July 2011: Editors' Blog: Golf Digest

Golf on YouTube: Is it a good idea to microwave this?

Friday, July 29, 2011 Comments

It's good, once in a while, to go where you've never gone, and one such place, in my case, is VidCon, the conference of YouTube stars and their fans held over the weekend for the second year this week in LA's Century City.

My 16-year-old son, who knows all about this stuff, said it was really cool, very hard to get tickets to, and could teach me a few things about online video -- a yawning need, he thought.

So while Matt went searching for the likes of Epic Mealtime guys; Rhett and Link (who make hilarious local-commercial spoofs and now have a television show on IFC); Freddie Wong, the special effects genius; musicians who've made a career on YouTube like Meghan Tonjes -- she wound up on Ellen Degeneres' show; and "newscaster" Philip DeFranco, who supplies my son with most of his news -- I went looking for golf. Mostly in vain.

As you know, there is golf in the YouTube universe: lately, Miguel Angel Jimenez's warm-up routine, Ben Crane's fitness videos, and a few others, but golf tends to produce mostly one-hit wonders, like Phil Mickelson's backwards flop shot. There are channels (Golf Digest has one, mostly how-to and behind-the-scenes videos), but no series to compare to, say, "Lonely Girl15" or "Horrible People." And no golf show that matches the intellectual clout of that classic, "Is it a Good Idea to Microwave This?"

Why even care? Numbers. Fans are subscribing to these video shows or series in amazing numbers and there's no reason golf and Golf Digest can't share in the fun. DeFranco, for example, has some 1.7 million subscribers. Olga Kay, a Russian comedian known as Moosh, 400,000. What's more, these subscribers are engaged. A good response to a single post is 6,000 to 8,000 comments. That's one day, one post. These numbers significantly outscore comments to the Editors' Blog and have drawn the serious attention of both Hollywood and Madison Avenue -- both represented prominently at VidCon.

Our big find of the weekend is this animation on a YouTube spin-off channel, My Damn Channel, from New Yorker and Golf Digest contributor Bruce McCall, called The World's Worst Golf Course. He wasn't at the conference, but we liked his cartoon:

My question is, what kind of golf do you want to see on YouTube? More Miguel? More amazing shots from the pros? Exploding golf balls? Let us know with a comment. And point out videos we've missed that you like.

By the way, conference organizers got a huge kick out of the fact that a guy from Golf Digest asked for a media pass. Like, Dude, what's the world coming to?

My son was only mildly embarrassed.

Bob Carney

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Does Tiger's return mean no more "too much Tiger" letters?

Friday, July 29, 2011 Comments

Some letters seem more authentic than others. Nevertheless the Ohio reader below makes a point that many of you have made over the past few months. Tiger's not playing, why talk about him? As time has gone on, those letters have made more and more sense. Even readers and commentators questioning whether Tiger will ever be truly "back" sound logical. Well, time's up. Tiger's announced that he'll be back at the Bridgestone in, yes, Ohio, so we use this post to print the last of the "Why Tiger, why not more [fill in the blank]" letters.

Photo by Getty Images

Hello, My name is Nathan Putrich and I am a frequent reader of "Golf Digest," and "Golf World" magazines. I love your magazines and will definitely keep on subscribing every year. However, recently I have noticed that your magazine has developed an "addiction" to writing articles regarding Tiger Woods. I would really appreciate as an everyday reader if you added more variety in the content of the articles that you are posting. What about some more articles on Martin Kaymer? Just a suggestion, and I would really appreciate if you take my comment into consideration.

Nathan Putrich, Twinsburg, OH

Dear Nathan, we will take your comment into consideration, but be prepared, in the next few weeks, to read more stories on Tiger Woods than than you can count on a calculator. Love him, don't love him, Tiger's absence and return are what people want to talk about again. I was at a party two weeks ago where most of the guests were golfers and they talked about golf, but the name Tiger Woods was never mentioned (true story). That's over. Although I think it's unrealistic, commentators are already talking about him returning to the top 10 at his first tournament back. But from this day forward, count on coverage being all-Tiger, all the time. Martin Kaymer not so much.

Bob Carney

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Reader: Can we please drop the "3-metal"?

Thursday, July 21, 2011 Comments

Michigan readers tend to toward the down-to-earth. No fancy sweater vests, you know. This letter from an Ypsilanti reader makes our point.

Can we please resolve to ban the use of terms like "3-metal" to describe a wood? Some TV announcers have latched onto this, and it just one of the dumbest, most pretentious and cringeworthy things I have ever heard. You don't call a 5-iron a "5-steel," just because the head isn't made of iron. You could just as easily call it a "5-metal" as well. Does anyone talk about conceding putts "inside the rubber" because leather isn't used for grips anymore? Woods are woods, irons are irons and hybrids are hybrids. Let's stick to terminology that is simple, straightforward and less grinding on the ear.
Kirk Haverkamp, Ypsilanti, MI

Cringeworthy. We love that word. And we agree that the use of 3-metal and 5-metal adds nothing to the broadcasts. Kirk, your 5-steel example seals the argument. We're talking woods from now on.

Bob Carney

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Readers tee off on "Tee it Forward"

Wednesday, July 20, 2011 Comments

Barney Adams' idea of playing "tour-equivalent" tees and the initiative by USGA and PGA of America to "Tee it Forward" have definitely got your attention. Just not you buy-in.

The idea of moving up in tees for more fun golf is flawed. Sure there's ego to overcome, the reduced-handicap fear, and natural resistence to change. However, the biggest problem is this: The amateur links player has a holy grail quest. It is the Member Guest, his buddy's Member Guest, the club championship, and the monthly tournaments he enters to test his competitiveness. Unless the club pros and tournament chairmen that set up the tournaments move up the tees, no amateur with an ounce of competitive gator aid in him is going to practice and play "move up tees" and then compete on back tees. It ain't gonna happen without club pros setting up tournaments at distances suitable to his players' tees. In my survey and discussion of the idea, I find less than 10% support for the move up, and I'm a staunch supporter of the idea and a 68-year-old low handicapper.
Mike Bever, Vero Beach, FL

One reader, Mike Keller, argued against it here and in the Mail column of Golf World. Keller's letter set off a series of others, most in the vein of the one below. Here's what Keller said:

One thing about playing forward tees is that adds to the slowness of the game around the par 5s. The majority of courses and clubs around the country have far too many par 5s with yardages that make it possible to reach in two. Even high handicappers oftentimes have the power to reach 475-500-yard holes in two. The result in simply moving forward will be the majority of players trying to do just that.

And what one reader wrote:

Mike Keller in the July 18 Golf World Mail column references Brett Avery's article about playing from shorter distances. The Tee It Forward program has nothing to do with moving tees forward, but, rather, moving players up to shorter tees where they may enjoy golf more. I have never heard or seen anyone suggest that par 5s represent a pace-of-play issue. To suggest that "Even high-handicappers often have the power to reach 457- to 500-yarders" is ludicrous on the face of it. They are likely high-handicappers, in part, because they cannot reach these holes even in regulation. I suggest that Mr. Keller go back and re-read Mr. Avery's article.
Al Miller, Indio, CA

It's interesting. We hear players at our Connecticut club talk about the "Tee it Forward" idea, but we don't see much evidence, as of yet, of them actually doing it. Back-tee guys still play the back tees. But discussion is the beginning, we guess. Maybe you have to "tee it up" before you can "tee it forward."

Bob Carney

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The most interesting idea of Open Championship Week. Bigger ball.

Sunday, July 17, 2011 Comments

Before it is lost in the coronation of Darren Clarke, the comeback-of-the-century by Phil Mickelson or Dustin Johnson's first major, those of us on the Grow the Game Committee want to make sure you caught one very interesting comment by David Feherty on Golf Channel this week. It relates directly to the history of the Open Championship, but it's an idea we've never heard, certainly not in the context of the current concern and discussion about getting people into our game. Feherty, on the 19th Hole program, suggested that one of the simplest things we could do to make the game easier for amateurs and more challenging for tour professionals was change the ball--not "roll back" the ball but make it larger, literally.

"We made the ball larger before," said Feherty. "We went from 1.62 [the British ball] to 1.68. Why can't we take it to 1.71?" Feherty was referring to the agreement in 1990 that both sides of the Atlantic would play a ball of 1.680 inches.

A ball of 1.71 inches, says Feherty, would sit up better for amateurs, making it easier to hit, and be harder to control for pros. Interesting idea we've not only not heard since Spalding built its 1.715-inch Magna ball back in 1990. And we heard no subsequent discussion of Feherty's idea this week. Might be worth having that discussion.

Bob Carney

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Editor experiences St. George's bumps, bounces. (Not good).

Friday, July 15, 2011 Comments

In an effort to experience firsthand the bounces and ricochets I've been watching on ESPN, I played the virtual St. George's on World Golf Tour, where you can "compete" in your own little electronic Open Championship. I highly recommend it as a lesson in playing super-slick, unfathomably undulating greens and fairways that shake, wiggle, and roll. Not being a regular practitioner of virtual golf, my scores were, um, "maximum" on most holes, much like many of my innings in Little League.

Still, like those who will miss the cut by handfuls today, I'm proud of the effort, and my mission was accomplished: It was a great way to see just how bumpy and bouncy St. George's really is. Click on the link on the home page of Golfdigest.com to play.

Bob Carney

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David Fay's "confession" draws readers' ire

Tuesday, July 12, 2011 Comments

David Fay, though he rarely revealed it as Executive Director of the USGA, has a mischievous side, to say the least. When he revealed in the June issue that he'd hit a few shots with the 1-iron with which Ben Hogan
hit his famous shot to Merion's 18th in the 1950 U.S. Open, we thought it was a terrific column. Some readers were appalled.

Why in the world would you allow Fay's childish elitist, embarrassing, etc. "confession." I found the article totally unworthy of being published. To have this jerk writing a monthly column reflects poorly on the integrity of the game, and GD. Fay crossed a line using the historic 1-iron, and then crossed another line by bragging about it in a national publication.
Dave Mueller, Chaska, MN

David Fay's "confession" that he hit balls with the iconic MacGregor Hogan 1-iron showed a complete disregard for the preservation and conservation of treasures entrusted to the USGA Museum. While he may be an expert on the rules of golf, he has much to learn about caring for the artifacts that belong to all of us who appreciate and honor golf's history. Shame!
James Leaptrott, Portland, OR

The story of Hogan and the "famous" 1-iron shot he played at Merion is certainly one of golf's most famous. But I was hoping in light of this recent piece by Mr. Fay, you might take this opportunity to clarify something that has always bothered me. Specifically, did Hogan really use a 1-iron for that famous shot? I ask this because on page 13 of Hogan's masterful "Five Lessons," he discusses the shot in detail and states, "I went with a 2-iron and played what was in my honest judgment one of the best shots of my last round..." I was hoping you could shed some light on this intruiging bit of mis-clubbing?
H. Gordon Diamond, Redwood City, CA

We can't. Hy Peskin's famous photo doesn't shed any light either--it could be a 1-iron or a 2-iron. We know that Merion records say 1-iron, and the USGA says 1-iron and David Fay hit a 1-iron. But there are those who will say that Hogan and writer Herbert Warren Wind would never get that wrong--it must be a 2-iron. At this point, we choose to let the mystery be.
Bob Carney

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Get real on Tee it Forward, Avery!

Friday, July 8, 2011 Comments

Our readers are, for the most part, realists. They don't just talk about it; they play golf on mostly public courses where brilliant schemes to improve the game are tested and proven--or proven wrong. They're reaction to Tee it Forward, the new industry program to speed play and make the game more enjoyable for the average robust-handicapper is typically hard-edged. Golf World's Brett Avery wrote about the program in the July 4 issue and drew a few characteristic "C'mons". Avery suggested that one incentive might be lower fees at forward tees.

If the price is lower for playing a forward tee, people are going to pay the lesser price then move back on the following tee. Are there supposed to be course police to find what tee you are playing?

The program needs to be called "Hit Your Ball" instead. Most of the time playing golf is wasted by people going through a lengthy pre-shot routine when they have almost no idea where their ball is going to begin with. I am quite sure I could play left-handed and shoot 180 or so and keep up with most of the snails that play and take soo long over every shot like they are playing in the US open.
Michael Biegler, Rapid City, SD

Brett Avery is correct in that the “Tee It Forward” program has potential, but the 800-pound gorilla in the room is the average golfer’s 800-pound ego. We all persist in believing we will hit our best drive every time, that our 7-iron will go 175 yards (and straight), and that we somehow deserve the challenge of playing from the tips. I have learned much from playing with my father, who drops about 20 yards off every green and plays with only a wedge and a putter, and my son, who refuses to keep score and thus enjoys the game more than anyone else I know. Let's all leave our egos in the trunk with that 8-degree driver.
Michael Gilbert, New York City

One thing about playing forward tees is that adds to the slowness of the game around the par 5s. The majority of courses and clubs around the country have far too many par 5s with yardages that make it possible to reach in two. Even high handicappers oftentimes have the power to reach 475-500 yd. holes in two. The result in simply moving forward will be the majority of players trying to do just that. One thought along the lines of shorter courses would be to reduce the number of tees on par 5's, and make the majority of them three shot holes. Eliminate that waiting for the green to clear because of the safety factor, and soften the length of the courses on the par 3's and par 4's. A very small percentage of amatuer golfers can hit a par three of 180-240 yds., yet designers and course/club pros continue to add length to those holes, often times ruining a classic short hole and again, slowing play.
Mike Keller
Thanks, guys. Great points. We're especially in agreement with reader Gilbert on the size of golfer egos. The problem is, most wouldn't fit in a trunk.

Bob Carney

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It's not cheating to make the game easy for beginners!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011 Comments

We continue to get lots of interest in our Beginners Guide, which indicates that there are many golfdigest.com visitors who want to take up, or intensify your involvement, in the game. We've also got dozens of comments from readers of both Golf Digest and Golf World about attempts to alter the Rules of Golf, its equipment standards or the playing field itself to make the game more attractive and accessible. We think it's not that complicated. In that vein, we thought we'd pass along these "rules" from the industry orientation program, Get Golf Ready. Get Golf Ready has been very successful in attracting and keeping golfers in 6-8 pilot markets around the U.S.. Its teachers use the "It's OK" approach to golf for beginners, which we found in a recent edition of PGA Magazine. So simple. Just the thing for a friend or child who's taking up golf. Or for you, for that matter.

It's OK

1. It's OK to not keep score.

2. It's OK to play from the shortest tees or start at the 150-yard marker.

3. It's OK to give yourself a better lie...or to tee the ball up anywhere when you are first learning.

4. It's OK to only count swings when you make contact with the ball.

5. It's OK to throw the ball out of a bunker after one try.

6. It's OK to forget about a ball that may be lost or out of bounds...or to drop a ball where you think it might be...or where you want it to be.

7. It's OK to play a scramble with your group for the entire round or just a hole or two.

8. It's OK to just chip and putt on a hole when you feel like it.

9. It's OK to pick up in the middle of a hole and enjoy the outdoors and scenery.

10. It's OK to skip a hole if you need to take a break.

11. It's OK to play less than 9 or 18 holes and call it a round of golf.

12. It's OK to move your ball away from trees, rocks or very hilly lies.

13. It's OK to hit the same club for the entire round, while using a putter on the putting green.

14. It's OK to play golf in your sneakers. Be comfortable.

15. It's OK to get enthusiastic (high fives, fist pumps and big smiles are encouraged).

16. It's OK to talk on the golf course. Enjoy a nice conversation or tell a few jokes.

17. It's OK to bring your kids to the course, whether they are 5 or 35.

18. It's OK to PLAY GOLF JUST FOR FUN!

We talked earlier this week about Top Golf and its no-barrier appeal to novices and non-golfers. It's OK is step 2.

Bob Carney

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Timberlake on learning golf from Butch Harmon

Tuesday, July 5, 2011 Comments

Interesting exchange during Justin Timberlake's Playboy interview posted this month about his experience with Butch Harmon. You'll recall that Timberlake, who played in our Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge its first two years and broke 100 each time, took a crash course in the golf swing from Butch Harmon, ranked No. 1 among Golf Digest's 50 Greatest Teachers. Harmon's advice to Timberlake is a formula for good practice.

PLAYBOY: Of course, even your golf game has type A written all over it. You could have taken lessons at a public driving range, but instead you hired Tiger Woods’s former coach, Butch Harmon. Any tips to share with the weekend golfer?

TIMBERLAKE: Butch’s whole approach is that it’s way better to have a short swing that gives an accurate shot than to try [hit the ball a mile]. He would make me practice hitting 30 or 50 balls with a 6-iron just to get used to hitting low punch shots. Half swing, swing low, don’t even finish the swing. When I showed up, I was scooping the ball up with great big swings because I thought that’s how you get the ball into the air. Using shorter swings lets the club do what it was made to do.

We're going to try that. You might also be interested in Golf Digest's interview with Timberlake prior to the '09 Open Challenge.

Bob Carney

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