Fill er up !

[Tom_Doak]

Pat:

Having discussed the subject of "doing the King's bidding" with you on a number of occasions, I am sure you see the fallacy in your suggestion.

The newer editions of Shell's Wonderful World of Golf were produced by Terry Jastrow, formerly with ABC and then with Jack Nicklaus Productions.  To make the show pay for itself, they mostly went to courses which would pay for the exposure.  I am sure that Julian Robertson paid to get them to Kauri Cliffs, and that Peter de Savary paid to get them to Carnegie Abbey.  The Sunningdale match was probably a one-off to get Faldo and Norman to agree to play.

This is nothing new in televised golf.  The host course pays a pretty penny to be the host of The Skins Game or The Battle at Bighorn.  That could have been The Battle at Bandon Dunes, if Mike Keiser had wanted to guarantee them $4 million to host it for three years ... but he's not selling real estate, so he rightly refused.

There are a couple of cable shows which highlight golf architecture.  One of them was mentioned here the other night when Geoff Shackelford was on it ... Colin Sheehan, who is at THE GOLFER Magazine, is involved with that one and has something to do with site selection.  But like golf magazines, golf travel shows tend to feature courses their viewers can get on; so Pacific Dunes or even Royal County Down might be there someday, but The National Golf Links of America probably won't be.

[TEPaul]

"TEPaul,

Are you interested?"

Pat:

Playing a match against you next June at NGLA?

I am not interested in that. But I'll tell you what---you and Terry McBride play each other and I'll do the color commentary. That would be good tape, particularly if we could put audio on the two of you.

[David_Tepper]

James Bennett -

I believe B. Crenshaw has completed 2 seasons on the Champions Tour. For the most part, he has not been especially competitive. He probably has had a few Top 10 finishes, but I am pretty sure he has not been in the top 30 on the money list either year.

Crenshaw was never much of a grinder and the Champions Tour has very much become a grinders tour. The guys who do well play a lot and are very steady (Trevino, Irwin, Quigley, etc.). That was never Crenshaw's style. The good news is he has better things to do with his time!

DT  

[James Bennett]

David Tepper

I concur.  I was just trying to see when we might/could get a pairing such as Crenshaw/Clayton on a classic course at a Senior's event (probably in Europe).  That would provide something worth watching on the Senior's Tours.

Just day dreaming.

James B

[Patrick_Mucci]

Shivas,

Likewise, it's against the law to fill your tank in NJ as well.

TEPaul,

If you really want great audio, let's make it a foursome and include Terry's brothers, Mike and Mark.

Tom Doak,

I didn't think of that.
It makes perfect sense.

[David_Tepper]

James Bennett -

I don't know if Crenshaw and Clayton are big fans of Muirfield, but the British Senior Open will be there in 2007. Maybe they will get to play together then. Keep your fingers crossed.

DT

[Peter Pallotta]

Patrick,

don't give up on Mucci's Wonderful World of Golf just yet.

There's got to be a business/production model that'd work.  

The technology DOES allow for a broadcast quality material to be produced cheaply (if no one is being PAID, that is).

The broadcasters tend to be unimaginative, in every way (the cable people too); but I think even THEY would take notice if you showed up with a completed 13 part series of half hour shows and ask only for their standard licensing fees.

A tie-in with an existing book might help, referenced in the show's title, e.g. "Grounds for Golf - America's Greatest Architecture".  

But maybe a classic-sounding title works just as well: "Patrick Mucci: The American Golfer".

I'm going to think about this some more.

Peter        

[Doug Siebert]

Hey, video cameras are cheap, and professional quality video editing can be done on a Mac.  I'm sure plenty of GCAers own the proper equipment.  Plus there are connections here to all the clubs being discussed, good enough connections to probably get permission to stage a little GCA event like this.  So we have a little match between a couple guys (Mucci or whoever) someone films it and TEPaul or whoever does commentary or dubs in narration after the fact -- maybe walks the course for the GCA version of the Johnny Miller hole descriptions that go along with the blimp flyover.  Put it up for download somewhere and us architecture junkies who lack access can see places like NGLA.  Hell, for the chance to walk the place I might just fly in to join the gallery, or help out by carrying TEPaul's lunch.

Its unnecessary to try to sell this to a profit motivated risk averse corporation when the tools exist for people who have dedication and a little time to do a job almost as good (and probably better for what we'd want to see in it)  And as a bonus, it would be like the recent Masters without commercial interruption!

[Patrick_Mucci]

Doug,

I wasn't thinking of this in terms of a "for profit" project.

Rather, it would be a labor of love.

The critical issue is the club's approval.

Perhaps Hidden Creek might be a good place to start.