What programming do you wish the golf channel had?

[Scott_Burroughs]

I vomit every time I see him swing a club.  (Adam, that is, not John).

Yes, his swing is not a thing of beauty.  Probably not too many other 28-handicappers in the golf media.

his bio says he is a 22!  how dare you, sir!

yes, but GHIN says otherwise....

[Kyle Harris]

If anything, more Euro Tour action. Need to keep up on Roger Wessels and gang.

Their courses are much more diverse and interesting. And if you don't pay attention to what he is saying, Renton Laidlaw is very calming to listen to.

It'd be neat to have a serious golf course architecture profiling show that is more than just an overblown advertisement for the course (or whole resort).

Frankly, I think that's something that Geoff Shackelford would be really good at, especially after seeing him get interviewed during the PGA Tour stop at Riviera.

[astavrides]

And if you don't pay attention to what he is saying, Renton Laidlaw is very calming to listen to.

well said, here are a few of his gems, courtesy of anyonefortee.com:

This is the 12th, the green is like a plateau with the top shaved off.

Pinero has missed the putt, I wonder what he's thinking in Spanish.

He certainly didn't appear as cool as he looked.

Paul Azinger is wearing an all black outfit: black jumper, blue trousers, white shoes and a pink tea-cosy hat.

So he goes from 3 under to 3 over, all in one foul sweep.

[John_Cullum]

This is the 12th, the green is like a plateau with the top shaved off.

Pinero has missed the putt, I wonder what he's thinking in Spanish.

He certainly didn't appear as cool as he looked.

Paul Azinger is wearing an all black outfit: black jumper, blue trousers, white shoes and a pink tea-cosy hat.

So he goes from 3 under to 3 over, all in one foul sweep.

How can you not love that.

Give me this over Lanny any day of the week.

[Doug Sobieski]

John Cullum:

Since Adam Barr is not married to either of Arnold Palmer's daughters, what does the "Arnold Palmer's son-in-law" comment actually refer to? I must be missing something.  

Thanks,

Doug

[Jim Thompson]

The Larry Aylward show would be pretty good.  Forget the format, just tell Larry to do the show and it would be great.

Cheers!

JT

[Scott_Burroughs]

John Cullum:

Since Adam Barr is not married to either of Arnold Palmer's daughters, what does the "Arnold Palmer's son-in-law" comment actually refer to? I must be missing something.  

Thanks,

Doug

hmmm...interesting that at least 3 of us separately heard this info, yet a little research shows that that's not the case.  youngest daughter Amy is married to Roy Saunders and they live in the same town as Adam, unless there was an earlier marriage or something.  Maybe he's a nephew-in-law or a relative of his dughters' husbands.  

[John_Cullum]

John Cullum:

Since Adam Barr is not married to either of Arnold Palmer's daughters, what does the "Arnold Palmer's son-in-law" comment actually refer to? I must be missing something.  

Thanks,

Doug

Doud and Scott

I actually never knew this to be a fact. But I always accepted it as the only possible reason he could be there, and I still do. Either you or Arnold is mistaken.

[Doug Sobieski]

Scott:

AP's other daughter Peggy is married to Peter Wears in Raleigh. I've known a lot of the Palmer family for quite a while, and I can't figure out where Adam Barr would fit into the picture. I just spoke to Mr. Palmer's secretary in Orlando to try to confirm or refute, and she's never heard of a connection between Adam Barr and Mr. Palmer. Could it be an urban legend of some sort, to somehow undermine someone's credentials?

Regards,

Doug

[JESII]

I thought Jennifer mills got him the job after he showed her his SCHWING! No?

[Scott_Burroughs]

Scott:

AP's other daughter Peggy is married to Peter Wears in Raleigh.

I knew she was in my area - also seemed "old" for him.

Could it be an urban legend of some sort, to somehow undermine someone's credentials?

Seems like it.  Funny how these things come to be thought of as true.  

[Jason Topp]

1.  A Hickory Club tournament

2.   A "Mythbuster" show that puts commonly held truisms in golf to controlled testing.  Examples:

 - when you can't reach the green on a par five or short par four, do you score better laying up to a comfortable yardage or getting as close as possible to the green?

-  Is it better to leave the flag in or out from the fringe?

-  Have two groups of golfers matched for ability.  Have one group work solely on their short games for a month.  Have the other group work on their full swings.  Hold a Ryder Cup style event and see who wins.

- Test the one club for every ten miles per hour general rule.  I think the impact of the wind increases geometrically and is greater than that.

3.  Have a good tour pro play 18 holes with 3 amateurs (scratch, 10 hdc, 20 hdc) on a 6500 yard course and see what the difference in scores is.  Do the same thing on a 7300 yard course.

4.  Do a course management show in which stroke play tournament scores of club players are followed, new strategies are suggested (without swing changes) and then compare results in a second tournament.

5.  A gambling show.  Instead of the Big Break, have participants put up their own money, negotiate a game and see what happens.  Winner goes on to the next show.  Demonstrate a number of different types of bets.  Show how certain bets can multiply and become expensive if one does not know what he is getting into.  Identify and explain common bet proposals that look better than they are  (I have heard that the score for best one ball out of three is only slightly better than best one ball out of two).

6.  Examine the mental stress and burnout many golfers experience as they try and climb to the next level but do not make it.

[Greg Beaulieu]

I actually like TGC for the most part and watch a lot (maybe too much) of it. Playing Lessons From the Pros is always entertaining and is about the best thing they do currently. I could do without the endless Big Break reruns when that is underway and a lot of the instruction shows I just skip, just like I do the instruction articles in the magazines. Golf Academy/Academy Live I seldom watch unless there is something out of the ordinary being demonstrated.

I doubt you are going to get much hard-hitting stuff about equipment tests or course evaluations because they are dependant upon advertising. That's why What's In The Bag disappoints me; it could be so much better if they were a bit more judgemental about good vs. bad golf gear.

I'm among the group who thinks they declined following the departure of Peter Kessler and they have not yet come all the way back. Viewer's Forum and Golf Talk Live a la Kessler were both fun shows and are sorely missed. I especially liked the way he used to call upon golf writers from all over: Rosaforte, Hawkins, Mizell, etc. You never see those folks any more. And his GTL on Monday nights was a staple for me.

One of the things I would like to see are replays of more of the old tournaments, not just the majors. I'm talking about the actual network broadcasts, not the official films. I see some of that on ESPN Classic and a bit on TGC with their PGA Tour Classic series, but there is so much more that must be in an archive somewhere. To hear Henry Longhurst again, or Pat Summerall.  

I also think they should find a way to give Renton Laidlaw his own weekly show. I find him hugely entertaining. I also may be among the few who liked Peter Jacobsen's "Plugged In".

Lots more, but that''s all for now.

[Dan Herrmann]

Easy - a program on the design, construction, and build-in of a golf course with one of our favorite architects.  (in other words, not Rees Jones).

Or a hole-by-hole walking tour of, say, Bandon Trails with Bill Coore.

Or a week in the life of a Torrey Pines or Bethpage starter.  

Or a visit to famous golf venues.  Focus on a club (say, Oak Hill), and discuss the golf, the recreational opportunities (bowling and tennis, in Oak Hill's case), and the history.  

Things to get rid of?
1.  The music.  Bring back "Loves Theme".
2.  The graphics - they're minor league.
3.  Some of the announcers - the folks on The Weather Channel have more personality.  
4.  Infomercials for snake oil remedies like 'the balance bracelet'.