Ladies Masters at ANGC

[jeffwarne]

I would watch the woman at Augusta.
The LPGA is its most watchable ever, and it would be interesting to see them tackle Augusta from the member's tees.
It can't happen as The Masters occupies the best weather patch before the rye wants to check out and it would be very difficult to ask the members to give up more of their already short playable season.
it would be quite interesting to see a Woman's Masters played in October before overseeding(which would put them a bit behind overseeding schedule)

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mike: Why is ladies' golf boring to watch? I watched the men almost exclusively until a few years ago, when I started to watch more of the ladies. Now I watch both, and I can honestly say that the ladies consistently produce a more interesting and exciting product.

Women's golf is no more boring to watch then men's golf. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, it's all dreadfully boring to watch. I'm down to watching the back nine of the final round of the majors. I'll also put it on if it's a Saturday afternoon and I want something to take a nap to.
Then you're missing out on the instructional value of how you can improve your game.

But I would tune in to see the LPGA players at Augusta.

Won't happen, but it would be interesting.

[MClutterbuck]

I think the course would also play wider and with more strategic options.

WHY would it play wider with more strategic options ?

Because in certain holes from shorter tees you are not playing out of narrow chutes, so a player that can not easily play a fade or a draw or is not long enough to fade or draw around certain trees can more easily play to certain locations.

There are no narrow chutes from the Members tees.

The only narrow chutes are on holes like 7, 11 and 18, but, only from the very back tees, which at roughly 7,600 are not in the equation for anyone but e longest drivers.

That is exactly what i was saying. Those holes will play wider for the ladies than the men.

[MClutterbuck]

Mike, and so what if their short game is less interesting and the pins are set up easier? We would get to see a course playing close to what members play and to me a very interesting, strategic, and scorable course. In many ways it would showcase a better course still than what we see at the Masters. Less tricked up.

Jeff, i dont think playing before rye is seeded is an option. i have seen the fairways and surrounds in summer and they are not pretty or very playable. They would need extensive work. of course they have the funds to regrass but i wonder if a better surface in summer conflicts with the rye being perfect come October.

anyway, as we all believe, this will probably never happen.

[Keith OHalloran]

Before the Women's open at Sebonack, I heard a lot about how the short games would not stand up to the course and greens. I don't remember much talk after.
I think these professional women are a lot better than we amateur analysts give them credit for.

[Craig Sweet]

Mike Young...."most good SEC men golfers could win every week out there." 

What a silly thing to say! 

Try this..."Most good 12 year olds would lose every week out there."

[Mike_Young]

Mike Young...."most good SEC men golfers could win every week out there." 

What a silly thing to say! 

Try this..."Most good 12 year olds would lose every week out there."

It's not silly at all.   I respect the women golfers as women golfers but people will not pay to watch as they will to watch men's golf. 

[MClutterbuck]

Mike, I bet ANGC would sell thousands of tickets for a second week in April following the men's tournament and it would make for great Sunday TV. Only this is a great time of year for members to play prior to the course closing. Your claim people would not pay as much to see the Ladies as they would men is obvious. But again, my original post was not about economics, it was about getting to see people that play more similar to us on a course similar to what members and their guests play. I feel it is great golf on a fantastic setup.

[jeffwarne]

Mike, and so what if their short game is less interesting and the pins are set up easier? We would get to see a course playing close to what members play and to me a very interesting, strategic, and scorable course. In many ways it would showcase a better course still than what we see at the Masters. Less tricked up.

Jeff, i dont think playing before rye is seeded is an option. i have seen the fairways and surrounds in summer and they are not pretty or very playable. They would need extensive work. of course they have the funds to regrass but i wonder if a better surface in summer conflicts with the rye being perfect come October.

anyway, as we all believe, this will probably never happen.

MClutterbuck,
Curious what month during summer you saw the fairways that they were "not pretty and not very playable".
Very hard for me to believe they couldn't have perfect bermuda fairways by October knowing they had an event.
I've played on their bermuda fairways multiple times in the summer and they were perfect.
As for playing on bermuda in October, the answer is they wouldn't be perfect with rye in October,but they would be by November.
Plenty of places wait until October to overseed.

[MClutterbuck]

Jeff, that would cut into some of the best weeks for members, i doubt October would work. The week after the Masters would seem the easiest to me, with all the grandstands and TV towers still up.

I am not saying they could not have perfect Bermuda fairways, I am sure they can very quickly with their unlimited resources and great staff. The beginning of August fairways I have seen are probably (and wisely) not maintained too much, they had weeds and dry patches and with a mix of grasses, mostly common and hybrid bermudas. Cut was high.  I guess it is smart and ecologically sensitive not to maintain a pristine fairway that is not used at all. Why waste water and abuse the chemicals.  Then again, it might have been a non typical week or year.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mike, I bet ANGC would sell thousands of tickets for a second week in April following the men's tournament and it would make for great Sunday TV.

Are you sure that the event wouldn't be considered: Deja Vu all over again, or Been there, Done That.

It would be........ anti-climatic.

Kinda like watching the NCAA World Series in Yankee Stadium right after the Yankees played the Dodgers in the World Series at Yankee Stadium

Only this is a great time of year for members to play prior to the course closing.

Your claim people would not pay as much to see the Ladies as they would men is obvious.

But again, my original post was not about economics, it was about getting to see people that play more similar to us on a course similar to what members and their guests play.

The LPGA players don't play "more similar to us".  They too are in a league of their own.

I feel it is great golf on a fantastic setup.

Agree that the quality of golf is great and that the course is great, but, "The Masters" is an impossible act to follow, especially a week later.

I'd rather watch a special LPGA event at the same course every year at another iconic venue.

[Matthew Essig]

First, they have men playing. Now, they have kids (boys and girls) on the grounds, too. Why not add women?

Personally, I enjoy watching Lydia Ko, Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park, Paula Creamer, Lexi Thompson, and Michelle Wie on a Thursday and Friday more than any male player on a Thursday and Friday right now.

I would love to see how the women play ANGC, especially considering how accurate they are with their hybrid clubs.

[Mike_Young]

Mike, I bet ANGC would sell thousands of tickets for a second week in April following the men's tournament and it would make for great Sunday TV. Only this is a great time of year for members to play prior to the course closing. Your claim people would not pay as much to see the Ladies as they would men is obvious. But again, my original post was not about economics, it was about getting to see people that play more similar to us on a course similar to what members and their guests play. I feel it is great golf on a fantastic setup.

I think they could sell more tickets to an event where we all went and watched the grass grow back in the crosswalks....

[Mike_Young]

How bout we start with this the monday nite after the SuperBowl...at the same venue....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfkKjATCu4E

Tickets would be easier to sell...

[Jim_Kennedy]

The women had a very good 2014

LPGA Tour posted a +38% YOY increase in April with two significant milestones:

· LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship's weekend coverage posting most-watched records for this major event (484,000, +16% YOY).

· LPGA Lotte Championship's primetime Saturday final round posting the most-watched regular season round (485,000, +108% YOY) since the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic in April 2012 (566,000).


Nothing to be scared of by putting the women on ANGC, Sawgrass, or Cypress, and it'd be interesting to see just how many multiples of the above numbers they'd get.  

2015 is looking up for the LPGA:

The LPGA unveiled its 2015 schedule that will feature 33 official events, a total prize money increase of more than $4 million and a record number of hours in television coverage. Overall, players will compete for a total of $61.6 million in prize money next season and will be featured in 410+ hours of television coverage, besting last year’s record of 380 hours.

[Terry Lavin]

Pretending to care about diversity in the game of golf has become a great talking point for Chairman Billy Payne and the current regime. Condi, the Drive, Pitch and Putt and the kids fest at the Par 3 contest could almost deceive a delusional person that they care about growing the game. They care about keeping THEIR game. And well they should. It's a private club that makes a killing by hosting the Masters. Say what one will about Chairman Bill, he understands how corporations play nice.

Having said that, there should never be another professional championship at ANGC.  It would dilute the brand, the history and the uniqueness of the course in Amarican golf history. Making nice shouldn't lead to the diminution of something that is sui generis in our game, despite its sociological shortcomings.

[Garland Bayley]

Why a joke Mike? You think it would not be interesting?

I think it is just plain stupid.  ANGC is a private club and can do whatever they wish.  They did the right thing when they told the sponsors to bug off about the Martha Burke thing.  Billy Payne is the worst thing that has happened there and is commercializing a tradition.  Let the ladies do their own thing.  Ladies golf is boring to watch in the first place and it just needs to do it's own thing.

Golf is boring to watch period!

At least the ladies wear skirts.

A golf tournament is a slowly unfolding drama. If you familiarize your self with the PGA Tour players, then that drama takes on meaning for you. If you familiarize yourself with the LPGA Tour players, then that drama takes on meaning for you. So it is simply a matter of what you want to pay attention too.

Are your paying too much attention to the guys Mike?

[Garland Bayley]

Great idea.
Women's Masters

At CPC

This is what I have been promoting for years. The women shoot to low to desire to play at Augusta. I would love to see the women play their masters at CPC finishing on TV on Masters Sunday after the men have finished, which I always miss, because I am playing golf.

[Garland Bayley]

This is a natural for Trump. His daughter should work with prominent women CEOs and others to establish a Womens national golf course. Same formula, limited commercials. no sponsorships and a great golf course. The powers that be in women's golf would hate it but so be it. This would work.
Remember the Masters had to hustle tickets until Arnie came on the scene.

Give me a break. The women can't stand the Trumpster, just like many on this board.

[Garland Bayley]

Then you're missing out on the instructional value of how you can improve your game.

That's a bigger load of BS than even you typically produce.

[Garland Bayley]

I think they could sell more tickets to an event where we all went and watched the grass grow back in the crosswalks....

I didn't think you could find anything more boring to watch than golf, but apparently I underestimated you.

[Matthew Rose]

First, they have men playing. Now, they have kids (boys and girls) on the grounds, too. Why not add women?

Personally, I enjoy watching Lydia Ko, Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park, Paula Creamer, Lexi Thompson, and Michelle Wie on a Thursday and Friday more than any male player on a Thursday and Friday right now.

I would love to see how the women play ANGC, especially considering how accurate they are with their hybrid clubs.

Agreed.... the one thing about the LPGA is that the top 10 players seem to always be around every week. And they generally play most events too.

People still tune in to watch Tiger, but it's pretty frustrating when the guy plays one event a month.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Then you're missing out on the instructional value of how you can improve your game.

That's a bigger load of BS than even you typically produce.

Garland,

This is why your game is stagnant.

I have a 16 year old son who's trying to improve his game.

I watch the PGA Tour events with him.

As we watch the telecast together, I point out things like posture, grip, spine angle, hand position, stance, acceleration through the ball, tempo, length of backswing on the various shots and more.  When I would attend tournaments I spent the majority of my time on the practice tee observing all of the above and more.

You probably watch the flight of the ball while I'm focused on watching what will help me and my son play better.

Maybe you should watch more PGA Tour events😆😆

[Bill Gayne]

The membership makes enormous personal commitment in making the Masters happen and it's the only club that gives up it course every year to host a men's major. To ask them to double that volunteer commitment every year is not reasonable.

[J Sadowsky]

Why a joke Mike? You think it would not be interesting?

I think it is just plain stupid.  ANGC is a private club and can do whatever they wish.  They did the right thing when they told the sponsors to bug off about the Martha Burke thing.  Billy Payne is the worst thing that has happened there and is commercializing a tradition.  Let the ladies do their own thing.  Ladies golf is boring to watch in the first place and it just needs to do it's own thing.

I am happy we live in a country where the First Amendment allows us to say ridiculous things. 

EDIT:  This probably deserves an explanation (which is not the same thing as an apology).

Mike, you start with the First Amendment principle that ANGC is  a private club and can do whatever it wishes.  But that principle doesn't insulate anyone from criticism, nor should it.  Yet you immediately appear to denigrate Martha Burke for interfering with the private club's right to discriminate.  And then you criticize the ANGC's current leadership for exercising their prerogative to not discriminate.  Then you just go on and make out-of-left-field shots at women's rights and women's golf (and, by calling women's golf boring, you show a lack of awareness regarding the stereotype of all golf). 

You can scowl all you want, but ANGC and what it represents isn't merely a neighbor's poker game.  It's a serious symbol of the highest reaches of corporate America and the business world more generally.  The metaphorical Calvin and Hobbs "NO GRLS ALOWD" sign on the doors of the powerholders of America is part of the glass ceiling that we should be striving to eliminate in order to continue to improve our country and the dream of opportunity it represents.