Watching Golf Is Not As Much Fun Anymore

/ The Grateful Golfer

For years I enjoyed watching golf on TV. It was interesting to see the now legends slug it out on each hole. Now, I find that watching golf is not always the most fun use of my time. Partly because of the split at the elite levels (which I do not want to discuss) and partly because the coverage does not seem to hold my attention. It am not sure if it is just me or has the direction of professional golf (for sure on the Men’s side) has pushed me to spend my valuable time in different areas.

When I watch the regular tournaments, I find the coverage sub-par to in the past. This could definitely be a perception thing – perception is reality – because the feel of watching the young players is that golf has become more of a business. The passion to win by players like Jack, Arnie, Tiger, Phil, Tom, Ray, etc does not appear to be at the forefront of the new players. Of course I could be dead wrong and if you asked today’s players I am confident they would all say they want to win, yet I seem to be left wanting.

Make no mistake that golf is a business first. It is designed, operated, and managed to make money. Unfortunately, when the money making aspect of professional golf overshadows the competition I become turned off by the whole ordeal. Now, the Majors and the Ryder Cup still have that old time feel to me and I enjoy watching these events. The rest of the tournaments…..not so much.

There are many viewers who would say I am dead wrong and watching golf on TV is exciting. After reading several articles, the viewership of golf on TV has dropped approximately 20% in 2024. And the 20% appears to go higher if you remove the Majors from the mix. It seems that I am not the only one feeling that golf on TV has lost its shine. This is not to say that I will not turn the events on from time to time to see what is happening, but I do not schedule my time to ensure I cash in on the action.

To be clear, I still love playing golf. I organize tournaments for my local club and help juniors improve their game. Hickory sticks have opened a new path for which I can play. Hitting the links and trying to conquer the course still appeals to me on many levels. Watching golf (out side the Majors and Ryder Cup) do not hold the same thrill as in the past. Well, we all evolve and in my case, I feel that I can better spend my time doing other hobbies than watching golf on TV.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

11 thoughts on “Watching Golf Is Not As Much Fun Anymore”

  3. Interesting post and I find myself in agreement. Other than the factors you mention, what makes me less interested in watching most tournaments is that the ever improving athleticism of the players and the relentless advance of equipment technology has rendered courses defenceless, making for events that are bomb and gouge birdie fests. Which is ultimately pretty one-dimensional and not that interesting to watch!

    Rob

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  5. PGA/LIV split has definitely had an effect. Having a few premier players participating in the secondary/smaller PGA events is what kept them interesting. With fewer premier players available due to LIV, it has deteriorated interest in those smaller events.

    I watch LIV, but I’m the only one of my golf buddies who does. LIV golf coverage is not easy to access. In Canada, you need to have a subscription to Crave which gives you access to the two CW channels (which are American networks out of NY and LA). There are only three rounds to a LIV tournament. The second and third (final) rounds are on the CW channels. But if the event is overseas, the coverage is not live. First round coverage is only available on the LIV app (for an additional fee). So I never watch the first round. Second and third rounds used to be broadcast on CHCH out of Hamilton. But they dropped LIV golf this past season. All these things make it hard for golf fans to get engaged with LIV. You’d think they’d use that oil money and make it cheap and easy for fans so that people would buy in to LIV. Even the LIV merchandise is expensive. $150 plus for a golf shirt from their online store.

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    • I have to say that I have never watched a LIV event. It does not interest me because of exactly what you mentioned. The difficulty to receive coverage is definitely a detractor for me. Additionally, the split at the higher ranks of golf does not help the lower tours or professional events, so it is a watered down product for all the top tours.

      Cheers Jim

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