During last night’s e-mail roundtable chat about Rory Sabbatini’s victory, among many other topics, the caliber of the Honda Classic as a tour stop was brought up, which led to a debate over what kind of events we enjoy watching more — one where the field struggles or one where birdies flow freely. Of course, this prompted a West Coast vs. Florida swing discussion. Which do we prefer? Personally, I enjoyed the Honda (especially the commute, which was walking from one side of the hotel to the other), but it’s different when you’re covering a tournament on-site and when you’re watching it on TV from your couch.
Herre: I found the Honda to be a little tedious. With the wind and those tough finishing holes, no one could make a move.
Van Sickle: Personally, I love watching the pros battle the elements, especially wind. You see just how good these guys are, and you see who’s really playing well and who isn’t. Sure, a birdie-fest is fun, but players against Mother Nature, like the year Padraig Harrington won the British Open at Royal Birkdale, is even better theater.
Shipnuck: I enjoy watching the pros get beat up, but only in moderation. Seems like the Florida swing has become a contest to see who can have the most boring, penal setup. If the best players in the world can’t birdie a hole, there’s something wrong with it.
Spearman: Only 13 guys finished under par for the week. The Florida swing courses are now tough except Doral, which is a WGC tournament. There will surely be more guys under par next week.
Herre: I think the Honda was kind of a one-off, because of the wind and the course. Mitchell’s right — Doral will be more telling. I look for the durn ‘furiners to have a big week.
Wei: I was disappointed the course was playing easier on Sunday, softer from overnight rain and not nearly as windy. I wanted to see if the leaders could withstand the pressure of the Bear Trap coming down the stretch.
Damon Hack, senior writer, Sports Illustrated: I prefer the West Coast swing. The courses are far more interesting. I know every place can’t be Pebble or Riviera or Torrey Pines, but my eyes kind of glaze over at these Florida courses. If you dropped me in the middle of PGA National or Doral, I could barely tell you which was which.
Wei: I’m with you, Damon. The courses on the West Coast swing are much more interesting. I’m not a big fan of the manufactured water hazards, etc., in Florida, but for some reason, I really enjoyed the Honda. There was a three-group pileup on 17 on Thursday while I was out there, and you could see the fear in the guys’ faces before they hit the shot. It’s already a tough hole even without 30-mile-per-hour gusts and stepping up to the tee after a 30-minute wait. I found it intriguing.Hack: That’s just it. The par 3s on the Bear Trap, for example. They’re difficult holes, but are they great holes? Give me No. 12 at Augusta or No. 17 or 7 at Pebble. Give me the par-4 10th at Riviera. While the Bear Trap holes might scare people and ruin scorecards, they don’t move my golfing soul.Mike Walker, senior editor, Golf Magazine: Agree that there’s not much to swoon over at PGA National, but at least the difficulty level of the course gives the tournament an identity, something missing at a lot of Tour stops.
Wei: No real complaining from players, which I thought was interesting. Pre-tournament, first word when guys talked about the course was “tough.”
Van Sickle: Agree with Damon. I’m not a fan of PGA National or the Bear Trap run. It can make for exciting TV, though. Maybe that’s enough, but it doesn’t make me want to pony up a hefty greens fee to play resort golf there.
What did you think of PGA National? Do you prefer the West Coast swing or the Florida swing?
(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
West Coast swing is definitely more entertaining although I do enjoy watching pros do what I do on the course.
You can’t beat the Hawaii and California courses for personality. I mean, Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines have the best eye pleasing layouts. I love Riviera too, the trees and the history. To be honest, I like the Florida courses too…ha ha. But CA takes it.
P.S. You have a great blog/twitter thing going! Good job!
Car crash golf is entertaining a few times a year, but this tournament got a bit silly with how the course and certain holes were playing at times.
You would like, even on a hard golf course, someone to have a reasonable chance of making some birdies to make a run. Otherwise it just becomes a game of waiting to see if the leader can avoid the big numbers.
a mix of easy and difficult courses is the only way to keep it interesting. I don’t want to see 25 under every week, I don’t want 4 under every week
Have to agree with Wei. Florida doesn’t “move my golfing soul”…
I enjoy the more topographically interesting courses. That generally means west coast – i can’t think of a better site for a tournament than Bandon, although that won’t happen anytime soon due to the remoteness and lack of accommodations/services.
However, nothing bores me more than a birdie fest. I like to see the players struggle with mother nature and tough setups that exaggerate the former. I just think it makes for a more interesting Sunday.
On an unrelated note, i really wish all the broadcasts used Pro Tracer. How about live, on every shot? I love seeing it after the fact, but having it live would add so much to the home viewing experience. I was desperately wishing for it on 15 and 17 all week. It would add so much, especially coming down the stretch in a close tournament. The viewer could see the ball flight just as the player does (maybe they’d have to tape delay coverage a few seconds, fine). They just need to figure out a way to do it unobtrusively – adjust the opacity, etc.
I like to see the pro’s having to dig deep to make a good score. Sure, making birdie’s is nice to watch but you don’t want to see them making them too easy. Tournament scores like 16 to 20 under I think is too many under par.
Around 10 under or less is tough enough for the pro’s but brings out the best players to the top of the leaderboard.
I personally hate the visual clutter of game tracker and all the other line drawings on the TV screen. So please, please don’t take that nonsense live. Let those of us who hate it, skip it! IMO half the problem with golf broadcasts is the reliance on gimmicks rather than good videography.
CBS’s camera work at Torrey Pines this year slowed down the FF on my DVR. Yes, Torrey Pines is great eye candy but the camera work at Torrey Pines this year made it exceptionally beautiful. It wasn’t the stunning vistas that caught my eye but the gorgeous framing of the player on the putting green or in the fairway. CBS was definitely telling the golf story with the camera not the announcers.
OTOH NBC’s camera work is simply boring. If the camera doesn’t love the subject, however unlovely the subject may be, it’s close to impossible for the viewer to appreciate whatever there might be of visual interest. NBC crops most of their shots super close so it’s impossible to tell what hole is being played. The player could be at Torrey Pines or Doral — NBC only lets you know in the filler material.
True confession: I played PGA National in a scramble three years ago, and on the Bear Trap par 3′s I carried my team with two natural. (Not from the tips, though – one set forward.) So every year my family has to put up with my obnoxious yelling at the TV when a pro makes a bogey. “HEY, CHUMP! EVEN I MADE A PAR ON THAT HOLE!!!” I slay me. My family cringes.
But I can only recall two holes before #15, so I have to say it isn’t memorable. Gimme Kapalua for the views and the air, Riviera for the strategy, and Pebble for… uh… Pebble for free, please.
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