Walker Cup: Lytham St Annes

[BHoover]

I just checked on the broadcast schedule for the Walker Cup this weekend. Turns out that Fox, the "official U.S. television partner "of the USGA, has exactly ZERO coverage of the event. The only TV coverage here in the U.S. is a freaking 2-hour highlight show on Sunday on ESPN2. There is some online coverage on ESPN3, but that is always tough to access. So ZERO television coverage in the U.S. What a joke.

Thanks, USGA. Way to "grow the game" (to borrow their catchphrase).

I guess this is the fresh, out side of the box thinking that Fox brings to the USGA broadcasting table.

Less is more?

[Mark Pritchett]

I guess they took outside of the box literally, as in outside of the television box. 

[Pete Lavallee]

That's unforgivable that there will be no regularly scheduled broadcast in the States. Fortunately I'm in England right now so I should be able to catch the some of the action. For those of you that are over here to watch in person I highly recommend playing St Annes Old Links,we played there yesterday and it is extremely hard and fast. Frankly the only course we have played in the last three weeks that had true links conditions. Granted they had the wettest August in history but sadly the boys may be shooting darts at Royal Lytham St Annes this weekend. I suspect this is a function of picking  Network that is deeply invested in football, at least NBC could relie  on the Golf Channel to provide coverage.

[Niall C]

Pete


Apparently down in England they like there courses soft and lush so no doubt the membership of those other courses you played insisted the greenkeeper keep the sprinklers on regardless. Or at least that's the story from From Paul Gray and Thomas Dai on another thread 


Niall

[Josh Tarble]

I just checked on the broadcast schedule for the Walker Cup this weekend. Turns out that Fox, the "official U.S. television partner "of the USGA, has exactly ZERO coverage of the event. The only TV coverage here in the U.S. is a freaking 2-hour highlight show on Sunday on ESPN2. There is some online coverage on ESPN3, but that is always tough to access. So ZERO television coverage in the U.S. What a joke.

Thanks, USGA. Way to "grow the game" (to borrow their catchphrase).

Well, you know there's so much other golf on I bet the were not wanting to compete....oh only the women's Evian Championship, no PGA Tour.

[Mark Pritchett]

I heard that when WC is in GBI the R&A control the TV rights, which might explain why Fox is not involved. 

[BHoover]

I heard that when WC is in GBI the R&A control the TV rights, which might explain why Fox is not involved.

That's fair, but then ESPN could at least throw us a bone and show something??? They have about 25 channels. The BBC is covering the event in the UK, but unfortunately BBC America is not part of that.

As Josh pointed out, it's not like there is much other golf to compete with for air time this weekend.

[Thomas Dai]

Pete
Apparently down in England they like there courses soft and lush so no doubt the membership of those other courses you played insisted the greenkeeper keep the sprinklers on regardless. Or at least that's the story from From Paul Gray and Thomas Dai on another thread 
Niall

Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle

The BBC are showing both days of the Walker Cup. Can you access the BBC via the web?

Atb

[Mark Pritchett]

I heard that when WC is in GBI the R&A control the TV rights, which might explain why Fox is not involved.

That's fair, but then ESPN could at least throw us a bone and show something??? They have about 25 channels. The BBC is covering the event in the UK, but unfortunately BBC America is not part of that.

As Josh pointed out, it's not like there is much other golf to compete with for air time this weekend.

Agreed, just noting that our quibbles are not with Fox here. 

[David_Tepper]

The reality is the viewing audience for the Walker Cup in the U.S. is less than minuscule.

[Michael Whitaker]

The matches are broadcast on ESPN 3 all day Saturday and on ESPN 2 & 3 all day Sunday... cia cable and Internet. Can't ask for much more than that for such a low demand event.

[Mark Pritchett]

I guess the Ocho is showing the Dodgeball tourney. 

[Thomas Dai]

From the BBC TV pictures the course seems pretty green. What do those who are at RL&StA reckon? How's the course playing?
Atb

[MCirba]

I'm playing there later in October.   I'm hoping for some dry conditions between now and then to mitigate the general green, soft conditions it seems most of northern England and Scotland have been experiencing this year.

What are conditions like on the ground these days?  Thanks for any info.

[David_Tepper]

"What are conditions like on the ground these days?  Thanks for any info."

MCirba -

I don't know how far north you will be visiting. I am leaving Dornoch tomorrow after 3 weeks here. This is my 12th year of visiting and it is the softest and greenest I can ever remember it being. There are pitch marks in the fairways and on the aprons of the greens. The rough is very lush and very deep.

DT

P.S. GB&I leads 7-5 after Day 1:

http://www.usga.org/championships/2015/walker-cup/scoring.html

[Pete Lavallee]

From the BBC TV pictures the course seems pretty green. What do those who are at RL&StA reckon? How's the course playing?
Atb

Thomas,

Played two rounds there exactly two weeks ago. After the wettest August in history the course is extremely green. We had overnight rain both days and a few showers during the day. There was some runout but the course was definitely not running fast. Greens were very good and quick for a windy links course. It has been much dryer in Lancashire the past two weeks so possibly things are more links like. I would suspect these conditions definitely favor the U.S. aside.

[Mark Chaplin]

Why would conditions favour the U.S. team? Lytham holds a major amateur event early in the season when the course tends to be soft.

[Pete Lavallee]

Why would conditions favour the U.S. team? Lytham holds a major amateur event early in the season when the course tends to be soft.

Mark,

Well technically it is still summer. We played the three Royals here in Lancashire and none were very fast. We did however play St Annes Old Links and that was as firm as a U.S. parking lot! Granted all these courses will accept a well stuck short iron directly to the green, but for true links conditions there should be at least some doubt whether a long iron will hold. Fairway runout is critical too as at RLSA the problem is running into somewhere you don't want to go! Very hard to go round that course without encountering some very serious pot bunkers.

[David_Tepper]

"Why would conditions favour the U.S. team?"

Mark -
 
While greener & softer conditions might not make the U.S. team the favorites, those conditions certainly make the course play less "links-like" and allow the high-ball hitting U.S. team to compete on a more equal footing.

DT
   

[Jon Wiggett]

"Why would conditions favour the U.S. team?"

Mark -
 
While greener & softer conditions might not make the U.S. team the favorites, those conditions certainly make the course play less "links-like" and allow the high-ball hitting U.S. team to compete on a more equal footing.

DT
 

But only if it is not windy David. Not sure how the weather has been/is but high wind and thick rough do not mix well with high ball flights.

Jon

[David_Tepper]

"But only if it is not windy David. Not sure how the weather has been/is but high wind and thick rough do not mix well with high ball flights."

Jon -

Understood. Based on what is on the telly right now (the Sunday morning 4-somes), the greens look very receptive, with balls checking after 1 or 2 bounces, and the wind is nominal.

The GB&I boys look well in command!

DT

[Tim_Cronin]

ESPN2 has a two-hour highlight package Sunday (9/13) from 3-5 p.m. ET. That's noon-2 p.m. PT.

[JReese]

I just checked on the broadcast schedule for the Walker Cup this weekend. Turns out that Fox, the "official U.S. television partner "of the USGA, has exactly ZERO coverage of the event. The only TV coverage here in the U.S. is a freaking 2-hour highlight show on Sunday on ESPN2. There is some online coverage on ESPN3, but that is always tough to access. So ZERO television coverage in the U.S. What a joke.

Thanks, USGA. Way to "grow the game" (to borrow their catchphrase).

The silver lining is that ESPN3 has been using the BBC's coverage.  I hope FOX continues not to cover events such as this. 

[JJShanley]

Without descending into Golf Clothes Atlas, I will say that while GB&I won the match, the USGA actually put some thought into their uniforms.  No stock adidas shirts with the lion tacked on as an afterthought.


That said, I do like the GB&I Lion.  Can anyone tell me about its origin?

[BHoover]

I just checked on the broadcast schedule for the Walker Cup this weekend. Turns out that Fox, the "official U.S. television partner "of the USGA, has exactly ZERO coverage of the event. The only TV coverage here in the U.S. is a freaking 2-hour highlight show on Sunday on ESPN2. There is some online coverage on ESPN3, but that is always tough to access. So ZERO television coverage in the U.S. What a joke.

Thanks, USGA. Way to "grow the game" (to borrow their catchphrase).

The silver lining is that ESPN3 has been using the BBC's coverage.  I hope FOX continues not to cover events such as this. 

I wasn't able to watch. If it's not on TV, it's harder to watch. That may be old fashioned and outdated, but internet coverage is not as convenient as regular television coverage.