Golf spectators

[Neller]

Hi all!

 

I'm in the process of writing my Master Thesis about golf spectators. Because of this, I just want to ask you a couple of questions :)

• Have you ever been to a professional golf tournament as a spectator?
  
• If yes, why did you decide to go?
  
• What appeal to you about watching golf live at a tournament?
  

I hope you will take just a couple of minutes and answer my questions. Any answers will be appreciated :)

 

Thank you!

 

Niles

[MarkFromTheUK]

1. Yes I have. 4 Open Championships, the last being the 2012 Open at Royal Lytham & St. Anne's.
2. Three of them were on my local course, and I bought tickets and accommodation for the 2012 Open in a charity auction.
3. The biggest appeals to me are the atmosphere, and watching the very best in the world hit off the tee. I watched them hit off the 500y par 4 6th for hours! When you see them play in person you get a much better sense of how rhythmical their swings are... there is no "hit" at all.

That said... I much prefer to watch it on TV, but going to a major is something everyone should try to do, especially if it is being played on your doorstep.

[Joey76]

Only ever been to tournaments in Australia....


I went for the pleasure of wawtching the highest level of golfers there is...My dad and I still talk about snedekers bunker shot at the first..... we followed him round all day and it was spectacular to watch... great guy too..

I also went to see courses that unless you have 55K per year and want to wait 14 year and need to get invited to I wouyld never have the chance to see.... and they are some beautiful courses.....lucky guys who play there.


I also found watching these guys made the game look easy....Their drives were beautiful. there short game was exceptional and naturally their putting was on another level.. but it never looked like they were forcing it or even trying.... it just seemed to happen...

[twoody40]

[quote name='Neller' timestamp='1368086315' post='6997528']
Hi all!

I'm in the process of writing my Master Thesis about golf spectators. Because of this, I just want to ask you a couple of questions [list]
[*]Have you ever been to a professional golf tournament as a spectator?
[*]If yes, why did you decide to go?
[*]What appeal to you about watching golf live at a tournament?
[/list]
I hope you will take just a couple of minutes and answer my questions. Any answers will be appreciated

Thank you!

Niles
[/quote]

Been to Masters and Tour Championship several times. I get invited by friends and always accept. I like following favorite players and enjoy watching the very best ply their trade. When watching live, you get a better sense of just how long and accurate these guys are.

[DLiver]

[list]
[*]Have you ever been to a professional golf tournament as a spectator?
[/list]
I've been to a dozen or two tour events[list]
[*]If yes, why did you decide to go?
[/list]
As an avid golfer, I wanted to see how the best players in the world played the game[list]
[*]What appeal to you about watching golf live at a tournament?
[/list]
See answer #2. I also wanted to watch pros play on courses I had played on, and observe their play without the filter of television

[Husky in GA]

Yes. I've been to two PGA Championships, the Tour Championship, and a WGC event.

I chose to go these particular events because they were close to where I lived/live, and always draw world-class fields.

The appeal of seeing tournaments live is that you are watching the best in the world up close. I feel like I will always be able to learn more by seeing them in-person than I can watching on TV.

[Pepperturbo]

[quote name='Neller' timestamp='1368086315' post='6997528']
Hi all!

I'm in the process of writing my Master Thesis about golf spectators. Because of this, I just want to ask you a couple of questions [list]
[*]Have you ever been to a professional golf tournament as a spectator?
[*]If yes, why did you decide to go?
[*]What appeal to you about watching golf live at a tournament?
[/list]
I hope you will take just a couple of minutes and answer my questions. Any answers will be appreciated

Thank you!

Niles
[/quote]

Yes, a number of times, once as gallery spectator, others associated with sponsorship. What appealed to me, after the first time in the gallery, NOT much. I never bought into the idea being in a gallery was going to make me feel as though I was apart of what was happening inside the ropes. I want to be inside the roles at golf tournaments, and in the pit at car races.

I am curious though; what course are you majoring in, where tournament spectator motivation has thesis merit?

[Neller]

First of all, thank you all for your replies!



[quote name='Pepperturbo' timestamp='1368116203' post='6999648']
I am curious though; what course are you majoring in, where tournament spectator motivation has thesis merit?
[/quote]

I major in Culture & Communication in Denmark, and the thesis is written under the topic of consumer behaviour

[Trugravity]

Hi all!


*Have you ever been to a professional golf tournament as a spectator?
Several, including 3 U.S. Opens.

*If yes, why did you decide to go?
To see world class players, to see venues I'd otherwise not have access to, to observe player's technique-especially at the range.

*What appeal to you about watching golf live at a tournament?
The energy of a major championship or Ryder Cup is palpable...tv cannot reproduce the buzz! And, for a normal tour event, observing players working on their games, drills, etc.

[CowtownTexas]

1. I've attended 3 different PGA Tour stops and 1 US Open. Also have volunteered at our local PGA stop for almost 30 years.
2. I like golf. Even during our local event, I try to get and spend a little time out in the crowd watching golf.
3. Kind of the same answer as #2.

Another aspect that needs to be considered: Networking.

Sponsors are a huge part of the Tour. I'm not talking just title sponsors, but also all the secondary sponsors. Hospitality tents, giving tickets to clients, hanging out in the "social" area of the facility (usually a different name at each venue), are all places where a great deal of business is done, with little of it having to do with golf.

I've never made a dime off the PGA tour directly. But I make money indirectly every single year based on the people I see at different events.

[SterlingArcher]

Interesting thesis!

1) I make it a point to try to attend the Deutsche Bank every year as it is the only tournament near me. I also went to the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot on Sunday.

2) I go because I really like to watch the world's best. Depending on how the pairings are setup I will either follow one of my favorites for a while or camp on a hole and watch several groups move through.

3) I feel like watching golf live you get to see more of the intricacies of the game. Watching Luke Donald's iron play, or Bubba or DJ teeing off and standing 7 feet away is amazing.

[MizzyMan]

1. Yes, the '97 Masters and several Byron Nelson and Colonial tournaments.
2. I wanted to see Augusta in person and the Byron used to have really great parties in the pavilion.
3. Nothing appeals to me about watching live golf. You can't see the action very well, especially if trying to follow someone in a big event; if you stay at the same spot, you just see guy after guy hitting mostly the same shots. IMO, golf is the worst sport to watch live, you can't (usually) see the best players or leaders going head head from start to finish.

[Kaysquare]

I've attended many golf tournaments, both PGA & LPGA. The atmosphere watching the best players in the world simply cannot be captured on TV. I like to walk the entire golf course with a few different groups & you can actually see for yourself (if you're a golfer) just how difficult some of the shots are & how amazing the players are for making it look so easy. I also like being able to hear golfers converse with the fans & other golfers....you find out real fast what kind of personalities they really have, sometimes not at all what you think they might be like.

[lenman73]

[list]
[*]Have you ever been to a professional golf tournament as a spectator?
[*]If yes, why did you decide to go?
[*]What appeal to you about watching golf live at a tournament?
[*]Yes, I ave been to 4 champions tour events and 2 PGA tour events.
[*]Golf is the only sport I play and watch so when an opportunity arose to see it live I jumped at it.
[*]The apeal I suppose is to be able to be close and interact with the social players but also get t see them in person hit the ball effortlessly. I watch tournement golf not only for the entertainment but also the hopes of picking up little tid bits here and there as well.
[*]
[/list]

[Jim Clark]

Been to a bunch of events over many years, usually as a marshal in recent years, AT&T National 2-3 times and the 2011 US Open (hole captain this year for the AT&T National).

Had good hospitality tickets a few years, those are nice.

It's cool/fun to see the guys up close. But, honestly, you get to see a lot more if you watch it on TV.

I'll digress a little and tell you a story. At the 1997 US Open I was right next to a fairway bunker that Ernie Els was hitting out of. It was a fairly long shot uphill to the green. He hit it perfect, I could see it was going to be great and said: "Oh how good is THAT?" He looked over at me and gave me a big smile. Pretty cool moment. He went on to win.

[lenman73]

[quote name='Jim Clark' timestamp='1368368873' post='7016928']
Been to a bunch of events over many years, usually as a marshal in recent years, AT&T National 2-3 times and the 2011 US Open (hole captain this year for the AT&T National).

Had good hospitality tickets a few years, those are nice.

It's cool/fun to see the guys up close. But, honestly, you get to see a lot more if you watch it on TV.

I'll digress a little and tell you a story. At the 1997 US Open I was right next to a fairway bunker that Ernie Els was hitting out of. It was a fairly long shot uphill to the green. He hit it perfect, I could see it was going to be great and said: "Oh how good is THAT?" He looked over at me and gave me a big smile. Pretty cool moment. He went on to win.
[/quote]

WOW. thats a pretty cool story to tell the grandkids about. Lucky dog lol

[Well Played]

1) Yes.

2) To the see courses that I otherwise would be unable to see or play, to see some of the players, and to see the players hit the ball.

3) Seeing the pros hit golf shots, which is so completely different than what I see when I go to play. Also, to experience the intensity and focus that cannot be fully appreciated on TV.