For someone who came from a marketing background, LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens certainly knows how to muck up a message.  Her latest gaffe is a real beauty.  LPGA members are, effective immediately if not sooner, required to be proficient in English.  I don’t know if she means the King’s English? New England English? Southern English? or maybe just street english which is comprehensible to those under the age of 20.  No one knows, since no written explanation of the policy has been made available.  I’ m certain at least one of the LPGA muckity mucks has the ability to put fingers on a keyboard and produce a written copy of the policy and the consequences of non compliance for the public record.  Although maybe not, since news reports indicate that no such document was available to the Korean players after their mandatory meeting August 20th informing them of the policy.

It does the LPGA a great disservice when the public is made aware of this policy through an article such as that which appears on ESPN.com. ( a site which more and more resembles the National Enquirer in its sensationalistic writing).  There is nothing on LPGA.com at this time about this new policy.  Some of the quotes make me believe that actual thought was put into the policy development yet none was devoted to the release.  It makes an idea which makes sense as a business decision into a racist, elitist affront to foreign players.  Why would this not have been crafted by a professional advertiser or PR agency.  Heck go cheap and get a politician, they know how to make most people feel good about getting mugged by the government, this would have been easy to present with soft edges and a sweet taste.  No not the Commish,  she’s gotta throw it out like a giant rock through a plate glass window, much screaming and a whole lot of blood. 

 

I could rant all day about the failings of the glorious Commish, but the policy is the thing..  First, this is a good idea.  Skewer me if you must, but it will go quite far in furthering the LPGA as a professional tour and a business.  I’ve wanted to know more about the ladies who play golf so well but am limited by lack of information.   I have to believe that most of them have actual personalities which remain hidden from public view behind the barrier of language.  I know I become quite uncomfortable when I’m in a situation where I can’t really communicate with anyone so I appear shy, reserved, and quiet.  Those are not the first three adjectives folks who know me would reach for when asked to describe me to others.  I have to believe the same applies to foreign players in this country.  These ladies must have some interesting stories to tell and inspiration to share but because of the language barrier what do we get but silence or single word answers. 

If I were paying money to play an LPGA pro am event, I’d want to be able to communicate with my pro, without a translator.  (Translators serve a purpose, however I never really trust them entirely, the result of listening to a 45 second conversation I can’t understand which translates into 5 words of english.  Something gets lost there, the nuance perhaps)  Simple language skills will relieve a lot of the uncomfortable silences that have to take place during a round.  Silences which can translate into aloofness will be passed on to friends and aquaintances as a bad experience.  Surely would sour me on a product if one of it’s promoters impressed in that way. 

Players will not be left high and dry to learn on their own.  The LPGA has said, hidden somewhere in the muddied waters of this giant fiasco, it will provide tutors and learning aides as assistance.  It’s not in anyone’s interest to send players packing because they can play but not talk.  Playing skills are more important than language skills yes, but the language skills are not something anyone can do without in a market where sponsor’s are getting harder to find.  It makes sense to improve the tour’s marketability, language skills are a means to that end.  I can’t see the tour allowing vast numbers of foreign players to be suspended over their inability to speak english,  that would be  publicity  as bad as this amateurish release of policy. 

We’ll have to see after the firestorm how this will affect both the tour and the players.  I hope it means we get to meet some great golfers as people.  For those of you who think it should be all about the golf, I’m sorry but that vanished when the game became international.  It’s all about the benjamins.  Especially now, when entertainment dollars are at a premium.  A product, and professional golf is a product, needs international ambassadors who can communicate in the language of money.  That would be the english language, and every player on the tour needs to be an ambassador for the game.  This language policy is one way to expand the product line.