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Golf from your favorite TV chair: As the days get shorter and the nights get longer and we make the move to more indoor activities, I caught wind of a couple of new golf television shows. While attending the recent Fall PGA Expo in Las Vegas I ran into Nicole Licata. She and Suzy da Silva run CCM Marketing in San Luis Obispo, an agency that develops, produces and places direct-response advertising for golf products. CCM buys a lot of television time on The Golf Channel, and Licata’s husband, Mark Jones, is executive producer of Golf Shop Live, the station’s 30-minute version of the Home Shopping Network. But Golf Shop Live features more than merchandise and gear. The show also hawks travel packages, collectibles and the latest in golf fashion. If things go well, taped infomercials could be replaced with more “live” product showcasing. While I was finishing my conversation with Licata, Tony Duran of the Duran Group walked by and told me about a new TV project that he was involved with called Golf Trends. Golf Trends, which began airing on Fox Sports Net in October, combines the elements of a talk show and reality show while conducting product reviews. For example, the program might look at trends in putters by visiting a company to learn about its putting line and then have four golfers try the product on a course and discuss their experiences. Since the people trying out the products are average golfers, the format gives viewers an opportunity to identify with someone of their own skill level in order to make a more informed decision about whether or not the product is right for their game. I’m still waiting for someone to come out with Golf Swing in a Box. Giving thanks- and no thanks: Later this month we’ll all pause to overeat, hang out with relatives and fall asleep watching the Denver at Dallas football game. In reality, we have much to be thankful for. Or not. THANKS for golf commentators like David Feherty and Gary McCord, either of whom would be a fun addition to the weekly golf game. NO THANKS for Lanny Wadkins, whose commentary is as uninteresting as his golf game — when he played. I wonder if this means that Vijay Singh will work in a TV tower someday. THANKS for the Skins Game every Thanksgiving weekend. But if you really want to make this year’s event more interesting, replace Fred Funk with Michelle Wie. NO THANKS for not making these multimillionaires gamble with their own money. THANKS for professionals like Phil Mickelson, Peter Jacobson and Christina Kim, who love what they’re doing, show it emotionally and never forget to make contact with the fans. NO THANKS for sourpusses like Justin Leonard, Craig Stadler and LPGA players whose names I can’t pronounce. THANKS for Donald Trump, who figured out how to save a gorgeous oceanfront golf course. But I’d be even more thankful if The Donald would make Trump National on the Palos Verdes Peninsula affordable one day a week for the average golfer. NO THANKS said the LPGA Tour to another full-field event at Trump National because the recent Office Depot Championship was hindered by access issues for fans and rules officials. However, the hospitality and ocean setting was such a positive experience for the LPGA that a limited-field event or an invitational is being considered for 2006. THANKS for letting me live in a time when I could see both Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in their prime. NO THANKS that neither of them were warm and engaging. THANKS for all the new technology that makes golf easier to teach and more interesting to watch on television. NO THANKS that this technology isn’t helping the sport grow because it’s still the most difficult game to play. THANKS for my 2-year-old son, who loves going to the golf course with me and has already learned not to talk when golfers are swinging and is the cutest thing you ever saw dragging one of my clubs behind him every step of the way. NO THANKS that I never got to play with my father, who died when I was very young. THANKS for the opportunity to make a living being involved with the two sports I love most — baseball and golf. NO THANKS that I never got to be as good as I’d like to have been in either one of them. n Eric Tracy can be reached at eric@themulliganman.com. |
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