Golf Video

HBO Real Sports: The Future of Golf

Posted on by Kathleen Knowles

Host Bryant Gumbel speaks with industry leaders, including Jack Nicklaus, the most accomplished golfer of all time, and executive Mark King about the state of the sport and what innovations should be embraced.

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45 thoughts on “HBO Real Sports: The Future of Golf”

  1. Learning to play the piano is too hard. In this instant gratification
    society nobody wants to learn this anymore. So let’s make it easier and
    more fun. Let’s have an e-piano. It plays the tunes on its own. And of
    course we suggest you buy a new one every year.

  2. maybe if the Courses would quit gouging people on their prices to play,
    and renting their cheesy carts, which they seem to always have an excuse
    why you can’t drive it all over on the course, it might help. Ever go into
    a pro shop on a Golf Course? Always a tight-assed, uppity, kinda arrogant
    attitude, like they’re doin you a favor by allowing you in there. Then
    there are the dork-Course Rangers, who always will nitpick and pester you
    about trivial B.S; but when some idiots are hitting down on you coming
    close to beaning you with a golf ball, because they can’t exercise due
    caution and patience, they are never anywhere to be found, and do nothing
    anyway. Then there are the Women’s Golf leagues, who take 4 hours to play
    9 holes, eeeeeeh. 

  3. I AGREE…Fun, creative, consistent, and easy education, along with some
    innovative,(non-invasive) changes. The large holes are a brilliant idea for
    corporate events and some league play, it’s a no brainer idea. The purists
    can still play the regulation hole…two cups per green is not a bizarre
    concept. I say we do it now… 

  4. I believe golf to be the best game ever invented . The game requires
    focus, determination and commitment. So much fun playing match, play, club
    events such as the Ryder cup, team Scramble, etc. After a enjoyable walk
    in the park playing golf with friends you get to sit, have a bite to eat
    and socialize. All this negativity going on doesn’t help the sport.start
    sending a more positive message out to encourage people to play. Just my
    thoughts..

  5. *HBO Real Sports: The Future of Golf*: This is an +HBO special featuring
    Bryant Gumbel. He talks about golf courses closing, Tiger’s impact on the
    game, FootGolf, Topgolf… The list goes on. He even sits down for a candid
    interview with +Jack Nicklaus. The video is 15 minutes long, but please
    watch it and leave your questions/comments below. Let’s start a
    conversation on growing the game of golf. #discuss #GolfIsFun #GrowTheGame
    

  6. Golf isn’t for everybody. If it takes too much time away from family, then
    you should look for something else. If it costs too much, do something
    else. But don’t expect the national golf standards to change because of
    your life circumstances. Where is the internal challenge to strive for
    competition within yourself? Golf is an individual game, unless you choose
    to play team tournaments. So why not challenge yourself? Too many people
    want success as a life entitlement, with little failure or hardship. This
    speaks volumes about the mentality of many in this country today. Life
    isn’t always about having success the easy way. Doing well at something
    because you worked for it is a well deserved ‘high’. Changing the playing
    field may be helpful to bring young players into the sport, but should be
    seen as a different game.

  7. People have become whiners about everything these days. It’s too hard, it
    costs too much, Waaa, Waaa, Let me call a Wambulance. Golf is a
    challenging game, suck it up, do your homework!
    I also think the larger hole is ridiculous. I thought is was a joke at
    first! Soccer golf? STUPID. Top Golf range bars will not get people out
    on the golf course. Bottom line……. Golf is too hard for a dumbed down
    America!

  8. OK, so in a strong economy developers over built golf courses. The golf
    exec says kids graduating high school need to get in the sport. Why?? Kids
    should caddy again -I did, but I never could afford the time or money to
    actually play at a club until I was 38 (39 years ago). Now in a
    bad-government economy fewer can afford the game. Municipal courses are
    unnecessary –it is a business to some and a game to others – and not
    something that should be subsidized by taxpayers who will never use it. The
    gimmicky things like a bigger hole or footgolf are OK –but they’re like
    the old Gooney Golf, an attraction for fun with the kids. To change the
    game to attract more younger players is understandable coming from a golf
    mfr. exec but the game is what it is and should not be changed that much
    –it lasted over 100 yeas and will go on because it is a great game for
    competition and social intercourse. Work, save, succeed and enjoy golf a
    nice club. That’s golf.

  9. Come on folks. Yes golf can be expensive and is time consuming but where I
    live I can play around of golf in four hours for $40.00. I take my grand
    kids to movie pay 20.00 to get in and another 30.00 for treats.. Golf is a
    great game that I can play for as long as I can walk and no way do I want
    to or will play on any course that has 15 in holes. Period!

  10. Looks like golf is making the same mistakes that the governing bodies of
    bowling made…..Bowling is now so easy that the once proud sport is more
    difficult on a Wii than on the actual lanes.

  12. Mr. King is interested in one thing and one thing only… $$$$$. What he
    is seeking is not improving golf, he’s looking for another game altogether
    that has nothing to do with golf. Golf has been around for the purist
    and enthusiast for over 150 years. The number of pros competing at the top
    level has never been higher. Rory McIlroy has to beat a larger number and
    more talented players every week than Jack Nicklaus had to defeat.. The
    downturn in golf has more to do with the US economy and real estate than
    anything else. Golf is growing in other countries, and will grow again in
    the U.S., once we get a president focused on growing the economy and not on
    taking vacation and lowering his handicap….

  13. My 11 year old grandson wanted to take his grandfather to lunch at the club
    when he picked him up after a lesson…Poppy was not a member and given an
    “exception” to the rule and allowed to eat. Hello!
    My husband, who can hit a 250 yd. drive now tees off a few yard behind me,
    his wife, because he is a “senior,” where is fairness? Tennis has made
    the game work for children, families and couples. Where is golf…they did
    not grow into the real world.
    Dress? Collars maybe, how silly when you are paying so much and a collar
    makes you “qualify?”
    The golf course I hope has a future. I love the game but it took years to
    find a place for a beginner to place. Our teacher had to create a program.

    Nine holes should be accepted if that is the only way to get a round in for
    working people. Wake up golf people!!!

  14. How come when I call it’s difficult to get a tee time? How come when I
    plan a golf trip for 12 guys the resort courses tell me they will only make
    tee times 30 days out? You think we will book hotel rooms and flights
    without tee times??? 

  17. Several things. Club mfg. should cut their prices in half to begin with.
    No wonder the avg Joe doesn’t want to play, it’s to expensive to buy
    clubs! Another item, let the beginner or less talented player use three
    balls for each shot and use the better ball. You don’t need the hole the
    size of a basket to have a good time.

  18. Personally, in my area of the Midwest, I think the state of golf is
    actually getting better for the serious player like myself. 1) Price of
    golf has come WAY down. Premier courses that charged $80 – $100+ per round
    in the early 2000’s are now under $50 with one or two reduced rates days of
    $25 or so per week. Also, reduced rates for Seniors all week. 2)
    Marginal courses that were bad layouts or poorly maintained have closed.
    3) Courses are not nearly as crowded as they were 10 years ago. Easier to
    get on a course and faster rounds. 4) Courses are working hard to draw
    players – better conditions, course improvements, perks such as lunch or
    breakfast included in price, Pros and staff more people friendly. 5) Club
    memberships are drastically reduced from 10 years ago with more streamlined
    choices such as M- F passes, weekend only passes, punch cards, etc. 6)
    Equipment for the most part is better every year – though still expensive.
    But golf equipment is just like cars. Buy the latest edition driver and
    pay $499. But buy last year’s driver and pay half that price. Big box
    stores have great savings during the holidays. 7) Private Country Club
    type courses are revenue starved and now open to the general public

  21. Mr King never once said anything about lowering the cost of clubs.. Drivers
    cost $20.00 to make and they sell for $500.00.. there is the problem..

  22. Well… look at a pool table. There must be a dozen different billiards
    games and variations of it all played on the same surface. So why can’t
    there be variations of golf too…?

  23. I love to play golf, but I can not afford to play at most courses because
    of the cost. Fifty to two hundred and fifty dollars a round is
    ridiculous!!!!!!. Cart rental of twenty to fifty dollars a round?
    Ridiculous.. I will not pay that. Charge a dollar a hole for
    golf, ten dollars a round for the cart, I’ll pay and play. I play every
    day in Arizona from the middle of March to summer. The game is affordable,
    but southern players will not play in the summer. I was born and raised in
    valley where the temperature
    rose to 120 degrees F. I find it comfortable to play in Arizona. Just add
    water and lots of it. It is great to play in heat when you have
    Arthritis…

  24. Gumbel just had to bring in a comment about old fat white guys not wanting
    minorities and women to play. He can’t resist doing anything without
    bringing in race. No evidence, no poll figures. Just his own stupid
    comment. It’s a bunch of crap. Golfers everywhere want to see it grow.
    The few idiots that don’t is such a small number they are not worth
    mentioning. And the stupid white guy agrees with him rather than looking
    racist. What a couple of tools.

  25. There are problems with Socal golf:
    1) Certain groups (if I name them, I’m a bigot) refuse to rake traps or
    repair greens 2) courses send out singles after foursomes…..of course, we
    eventually let them play thru…..after letting numerous singles play thru,
    we are waiting on the tees…..singles should have certain tee off times,
    or they should be grouped into threesomes or foursomes 3) watching players
    take six, seven, eight practice swings before every shot, then shank the
    shot 80 eighty yards; 4) watch players tee up their ball, turn their back
    to the green, walk back, stare down the fairway for 30 to 60 seconds, then
    address their ball…..we are not pros, we are not on television…..4)
    limit the time looking for lost or errant balls…..a few courses enforce
    the rules, but the vast majority are only interested the getting the green
    fees; after paying, it’s everyone for themselves…..

    RJ

  26. We have a Golf Tee , the Trust-Tee that helps the average golfer help them
    get on the fairway. Now many ask if this is USGA approved , does it really
    matter when you are having fun. 40 million golfers , I’m sure not everyone
    plays pro tournament .
    Hit it Straight !

  28. Gumbel also called Jack Nicklaus “arguably” the best of all time?!!? Who is
    better?? Sure others have had talent but none the success or longevity in
    addition to the talent. The Best, no question.

  32. THE FUTURE OF GOLF

    Hi Members,

    An interesting view is presented on U Tube via HBO Real Sports: The Future
    of Golf. To access this simply click on the HBO Real Sports etc heading
    below. It does give some food for thought. Best regards,

    Dave

  33. Bring down the cost and make it possible to make a living playing amateur
    golf. Make it accessible with busses or other transportation to get to the
    course easier. Make the range a competition (if you get a hole in one you
    win a car) hype that up in the news and online. Thats how you get
    customers, the old guys are not going out of their way to find your place
    they don’t care about competitions, they just want to play close to them
    were their friends play or at a club that is very exclusive and expensive
    to keep out the kids but that market is . You need to attack the younger
    crowed and make it exiting and get M0NEY ££$€€$ involved, if you can’t make
    it exclusive this is the way to go not footgolf… Also get courses with
    5holes instead of 18 and you could play it under 1h, this should be an
    option, in tennis you can play to 3 if you want you don’t need to play best
    of five sets.. In golf its limited. Obviously this has been manufactured to
    wealthy individuals with a lot of tim on their hands but this is how you
    get to the masses.

  36. 1) Ladies leagues need to be advertised for ladies to know about them.
    2) Golf stores need to be woman friendly to serious golfers. It took me
    several months to find somewhere/someone to want to make a set of good
    clubs for me. I don’t want a “pretty outfit” or “shiny clubs”. These
    stores are still part of the old boy network & it’s WRONG
    3) The green fees on many of the courses is outrages.
    4) Definition of crazy is being expected to play at least 100 games on the
    exact same course within a 4 month span.

  37. GOLF Really needs to DO A LOT to become MORE INVITING and MORE FRIENDLY to
    the MASSES!
    GOD BLESS MR>KING and ALL HIS MEN/WOMEN that are working on New Methods to
    Get People back to the GREATEST GAME EVER INVENTED! I am an Inventor…and
    I’ve Invented many Golf Products and Putters and Clubs…I also have built
    many GOOF GOLF COURSES on my Dad’s old Golf Course….back in the 60’s 70’s
    and early 80’s!
    There’s a Lot that the *INDUSTRY LEADERS could do….I thought of
    *FREE-LESSONS-FRIDAYS!!!…Because one of the biggest problems has always
    been that when people “Learn it Wrong from a *’Beer-Buddy or Old Uncle
    Harry….they Learn it Wrong…Hit the Ball Wrong and want to Quit…right
    away! I’ve seen this happen over and over again…throughout my life!
    People need good FEEDBACK when Learning GOLF! All the New Ideas such as
    High Tech triple and Quadrupple Layered Driving Ranges are GREAT!!! and
    Having Techy Games that Record people’s Shots…that’s Also AWESOME! Kings
    Idea of making it (*GOLF-FLOG-backwards’0 more FUN is Right On!!!
    That’spart of it…and by all means…let’s let the Population that is not
    upper-class know there are ways of getting good quality clubs w/o High
    Dollars! Icould go on for days…but there really needs to be a MOVEMENT!!!
    and I’m ALL IN!!!
    bobby vey-LOVER of the GAME!!! of G_O_L_F!!!

  38. I love golf. But 6 hours (counting travel time, showering, etc.) is a lot
    to block out. I would play with 15″ holes but still that only cuts the
    time by an hour (as the video estimates). I think it would be better to
    reconfigure the courses as three 6s. Play 18 if you want, but 12 is a fine
    number. 9 is too short. Takes a couple of holes to get in the groove.
    But when you don’t play a lot, you’re also dragging by 16. With 15″ cups,
    you could play 12 in about 2:20. And with 15″ cups, we’d simply shift from
    practicing putting to practicing chipping. You’d have several hole-out
    opportunities per round.

  39. as a weekend golfer (duffer) I really enjoyed playing a 9 or 18 every
    week, BUT, they course are charging upwards of $30.00 for 18 holes and for
    a retired person that amounts to $120.00 per month for golf? itseems the
    mindset is- if the number of golfers falls off, the cost must be moved on
    to those who continue to play ifthey charged a reasonable amount for a
    round they would have more people , itwas thesamewhen I had my airplane-
    private flyingfell off, airportswent from $45.00 per month for atie down to
    $90.00 -more aircraft left the field -see the trend? I had to take up
    watching golf on TV.

  40. The problem is not the GAME. The game has been played for 700 years. I
    don’t think the last 7 years are the problem. I see the problem as
    people not wanting to take the time to learn. The PROBLEM is that too many
    people expect instant gratification. You want an answer to a
    question?……GOOGLE !!!! You’re hungry?……..McDonalds. We have TV,
    internet, IM’s, texting, twitter etc etc. Every thing is ‘here and now’.
    I have a nephew who is an all American lacrosse player and he can’t play
    golf well yet and he gets frustrated. He thinks he should be able play
    like his uncle Mike (3 handicap) and me (PGA golf professional). I look at
    him and say….. ” Tom, do you realize the TENS of THOUSANDS of golf balls
    your uncle Mike and I have hit in our lifetime to be this good?” You can’t
    always have what you want when you want it!!!! 15″ holes????? seriously?
    And what about the other 300 yards between tee and green? Take lessons.
    Join men’s and women’s clinics. Join jr. clinics. LEARN the game.
    You may actually have to exert some effort and work at something to become
    better instead of letting everyone take the easy way out.
    Take responsibility for what you want to do and go WORK at it. Be
    passionate about ANYTHING, be it golf, skiing, writing, whatever and then
    make the time in your life to be the best at it that you can be. I
    understand this may not sit well on the financial end of things, but I
    don’t think 15″ holes and soccer golf are the answers. I am not saying I
    have them, but I am working on finding some.

  41. I’ve been “playing” golf for over 30 years. I am a traditionalist in the
    sense that I have a love/hate relationship with the game. There is nothing
    so rewarding as hitting a great golf shot; nor is there anything as
    frustrating and humbling as hitting a poor golf shot; but it’s an addiction
    that millions of us share. We love the laughter and the cussing. We love
    the camaraderie of friends – and even complete strangers we meet on the
    first tee who happen to share the passion for golf. To me, there is
    nothing quite like experiencing a well maintained golf course on a perfect
    day when the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the smell of
    freshly cut grass is in the air. It’s a perfect way to spend four hours.
    That said… I think some of these new variations to the game look like a
    hell-of-a lot of fun. I’m totally willing to give them a try.

  42. Mr. King says golf is too expensive while selling his new driver for $400.
    They are selling on eBay for under $200. Perhaps they are knockoffs, but
    don’t tell me that the real deal costs double to manufacture.

    Watch golf on TV. the target audience is the affluent. Mercedes, Lexus,
    Omega watches, etc.

    For the game to succeed, it must has mass appeal both as a game and cost
    wise. We are a long way from there.

    Pro V1s @ $4.00 each. Pebble Beach greens fees at $500.

    There have been major changes in other sports and while a larger hole seems
    lik sacrilege to this traditionalist, I agree with Jack. If that’s what it
    takes, then let’s do it.

  43. The major problem is the cost for many people. With many rounds of golf
    average in excess of $100.00 per round, it deceases the number of people
    being able to afford the sport. It seems to the story about two types of
    golfers. The expensive country club golfer and public courses which some
    are very affordable but others out of the range of the average player.

  44. Bigger 15″ holes aren’t the answer for most golfers. Nothing more
    satisfying than sinking a 20′ putt, or chipping in from off the green. On
    the day that you putt well, at any level, from the pro to the 27-marker,
    you’ll have a great net score that day. It’ll quickly become very boring
    for anyone who already knows how to play golf if they know that each green
    is an almost-guaranteed 1-putt. It diminishes the skill level needed (&
    anyone can putt, even the complete beginner will manage to hole 1 putt per
    round, but he/she is very unlikely to produce a booming draw straight down
    the middle, or get it out of the bunker in one).
    By all means put both options on the green, but don’t do away with the
    traditional hole.

    No-one’s mentioned how to make the game faster from tee to green (3-hole &
    12-hole options are good ideas). Here’s some ideas:
    Tennis has 2nd-serves, bring in 2nd-drives.
    Allow 2 mulligans per hole (less duffed 10-metre fairway hits, less looking
    for balls in the trees).
    Encourage weekend hackers to play a form of stableford, it’s ridiculous
    that inexperienced & poor golfers try to play stroke every weekend, holding
    everyone up. Pick it up once you’re 2-3 strokes over the par of that hole.

    And to get people in:
    Have a half-price day every Tuesday, like the cinemas. And reduced prices
    on summer evenings.
    Half-price driving range days once or twice a week, with free club demos.

    Totally agree with all the comments about overpriced clubs, a local store
    has a Srixon driver for $799, wtf!!!
    Major manufacturers need to have beginner-level budget-priced clubs. 

  45. Hey I can see where Mark King is coming from – The video game industry has
    literally thrived under this exact concept before and it is a known fact
    now that the more difficult your game is, the less money you will make.
    Call of Duty realized this; their CoD1 and CoD2 had some of the steepest
    learning curves we’d ever seen requiring hours and hours of play before
    just breaking even in Kill-Death Ratio. CoD:MW2 came in and completely
    destroyed the learning curve – within days of buying the game players could
    be throwing up scores of 63-5. Every single FPS since then has had to come
    to terms with this and made their game more accessible to the masses – and
    making not millions, billions in the process; MW3, Ghosts, Blackops, BF3
    and BF4 vs. BF2 – They’ve all made billions of dollars by dumbing down how
    difficult their game is since their first incarnations. Golf could do the
    same – and I really can’t blame them for trying as much as I hate how easy
    it’s becoming.

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