Super Bowl party.

However, I guess the start of the football season is a bit bittersweet as well. As much as I love it, it also means my golf season (as little as I played this year) is coming to an end. Football marks the nearness of autumn, with winter soon to follow. And being that here in CT we've already had a few sub-70 degree days, winter may be here sooner than expected.

But it's the fact that this weekend, the first of many this this season that a few buddies will head over to my place to watch the games and stuff our faces rather than playing golf on a Sundays, tells me something about where golf stands in my sports life. As far as my buddies and I watching football, I've mentioned before that we don't get together to watch golf .

When it comes to fantasy sports, I've been participating in fantasy football for over 15 years now. But fantasy golf? I took my first shot at it this year and was bored with it by week 3. I don't really know enough of the players on the tour, and I don't follow the tour closely enough to care. So fantasy golf quickly becomes dull.

But what about a pool or some type of wagering? That always makes things much more interesting. Well, it simply isn't common enough for golf. I'll get into Super Bowl pools as well as some regular season pools or random wagers. But golf...no one cares enough. And if someone approached me about a golf pool, I'd probably do it. I bet on everything. Hell, I even put a few bucks in on the Home Run Derby this year! But no betting equals no additional interest.

But obviously, the most important part of football season is the games themselves. I desire enough to watch the games that, from this weekend on, golf is now limited to Saturdays only. If golf is going to be played on a Sunday (and that's a BIG if), it will be limited to nine holes only and must be played locally or early enough that I can be home in time for the start of the games.

I love playing golf. But one of the things I love most about it is the camaraderie with my golfing buddies. Just hanging out with my friends on the course, having a beer and some grub afterward are part of what's great about getting out and golfing. But watching the games with my friends provides the same camaraderie and includes the non-golfers. Not too mention the other factors mentioned earlier and even more excitement and interest is provided.

But as much as I love football, it can't actually take the place of being out on the golf course with my pals. Well, on Saturdays anyway...

Swing 'til you're happy!

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What If The PGA Experienced A Lockout?

Well, all signs are pointing in the right direction. It seems there's finally some agreement between players and owners. All signs are pointing to an on-time start the NFL regular season...and I couldn't be happier! Now, if the NBA will soon follow suit, then the sports world will once again be right as rain.

But with lockouts currently going on in two of the three most popular spectator sports in the United States, it kind of makes me wonder what would happen if there was a PGA Tour lockout.

Would it be like an NFL lockout? I guess that could go two ways. With the current lockout, I think all of us know that both parties understand there is way too much money to be lost if games are not played. It's by far the most popular spectator sport in the country. When it's estimated that anywhere between $200- $250 million could be lost per week of the PRESEASON (!!), imagine what's to be lost during the regular season!

But if you look at it like 1987 (which was actually a strike, not a lockout), it may look a bit different. Back then, the owners thought it would be a good idea to play a few games with replacement players. I remember distinctly watching a "replacement player" game when flashed upon the screen was a players regular job - car salesman. This was not the NFL I or anyone else wanted to see. Can you imagine the PGA Tour heading in this direction? Many of us have no idea who many of the players on the tour are now. Could you imagine if, in place of the tour pros, we had a bunch of course pros out there? Or, a bunch of guys from the Hooters Tour? Well, I guess if many of us don't know who the players are now...

But what if it was approached like the NBA? Back in the 1998-99 season, the players were locked out and the games simply didn't happen. No replacement players. No D-League players. Just no games. By the time it was over, the season was shortened from 82 games to 50. Would a PGA lockout look something like this? Just no golf at all for almost half the season? This would be the equivalent of missing approximately the first 17 tour stops of the season. Now, before you look at the schedule I'll fill you in...yes, that includes The Masters.

But what if it worked out like the MLB strike of 1994? Everyone recalls only one thing from the '94 season - no World Series. Obviously, The PGA Tour doesn't work the same. Despite the tournaments name, there is no actual PGA Championship. But you get what I'm saying...

My question is, how would the golf world react if a lockout or strike were to hit the PGA? Would all be forgiven as it was (and will be) in the NFL? Would there be lingering after-affects as there was in MLB, a sport that was already on the decline viewership-wise? Or would it deal the sport a significant blow such as it did in the NBA which, 13 years later, has still yet to recover?

Obviously this is all theoretical as we know the PGA doesn't work the same as the players organizations in the other sports mentioned above. But that doesn't mean it can't happen one day. And if it ever does...and since Tiger has already hit his decline...would we even notice if replacement players were out there?

Swing 'til you're happy! Because one day, you too could be a replacement player.

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Is A Teenage Competitor Good For Golf?

So by now, most golf fans probably know who Beau Hossler is. If not, he's the 16-year old playing in the U.S. Open who, after the first round, currently stands at 5-over. Not bad for a 16-year old. Actually, not bad for anyone! I'm not ashamed to say that I've approached that number on 9-holes. So for me, a 76? Unfathomable.

Needless to say I find myself, like many other fans of the sport, rooting for this kid to do well. But as I do root for him, I also find myself wondering if that's a good idea. It's strange, but as much as I would like to see him do well, part of me thinks this is not good for the sport as a whole. Let me explain myself.

We as Americans, in general, are smitten with sports that are either fast, physical or a combination of the two. Golf, as if it isn't obvious enough, is neither. Hence golf's declining audience and participation. So when the likes of a high school junior are able to hang with the pros for a round or two, in a major no less, I can understand how non- or casual golf fans can be turned off by this.

Look at some of those other fast and physical sports. Take football for instance. I would like someone to point out one single 16-year old who could hang on the gridiron for even a few plays with some NFL pros. Imagine handing a football to some pizza-faced kid and having him run up the middle against the Baltimore Ravens D? His career would be over after a play or two.

Basketball? OK, before you go ahead and mention the names, Kobe, Garnett, LeBron and Moses Malone (some of the players who successfully made the jump from high school to the pros), keep in mind for every Kobe, there are three Korleone Young's, Leon Smith's and DeAngelo Collins' (among the unsuccessful jumpers). Further, these players were all at least 18 and playing a sport far less physical than football. Further, one can even make the argument that high school players and college underclassmen making the jump to the NBA have been a detriment to the game.

Even in baseball, only 28 players in the history of MLB have made the jump directly from high-school to the pros. And of those, only a handful can be considered to have had successful careers. Quite simply, even though the sport is not overly physical, the strength and speed of players in the majors simply cannot be matched by 18-year old kids. But in golf, 16-year olds can compete with the pros? And in the case of Matteo Manassero, a 17-year old can make the cut?!

While I, myself, have no real issue with it (and as mentioned, I'm pulling for the kid to do well) I do believe it is a turn-off to fans of the faster, more physical sports that many of us love. After all, this is America. There's a reason we love football, not futbol. Watching a teenager hang with the big boys, ala Pele, makes the sport seem less challenging and require less experience and less physical ability and prowess. While us golfers may understand that is not necessarily the case, you would have to admit that you can understand where the critics are coming from.

For a sport that is losing spectators and players every year, the last thing they should want is to turn-off any potential fans. Obviously, it's not the kids fault - he's just a damn good player. But if the PGA found the way to promote this properly, such as to use his age as motivation for the next generation of golfers, they could have a potential game-changer on their hands.

Swing 'til you're happy!

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Why I Suck at Fantasy Golf

I've played fantasy football since 1998 and I'm not too bad at it. I usually make the playoffs and the year our prize money was at its largest, I won the entire league. Needless to say, my overall winnings outweigh my overall entrance fees.

So when a golf buddy asked me to join his fantasy golf league this year, I figured why not? Anyway, there were a few advantages to his league - First; there were only 5 people in it (better odds for me to win). Second; I knew two or three of the people had never played fantasy golf before (same boat as me). And third; it was free - so what did I have to lose?

Despite never playing fantasy golf before, I figured how hard can it be? You just pick the top-ranked players every week and hope the odds pan-out. Au contraire. Turns out fantasy golf is a whole lot harder than it looks.

First of all, you can't just pick the same players every week, because in my league (Yahoo!) you can only use a player 9 times. So now I have to mix and match. The only problem with that is I have no idea who many of these players are! Stinky Golfer Chris has posted about this issue and he's right - if the media wasn't so hung up on Tiger, I may be a better fantasy golfer!

Anyway, not knowing many of the tour players, I've relied on the "expert" picks. And when you start reading-up on fantasy golf from the experts, you realize these guys are choosing players each week for a multitude of reasons. For example, they won't start a player who is hot because he historically doesn't play well at a particular course. Or even in particular weather!

Now I'm sunk. Not only do I not know many PGA Tour players, but I don't really follow the PGA Tour to begin with! How am I supposed to know how a particular player has done at a specific course? That's just too much research for me.

Oh and I'm having a hard time remembering to change-out my players too. In the NFL, players tend to play every week (unless they're injured or on bye). So if you forget to change your lineup, chances are your team will still be intact enough to give you a shot at winning anyway. But not in golf. Not every player plays every stop on tour, so if you forget to check, you can (like me this week) have no golfers from the previous week playing in the tournament this week! That translates to a big fat goose egg for my weekly score.

But there's more. In football, there's only one game a week. In golf, the tournament lasts four days. So there's an opportunity to switch starters with bench players after the first, second and third rounds. The problem is, I can never remember to do it! I'd set my lineup on Wednesday and check how I did on Monday...only to learn two of my four starters missed the cut on Friday! That led me to set a reminder on my phone for Friday night at 10 PM to make sure my starters actually make the cut for the weekend!

It doesn't matter - I have no business playing fantasy golf. Of the five that started-out in our league, only three have kept it up (myself included). And of those three, I'm last. It's pathetic. I play golf, I write about golf, I love golf. But I suck at fantasy golf. But, I signed up and I will compete till the end of the season.

Speaking of that, the summer session is about to begin - another 13 weeks of me stinking-up the fantasy golf links. Joy.

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Introducing: The Stroke Clock!

Slow play. It's probably at the top of most golfers' complaint lists. Everyone is in such a hurry to get through the game that they can't stand to be held up for even a minute. But if everyone knows how much it burns other golfers, then why do they do it?

Many have brought up the idea that the it's the pros who cause the game to be played so slowly. I can understand that. Watching the pros at a tournament can be flat-out boring at some points. Taking an endless amount of practice swings, wandering around the ball for a little while, then taking a few more practice swings before they finally hit the ball...my goodness! Just wake me up when he's done already!

It's remarkable how much that sounds like the schmuck in front of you, isn't it? That's because the schmuck in front of you watches the tour and thinks he can/should do what they do. Well guess what slow guy...you can't and you shouldn't. And I'm not one to normally complain about slow play - I feel that if you're expecting to hurry, then you're playing the wrong game. But when someone is deliberately that slow..., you know what I'm getting at.

So in another effort to help improve viewership of the sport as well as, indirectly, improve the pace of play on the course for the rest us, I offer you another idea from the minds of golfstinks - The Stroke Clock. As you could probably figure, the stroke clock would work much the same as both the shot clock in basketball and play clock in football - You have X amount of time to get your shot off.

Think about that for a second. Another element of competition added to a sometimes pretty dull sport to watch. Not only are you playing against the field and the course, but now you are racing a clock as well! Some benefits to the clock? Well, picking up the pace of the game for starters. No more "play suspended by darkness." No more watching a player wander around his ball and take enough practice swings that you'd think he's in the middle of a lesson. Just get to your ball, focus and swing already!

And of course, the benefit for the rest of non-pros, speed of play on the public tracks we hack our way through every weekend is bound to speed up as well. All of those players who take their time because that's what they see the pros do, will have a whole new outlook on the pace of the game! Well, theoretically anyway. But one could hope!

The NBA adopted a shot clock in order to improve the pace of play, therefore increasing scoring and amping up the excitement of the game. The NFL did the same when they adjusted the play clock from 45 seconds down to 40. Even MLB occasionally attempts to speed up the pace of play by putting the pitchers on a clock. And there are penalties for not abiding by each. In the NBA, you lose possession of the ball. In the NFL it's a five-yard penalty. And in MLB, when enforced, it's an automatic ball for the pitcher. How about losing a stroke in golf if you don't get your shot off within 45 seconds of arriving at your ball? Seem a bit harsh? Well, maybe for a season they administer one or two warnings before assessing the stroke penalty. But after that season...you know the rules.

And lets face it, in a sport that has as many ridiculous rules as golf does, one to speed up the pace of play and possibly make the game more exciting might be one to consider implementing.

Swing 'til you're happy!

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The Breaking of Golf's Color Barrier

Breaking down racial barriers. Isn't that what it was all about for Martin Luther King? So in celebration of Martin Luther King Day, why not take a look at the PGA Tour's breaker of the color barrier?

Contrary to what many believe, know, or understand, the PGA color barrier was broken long before Tiger Woods ever hit the scene. Over 35 years earlier to be a bit more specific.

In 1961, Charlie Sifford became the first African-American to receive full PGA Tour status (In 1928, Dewy Brown was the first African-American to play in PGA Tour events, but was not given full status until the mid 1960's). But it wasn't until after nine years of playing in qualifiers and non-PGA Tour events, even winning one, that he was given full status. Sifford went on to win two events in his career, plus a Senior Tour victory.

But here we are, 50 years later, and almost no progress has been made on the tour, especially when compared to the other major sports in the United States. Since the most famous sports color barrier of all was broken by Jackie Robinson in 1947, the result is that currently 1 in every 10 MLB players is African-American. The NFL color barrier was broken in the 1940's, and currently 65% of the NFL's players are African-American. In 1950, the NBA's color barrier was broken and currently 82% of the league is African-American. Even in the NHL, whose color barrier was broken (albeit incredibly briefly) in 1958, about 5% of the league is African-American.

But the PGA continues to lag. Of all current PGA Tour players, only one, Tiger Woods, is African-American...and he is actually bi-racial. So where is the breakdown? Why has no progress been made? Has it actually taken a step backward? These are all questions for another time. But I will say, it's tough to blame the PGA. Between organizations like The First Tee, among others, the PGA has certainly attempted to expand their brand, as well as the sport itself, among the African-American community.

But with February almost upon us, Black History Month would likely be a good time to spread the name of the PGA's first man to break the color barrier. If not to help promote the game and the tour, then to help more people learn about one of the most important historical figures in the games modern era - Charlie Sifford.

Swing 'til you're happy!

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Off-Season? Golf Has An Off-Season?

Can someone please help me out with a few things here? Is the golf season officially underway right now? Are there actual tournaments going on? Didn't the 2010 season just end? I swear I just saw something about Steve Stricker tied for the lead in a tournament.

How is this possible? Why would this be happening right now? I think what I'm saying is, it's no wonder there are fewer and fewer people golfing or taking up the game of golf every year. Golf has just about everything going against it right now.

The first problem is; I had no idea there were any tournaments even happening! I'm sure many of you who are reading this were well-aware that golf was underway. But not me. I'm sure I've made it clear by now I am a very casual golf fan. Playing golf...sure! Watching golf...ehh....not so much. But when a golf tournament is competing with the NFL playoffs? I'm sorry, but out of 100 times, the golf tournament will lose 101. How can the PGA golf season kick-off during the most important time of the largest spectator sport (TV-viewer wise) in the country?! Seriously now...there is no possible way they are gaining any new viewers. Next thing you know, they'll have a final round going on during the Super Bowl!

Second; When exactly did last season end? And when did this season begin? Was there really even an off-season? If so, how long was it...a month? See? This is another problem. The season is just too damn long and filled with too many meaningless tournaments that don't get promoted properly. It's like baseball season: Is it really necessary to play for six months then have another month of playoffs? Does it really take 162 games to figure out who belongs in the playoffs? Couldn't the same be determined in, say, 100 games? You get kind of psyched up for baseball at the beginning of the year, then it's blah for four months before you get excited again for the pennant race. And even though the season is too long, the off-season is long enough to give you a break. In golf...there almost is no off-season! I'm sorry but, there has to be a break or you simply get golfed out.

Let's look at football again; This is my favorite sport and I watch the NFL at every opportunity. However, I don't want the season to be any longer than it is for the simple fact that I don't want to be footballed out! We've all heard the expression "Too much of a good thing." Well, golf is a good thing. But too much golf is not. Fewer tournaments make each one matter more. When the tournaments matter, they attract more attention. Therefore, more viewers and more fans.

So what could be done differently? Well, probably a few things. For starters, and I know it's not going to sound like a good idea to most but, having fewer tournaments could help. As mentioned earlier - fewer tournaments equals more meaning.

But what do you do with the down time? We've touched on this a bit before. Things that are fun and keep the fans interested are always a sure bet. Why not set-up some things such as long-drive tournaments and the like? It's not an actual tournament, but it's fun and certainly fan-friendly! And just a small exhibition here and there during an off-season of a decent length could do wonders to attract new fans, while still keeping the interest of current ones.

OK, so these are just a couple of silly ideas for the most part, but they are ideas nonetheless. And let's face it, with fewer and fewer rounds of golf being played each year, a change is becoming increasingly necessary.

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From Greens To Gridirons

This is my favorite time of year. The days are getting cooler and more comfortable. The nights are becoming, what I refer to as, "sleeping weather." Soon, the leaves will be blazing with the foliage of another beautiful Connecticut autumn. It doesn't get any better than spending a few hours out on the course on a Saturday morning in September or October. But not Sunday! Why not Sunday? Well, becaue of another reason this is my favorite time of year. It's football season!

Since I began playing golf, I try not to let much get in the way of being on the course. Sometimes I can't help it. Things happen. I can't control the weather. And with my wife being a photographer, sometimes her appointments, sessions or weddings get in the way. But hey, it's better for her to be making us money, than for me to be spending it, right? But the one thing that I will always allow to get in the way of golf is the NFL. I will put away my putter in favor of my Patriots.

I have long been a fan of football. Ever since I was just a little kid and my dad would keep me up at night to watch Monday Night Football. Nothing has changed since then. As a matter of fact, I find myself doing the same thing with my boys now. The minute the Super Bowl ends, I long for September to come around again. I want to spend my Sundays lounging in front of the TV with a beer, eating chips and wings. I'll play golf on Sunday, but I have to be home by 1:00.

However, as much as I love football and look forward to the start of the season, I guess it is a bittersweet feeling as well. Because when the football season is just starting up, that means golf season is winding down. So I begin to reflect on another season of golf. I look back on another season in which I didn't get to play nearly as much as I would have liked. I don't really reflect on my performance all that much. For me, it's more about quantity than quality. I think back on some of my favorite rounds. I look back and appreciate playing a course I've never played before, or one I haven't visited in a few years. I try to remember the good rounds and forget the bad. There's usually not a whole lot of good rounds for me to remember!

But along with the disappointing feeling of another golf season coming to an end, is the feeling of knowing I am also entering my favorite part of the golf season! Often times, we will try to save some of the best courses for last. Courses we know have the best views of the changing leaves. The prettiest courses in autumn. There's nothing like standing at the top of an elevated par-3, hitting your ball into a sea of reds, oranges and yellows, followed up by searching for the ball in the woods while the fallen leaves crunch beneath your Foot-Joys. How about playing a course with a few holes that wind around an orchard right when the apples are in season. There's nothing like eating an apple picked right off the tree. And it's even better when I can simply drive my golf cart right up to the tree, and pick out the best one I can find. Now that's great golf.

So let's all enjoy these last few weeks of the season. Forget your score for a while. Don't try so hard. Don't take it so serious. Enjoy the beautiful weather and comfortable temperatures. And if we're lucky enough to have that "golf weather" last deep into the year, then let's just enjoy the fact that we're out on the course at all! Just not on Sundays after 1:00.

Swing 'til you're happy!

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Want Every Golf Match to Matter? Play Fantasy Golf!

I'm sitting up late at night watching the Phillies vs. Brewers game. I'm a Mets fan so, outside of pulling for the Brewers, I don't have any real interest in this matchup. Well...that's not 100% true. I sure could use a couple of hits out of Raul Ibanez. Why? My fantasy league of course!

Roughly fifteen years ago I was first introduced to fantasy sports. A friend and I jumped into a fantasy football league, sharing a team since neither of us new exactly what we were doing. Despite starting off hot with a record of 8-3, we made a bonehead trade and lost the rest of our games (not too mention our money) and missed the playoffs. You'd think it would have left a bad taste in my mouth, but instead, I was hooked. Be it fantasy football, baseball or basketball, I haven't missed a season since. But now, a new fantasy sport has caught my interest - fantasy golf.

The thing about fantasy golf is, it's very simple. Anyone who participates in fantasy sports knows that scoring is based on stats (and there are plenty of stats). You draft your players and the better the stats they produce, the better your team does. There are so many stats in fact, scoring can be downright confusing. But not in fantasy golf. There are pretty much two ways to score points in fantasy golf:

1. Points are based on your golfers score per hole (ex. 100 points for an eagle, 50 points for a birdie, 20 points for par, -20 points for a bogey, etc....).

2. Points are based on where your golfers finish in the final tournament standings.

Also, you even have the choice to redraft your team every weekend if you'd like, depending upon which golfers are playing in each tournament.

Seems pretty simple, right? But the fun of it, as well as the chance to win a few bucks, are not the only draws to fantasy golf...or any fantasy sport for that matter. It's the draw to a game or tournament that, normally, may not interest you at all. Hence, the game I mentioned earlier.

Years ago, fantasy sports were mostly shunned or frowned upon by the professional leagues which they emulated. Participation in a fantasy league was looked upon as simply gambling. But that is no longer the case. Major sports leagues such as the NFL and MLB now embrace fantasy sports, and it's the right thing to do. Fantasy sports have increased the overall interest in the game, even if it is mainly based on statistics and not necessarily the game itself. But, these leagues realize there are people like me, who will tune into a game they could care less about, in order to watch the one player my fantasy game hinges on. Does Bud Selig care why I'm watching the game? I doubt it, as long as I'm watching.

Fantasy golf is not nearly as popular as fantasy football, baseball or basketball...but the PGA may want to look into changing that. Once again, if you want me to watch your tournament, then give me as many reasons as possible to do so. The performance of players who aren't necessarily stars, or worthy of much coverage, may not matter as much to the PGA Tour, but they may mean something to more people if they have a reason to cheer for them. Maybe I have a guy in my foursome this weekend named Jeff Overton. He's only 35th on the money list and not exactly a popular name, but I want to see if he can sink that birdie putt to get me another 50 points for my team! That, my friends at PGA Tour headquarters, is interest in your sport that you normally would not have.

I've mentioned before that the PGA doesn't do enough to promote it's players, but fantasy sports are a great vehicle for promotion! The PGA would be wise to loosen up and jump on the fantasy sports bandwagon to welcome a new breed of fan. Again, give me a reason to watch the tournament. Give me a reason to cheer for a particular golfer. Give me something other than another Tiger Woods press conference!

Fantasy sports have made me a good amount of money, as well as lost me a good amount of money (no question lost more than I've won). But more so, they have gotten me interested in games that I normally wouldn't be interested in. Honestly, how great would that be for the PGA?

Oh, and just an update, Ibanez went 1-4 with a walk...not good enough for me to pull it out. Looks like I'm going to drop another close one. I swear that guy knows I'm a Mets fan.

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