Netflix Doc - Reviews?

[Wayne_Kozun]

Keopka’s wife is a Paulina Gretzky wannabe. Who are the golf writers they keep showing? Never heard of any of them.

I think she may have more acting credits than Paulina - after all, she did star in Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader!

[David Cronan]

Keopka’s wife is a Paulina Gretzky wannabe. Who are the golf writers they keep showing? Never heard of any of them.

I think she may have more acting credits than Paulina - after all, she did star in Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader!

To be fair, it's my understanding that she beat out Meryl Streep, Sissy Spacek, Judy Dench and Helen Mirren to secure the lead role in this under appreciated cinematic masterpiece.

[Tim Martin]

I’ve watched two episodes.  The visuals are very good, the forced moments of supposedly candid conversations are cringe worthy.  Like when out of the blue Jordan calls JT to discuss his best man speech when both are being filmed, ugh.


I’ll watch all eight episodes and cancel my Netflix, nothing on there I can’t live without and so many let downs.
This confirms it, give me a split of HBO Max 11 months Netflix 1 month.

Hi Mike,

Before you quit Netflix, I recommend the new Bill Russell documentary.  Opinions will differ, but I consider Bill Russell to be the greatest American sportsman of my lifetime.

John-I agree on the Bill Russell documentary. It’s about way more than basketball and the civil rights component is incredibly eye opening. I was always a Russell fan but way more so after watching.

[John Kirk]

Hi Tim,

I am learning some new things, too.  I am making the recommendation having watched the first two hours, and have another hour left to watch.

Just a couple of observations:

Since the documentary takes its time telling the story, you get a better feel for the amazing streak of championships (11 in 13 years).  Each year has its own challenges, and yet there they were at the end of the season, winning all of the close game 7s.  You've probably heard the statistic that he was 21-0 participating in elimination games in his college, Olympic and pro career.

Everything about him is so admirable.  It's so humbling and so instructive.  His incredible sense of dignity and purpose, and that keen sense of humor when the time is right.  What a great teammate and leader.


I was just a few years old when my Dad first mentioned the Celtics and how their great defensive center was the key to their success.  So I have sentimental reasons why Russell may seem so important to me.  Things your Dad tells you when you're young take on great meaning as you get old.  It hit me like a ton of bricks when Russell passed away.  It's hard to explain why.

Sorry for detouring away from the golf documentary.

[MKrohn]

I have no idea what the basketball guy is talking about, back to the documentary.


I have hung in because I'm a golf tragic but it's almost like Captain Saccharine Nantz is writing the script. It's beyond woeful and makes the "insights" from the Michael Jordan puff piece look like revelations.

[Jim_Coleman]

   The only thing I didn’t know is what a good guy Joel Dahman is. I guess I should have had a clue, as Max Homa has been saying it to whomever would listen. And Max is cool too.

[Greg Hohman]

Enjoyable OT thread, thanks, guys.

[Rob Marshall]

I'm on the Joel  Dahman episode. Good guy for sure but is it worth an episode? Ian Poulter comes off as kind of jerk. I'm going to finish it but it's certainly not great. Too slow.

[Jeff Schley]

Also something I noticed throughout is what about the no hats in the clubhouse rule??? Seems almost everybody in the clubhouse is wearing their hats.

[Kalen Braley]

I'm on the Joel  Dahman episode. Good guy for sure but is it worth an episode? Ian Poulter comes off as kind of jerk. I'm going to finish it but it's certainly not great. Too slow.

Rob,

Completely agreed on both counts.

P.S. I watched the Tony Finau episode last night and that is the clear winner in my book.  He's overcome a ton to get where he is and come out on the other side not only an elite player, but a gem of a person to boot.

[Wayne_Kozun]

I'm on the Joel  Dahman episode. Good guy for sure but is it worth an episode? Ian Poulter comes off as kind of jerk. I'm going to finish it but it's certainly not great. Too slow.

The Dahmen episode was my favourite but I found it too superficial.  They barely mentioned his own battle with cancer - they could have spent more time on that and how he had to grind his way onto the tour. He had to play the PGA Tour Canada for five years before he won the order of merit and got elevated.

I would rather see that then JT and JS gambling on a PJ.

[Mike_Trenham]

I'm on the Joel  Dahman episode. Good guy for sure but is it worth an episode? Ian Poulter comes off as kind of jerk. I'm going to finish it but it's certainly not great. Too slow.

Rob,

Completely agreed on both counts.

P.S. I watched the Tony Finau episode last night and that is the clear winner in my book.  He's overcome a ton to get where he is and come out on the other side not only an elite player, but a gem of a person to boot.

The dented garage door at Mr. Finau’s home was the best moment of the show for me yet.  Finau, Fitzpatrick and Dahmen and the boys from Chile were the biggest winners.  Good job by the producers to select a couple of lesser known guys that had real runs at winning a major.

[Bruce Katona]

I just finished watching the last of the episodes last night.


I enjoyed them all; but now have a far greater appreciation for Tony Finau, Mito Periera, Sahith Theegala & Joel Dahmen.


I did enjoy the final installment where Rory got some air time.  He is one of the guys who has the ability to handle the torch when Tiger is done......and in addition to his golfing skills appears to be (or has been coached to be) really genuine on camera ("F*ck you Phil" - a great line).

[Stewart Abramson]

This group is a tough audience.

As evidenced by the inclusion of definitions of par, birdie and bogey and many explanations of how a PGA Tour event works, how US Open qualifying works, etc., it's a show aimed primarily at casual golf fans and non golf fans (which make up a much bigger audience than GCA geeks). The series is basically a bunch of human interest stories about pro golfers well known and not well known, together with a chronicle of the year on tour. I think they did a good job based on the intended audience and platform (It's not the Golf Channel). It may not be compelling TV, but it held my interest  and made me feel good about several players, their wives and families (Dahmen, Finau, Fitz, Scheffler, Homa et al) and made others seem less likeable (e.g. Brooks). I guess that's less appealing here than a 7 page, 150+ post re-run thread about whether angles "don't matter" or if they ""just matter a little".

[Jason Topp]

Also something I noticed throughout is what about the no hats in the clubhouse rule? ?? Seems almost everybody in the clubhouse is wearing their hats.

I had the same reaction.  I do not particularly care whether people wear hats in a clubhouse but enough people care that I follow the convention unless I am certain it does not apply. I believe they were wearing hats into the Augusta National Clubhouse. I would not think sponsorship interests would trump clubhouse rules there.

[mike_malone]

Golfers are boring was my thought at the end. But it filled the time.

[Thomas Dai]

A wasted opportunity to watch pain dry.
Atb

[Kalen Braley]

A wasted opportunity to watch pain dry.
Atb

Nice unintended pun (i presume).  Some of it was indeed painful to watch... 

[Sean_A]

Golfers are boring was my thought at the end. But it filled the time.

Did you expect more?

Ciao

[Ian Mackenzie]

I watched Episode I last week - thought it was boring.
Watched Epidode 2 last night and turned it off after 17 minutes.


Brooks Koepka is as engaging and interesting as a house plant.


Will endeavor to move through the series to find at least some reason to finish the next episodes....maybe skimming until a storyline actually emerges.


My wife keeps chirping, "The tennis show is SO much better than this."

[PCCraig]

I'm through about 6 episodes.


Generally speaking I've enjoyed the series. The Fitzpatrick / DJ episode was very well done and as I watched the footage of a bunch of drunk Boston morons yelling insults at Fitzpatrick, I found myself really rooting for him even though I already know he won. DJ's ability to make his own personal decisions without a care of what anyone else outside of his family thinks is impressive.


The footage of tournament play and the corresponding host sites are really high quality (film quality, 4K?) and really adds to the narrative.

[Mike Bodo]

I like Tony Finau the person and golfer, but man did they spend an inordinate amount of camera time showing him interacting with his family - both on and off the course. Don't get me wrong, he's got a beautiful family, but it was a bit over the top. I dind't find those segements to be all that entertaining and I feel Morikawa got short end of the stick story and appearance-wise in that episode. I'm sure the producers felt Collin's story wasn't as interesting as Tony's, which is why his was more that episodes focus. 


My favorite installment thus far was the Brooks and Scotty episode for the reasons David mentioned previously. It was an interesting dichotomy of a fallen king to an ascendent one and a great comparison and contrast of lifestyles, i.e. Scottie and his wife's more humble existence to Brook and Jenna's lavish "look how cool we are" pretentiousness.

[Rob Marshall]

I like Tony Finau the person and golfer, but man did they spend an inordinate amount of camera time showing him interacting with his family - both on and off the course. Don't get me wrong, he's got a beautiful family, but it was a bit over the top. I dind't find those segements to be all that entertaining and I feel Morikawa got short end of the stick story and appearance-wise in that episode. I'm sure the producers felt Collin's story wasn't as interesting as Tony's, which is why his was more that episodes focus. 


My favorite installment thus far was the Brooks and Scotty episode for the reasons David mentioned previously. It was an interesting dichotomy of a fallen king to an ascendent one and a great comparison and contrast of lifestyles, i.e. Scottie and his wife's more humble existence to Brook and Jenna's lavish "look how cool we are" pretentiousness.

I laughed out loud when they showed Jenna and her face looked sweaty and oily. I have to imagine that she flipped when she saw that.....Pretentiousness is being polite.

[Wayne_Kozun]

I laughed out loud when they showed Jenna and her face looked sweaty and oily. I have to imagine that she flipped when she saw that.....Pretentiousness is being polite.

Beware, they now have to face the wrath of the 50 foot cheerleader:

[Kalen Braley]

I like Tony Finau the person and golfer, but man did they spend an inordinate amount of camera time showing him interacting with his family - both on and off the course. Don't get me wrong, he's got a beautiful family, but it was a bit over the top. I dind't find those segements to be all that entertaining and I feel Morikawa got short end of the stick story and appearance-wise in that episode. I'm sure the producers felt Collin's story wasn't as interesting as Tony's, which is why his was more that episodes focus. 

Mike,

You make some good points, but they may have done Colin a favor with limited coverage because he came off the worst of anyone else in the series (I already knew Brooks, Jordan, Ian, etc  were pretentious asses) 

In one bit, he sat there niggling every minute detail of his on course attire with an entire team of fashionistas looking on with trepidation.  Is that really how he prefers to spend his time?