Golf - The Evolving Business Model.
The men's professional game of #golf continues to be as divided as many of the stakeholders in the US political arena.
We saw it yet again this past weekend, when one of the games showcase events "The Masters" was played at Augusta in Georgia, USA.
Broadcasters seemingly, and incredibly unprofessionally, went out of their way to discredit the presence of the #LIVGolf league players who were in attendance along with their #PGATour colleagues over the course of the week.
All of the sly and sarcastic interludes throughout the broadcast did not get lost on the fans of the game, as the internet lit up as if it were some kind of heated debate between passionate #Democrats and #Republicans.
#PGA pundits making sly remarks about the LIV players not being able to manage playing 72 holes over the week, because the rival LIV tournaments are played over 54 holes over three days.
This got me thinking.
Who actually invented the concept of 18 holes for a round of golf, and how did 72 holes become the 'norm" for a golf tournament?
Well you might be surprised to learn that at the traditional home of golf, St Andrews in #Scotland, the course originally consisted of 22 holes. 11 holes out, and 11 holes back in. This was later shortened when holes were merged together. Yet back then there was no standard, some tournaments even featured courses that had just 12 holes.
It's when we jump back over the Atlantic once again to understand that The Masters tournament was originally played over eighteen holes over three days, eighteen holes were played each day for the first two days, and then a final 36 holes were played on the third day.
Co-founder of 'The Masters" , Amateur golfer Bobby Jones suggested that the tournament should be played over four days so more tickets could be sold, and other events could be built around the week, so it was born, the concept, and norm that a golf tournament was to be played over eighteen holes over the course of four straight days.
Other major tournaments followed suit such as 'The Open' and the 'PGA Championships'.
In June 2021 the disruptors came into the game, the LIV Golf league. LIV introduced three day and fifty four hole tournaments. Ever since then the internal flames on mens professional golf has become an out of control wildfire.
Players, fans and administrators are all embroiled in a never ending circus that started in 2021, over 250 years after the game was invented.
The question is, when will the adults enter the room and realize that for mens professional golf to prosper the ego's need to be put aside so that the sustainable future of the game can be created which for now, is the only thing that matters.
The only thing that matters.
General Manager - Alice Noble Ice Arena | Passionate about changing the world through Sports
5moCongratulations, this looks amazing! I need to get down there!