Hope Joy Golf
  • Welcome Home!
  • Cathy's Blog
    • Tees2Greens Archive Posts >
      • Masters 2020
      • Ryder Cup 2016 Blogs
  • Shop Golf
    • Holiday Gift Ideas for Golfers
    • Product Reviews
    • It's a Deal!! Great Golf Sales

Is there hope for the Hope? 

1/3/2016

0 Comments

 
Posted Jan 19 2010, 11:10 PM by Cathy Erickson
I've been pondering the state of the professional golf world lately.  I'm hardly an economist, but it's hard not to notice that tough financial decisions are being made every day...from Fortune 500 companies to you and me.  I'm eating out less, keeping my thermostat a little lower, and trying really hard not to buy new golf shoes (unless it's a REALLY good deal!).
I did not realize that the Bob Hope Classic has been without a title sponsor since last year.  According to an article I read here - they do have platinum sponsors and other contributors, but you won't find a sponsor name in the title - it's now the Bob Hope Classic (sans Chrysler).  And according to tournament officials, they have a nest egg available to have this year's event run without any noticeable changes. 
 
But how long can they last?  If you look at the field, the top ranked player on the OWGR in the field this week is number 37, Mike Weir.  Whoa.  Now, for me, just like the SBS, I can find hours of entertainment regardless of who is in the field, but it's hard to deny that big names mean more exposure, more fans, and more money.
 
You can read any number of articles and analyses of why the Bob Hope tournament is struggling and what it needs to consider in order to survive.  Strikes against it include, being a 5-day event, the Pro-Am format (aka LONG rounds), some questionable course choices, the date, and unpredictable weather.  The combination of celebrity and golf doesn't seem to carry that same appeal as it did a generation or two ago.  I think that's too bad, but I guess we have to remember that for professional golfers, each week is a job...and just competing in a regular event, without the parties and pro-ams the entire week, is a big investment of time.
 
A few weeks ago Sam Johnson wrote about the long seasons in most sports.  My response to his lamenting was that as long as there are sponsors willing to invest in golf tournaments, why complain?
 
As much as it pains me to admit it, maybe Sam's idea is something the PGA Tour needs to explore.  Is the beginning of the year starting to resemble the Fall Series where we see more marquee players choose to take time off or head over to play overseas (for some serious appearance money)?  Do the "journeyman" Tour players need these events, or could the money invested in "less popular" events be better served in other ways?  I don't know.
 
What I do know is, from a fan standpoint, I wish there could be professional events in every state so that more golf fans could experience professional golf live and in person.  Minnesota hosting the PGA Championship last year, and the US Women's Open in 2008, was an amazing gift.  I am already counting the days until the Ryder Cup is here in 2016!!!
 
But again, I realize you need a great course, a great market...and money, to make any tournament work.  And now is hardly the time to hope for new money to be popping up to support golf.   But a girl can still dream, right?
 
But before we go slashing a few weeks off of each end of the season, I think we need to remember that the other thing that every tournament does, whether it's a Major or a fall series event, is inject a lot of economic spirit into the communities they are in.  And of course we can't forget the incredible charitable impact each tournament produces.
 
Regardless of whether or not A-list players are in the field, it seems to me that every tournament matters in some way.  Maybe it's up to us to change our way of thinking and appreciate the players who are willing to travel to all corners of our country to play in events that will make a difference to a lot of people that will never pick up a club during that week.
 
There is some good golf news in our troubling economy.  Sea Island, Georgia, is the newest location for a PGA Tour event!  The RSM McGladrey Classic has been added to the Fall Series this October.  Davis Love and Zach Johnson have already committed and will be involved in the event...some great names to have around that late in the season!  Maybe not all hope is lost yet.
 
I know golf is entertainment and lots of fans just want to see the best players in the world wow us each week.  But the fact is, the best players don't have to play every week, and the draw to play outside of the US seems to be attracting more of the players we'd love to see at events like the Bob Hope Classic.  It's hard to blame them.  But rather than keeping golf on shelf, maybe it would be fun to get to know some of the players that might fall behind the shadows of our favorite golf stars.  Heck, there's even a Sam in the field this week!
 
I hope the Hope will be around for a long time to come...but I guess only time...and the economy, will tell.
 
I'm excited that Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker will be playing the Hope this week - I hope they got the memo that they are in my 2010 predictions this year...it would be great to mark one off in January!!  For those of you that can, I hope you enjoy PGA Tour golf this week...remember, ALL these guys are good.
 
Filed under: economy, US Womens Open, PGA Championship, Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker, RSM McGladrey, Bob Hope Classic
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    When I found Tees2Greens website and forum I found a happy place.  There were great people there and in 2009 they asked me if I wanted my own blog space.  It was a dream come true!!  The site is down now, but I was able to get all of my posts to be able to post here.  I will always be grateful for all of the Tees2Greens folks!!

    Archives

    January 2016

    Categories

    All
    2008
    2009
    2010
    2011
    2012
    2013
    2016
    2Putt
    Accessories
    Accident
    Adam Scott
    Alvaro Quiros
    Amy Grant
    Andy Paulson
    Angel Cabrera
    Anonymous Pro
    Anthony Kim
    Apology
    Apparel
    Arizona
    Atlanta
    August
    Augusta National
    Azaleas
    Babe Zaharias
    Back Pain
    Believe
    Benchmark
    Bethpage Black
    Betsy King
    Birdie
    Bobby Jones
    Bob Hope Classic
    Bo Van Pelt
    Brandt Snedeker
    British Open
    Bubba Watson
    Cameron Beckman
    Cathy Erickson
    Celebrate
    Chad Campbell
    Champions Tour
    Character
    Chipshot
    Choices
    Christina Kim
    Christmas
    Clayton Rask
    Comparison
    Competition
    Concentrate
    Concentration
    Confession
    Confidence
    Corporate
    Coverage
    Crystal Golf Ball
    Curling
    Dallas Cowboys
    David Toms
    Davis Love III
    December
    Divot
    Donald Constable
    Don Berry
    Dormie
    Doug Barron
    Dream
    Dreamer
    Dream Team
    Dubai Desert Classic
    Dustin Johnson
    Dwan Golf Club
    Eagle
    Easter
    East Lake
    Economy
    Emotions
    Encouragement
    End Of The Season
    Endorsements
    Enthusiasm
    Equipment
    Erik Compton
    Erik Tammar
    Ernie Els
    Europe
    Excitement
    Expectations
    Eye2
    EZ Links
    Fall
    Fall Series
    Family
    Fan Bus
    Fans
    Fantasy Golf
    FedEx Cup
    Floods
    Focus
    Fred Couples
    Friends
    From The Fringe
    Frustration
    Funk
    Geoff Ogilvy
    Georgia
    Goals
    Golf
    Golf Allowance
    Golf Channel
    Golf Digest
    Golf Fever
    Golf Is Like Life
    Golf Now
    Golf Swing
    Golf Talk
    Gonzo
    Good Good
    Grateful
    Greens
    Greg Norman
    Handicap
    Hang On
    Happiness
    Happy Place
    Hazeltine
    Heart
    Heart Transplant
    Heath Slocum
    Hermitage
    Hockey
    Home Course
    Honda
    Honda Classic
    Honesty
    Hot Ball
    Hotel
    Hunter Mahan
    Hybrid
    Incentive
    Increasing Play
    IOC
    Jason Dufner
    Jeff Rude
    Jerry Kelly
    John Atkinson
    Johnson Wagner
    Jon Sauer
    Journey
    Journeyman
    Juli Inkster
    July
    Junk Points
    Justin Leonard
    Justin Rose
    Justin Smith
    Ken Green
    Kenny Perry
    Kerplookee
    Kodak Challenge
    Lee RInker
    Life
    Limited Status
    LPGA
    Luke Donald
    Lung Cancer
    Magazines
    Majors
    Marathon
    Marc Leishman
    Marketing
    Martin Kaymer
    Masters
    Match Play
    Matt Kuchar
    Media
    Mediocrity
    Memorial
    Memories
    Mental Game
    Merchandise Tent
    Michelle Wie
    Mike Gray
    Minnesota
    Mom & Dad
    Money
    Money List
    Mother Nature
    Motivation
    Municipal
    Nashboro
    Nashville
    Nationwide Tour
    New Year
    Niall Turner
    Nick Watney
    November
    Numbers
    October
    Odds
    Olympics
    Online
    OWGR
    Padraig Harrington
    Passion
    Past
    Pat Bradley
    Patience
    Patty Berg
    Paul Azinger
    Pebble Beach
    Peggy Ference
    PGA
    PGA Championship
    PGA Tour
    Phil Bundy
    Phil Mickelson
    Phoenix
    Player Of The Month
    Players Championship
    Playoff
    Play & Stay
    Points
    Policy
    Potatoes
    Practice
    Practice Round
    Predictions
    President's Cup
    Priorities
    Putter
    Putting
    Q School
    Qualifier
    Queen
    Ranking
    Rant
    Rate
    Refrigerator
    Research & Development
    Resolutions
    Retief Goosen
    Rich Beem
    Rory McIlroy
    Rory Sabbatini
    Routine
    RSM McGladrey
    Rules Of Golf
    Ruling
    Ryder Cup
    Ryo Ishikawa
    Sam Johnson
    Sand Trap
    San Fransisco
    Schmooze
    Scramble
    Sectional
    Senior British Open
    September
    Sergio Garcia
    Seve
    Shark Shootout
    Shazbah
    Shopping
    Si Woo Kim
    Slice
    Solheim Cup
    So-Lo
    Solus
    Sony Open
    Spirit
    Sponsor
    Spring
    Springhouse Golf Club
    Stereotype
    Steve Anderson
    Steve Stricker
    Stress
    Stretch
    Summer
    Super Star
    Tees2greens
    Tennessee
    Texas
    Thankful
    The Classic
    The Golf Club Of Nashville
    The Hermitage
    The Legend
    The Quarry
    The Wilderness
    Thomas Campbell
    Tiger Woods
    Time
    Tips
    Titleist
    Tom Gillis
    Tom Lehman
    Tom Pernice
    Tom Watson
    Top 20
    Top Ten List
    Tour Championship
    Tournament
    Travel
    TV
    Under Par
    USA
    USGA
    US Open
    US Women's Open
    Vacation
    Vaughn Taylor
    Vijay Singh
    Vikings
    Visualize
    Waste Area
    Waste Management Open
    Weather
    Web
    Webb Simpson
    Web.com Tour
    Wedge
    Wednesday
    WGC
    Whistling Straits
    White Tees
    Wind
    Windtree Golf Course
    Winter
    Women In Golf
    YE Yang
    Zach Johnson

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Welcome Home!
  • Cathy's Blog
    • Tees2Greens Archive Posts >
      • Masters 2020
      • Ryder Cup 2016 Blogs
  • Shop Golf
    • Holiday Gift Ideas for Golfers
    • Product Reviews
    • It's a Deal!! Great Golf Sales