I'm not too sure how everyone feels about this subject but here's my 10 cents worth..
There is too much glad handing professional sport, far too many entertainers and so called celebrities with questionable swings and sometimes even worse course management clogging up courses and TV slots better suited to scratch or better amateurs.
I'm talking about the Dunhill Links championship, why can't the amateur spots be taken by state/ county players?
I'm fed up of seeing grinning, ball topping, and hackers especially as I've worked so hard to get to where I am now...
I can see this on any medal day...


ESPN. SKY and everyone else please STOP!

They do it once a year, big deal, let them play and be happy. You'd be suprised how much money is raised for charity because of both events. State and county players are unfortunatley boring compared to the likes of bill murray and samuel L Jackson when it comes to ratings.

I say kill off pop idol and x factor instead

Celebrity golf was fine when it was limited to a 'filmed-in-October-at-a-misty-Turnberry' short series that was screened on BBC in the late 80s.

This may not mean much to US readers, but all the usual suspects were there: Tarby, Bruce Forsyth, Roger de Courcey, Parky and his wife, Wogan and a few sporting luminaries.

Yes, you had to put up with the old classics.. 'Pass me my sand wedge Tarby..' 'What do you want Brucie, ham or cheese?' but we did get Lee Trevino and Sandy Lyle and Woosie and Roger Davis playing too.. Even Tony Jacklin one year...

Nowadays I can't stand to watch it. The AT&T is banal. Bill Murray? Yes Bill, using a clubhead as a microphone, pulling a face and wearing a silly hat was funny once, but after the 37th rendition it begins to grate.

George Lopez? Every time I see his mug I get an overwhelming urge to do a Keith Moon and hurl the TV from a window.

And if Clint Eastwood sinks another putt and proudly declares 'That made my day' I'd happily test the number of bullets left in a gun.

I realise that the attraction is in seeing stars of the screen and music industry but, honestly, half of them are simply not much fun to watch. I'd rather watch Johnny Pro in an Ashworth shirt and khakis knock a stock 7 iron into the middle of an overwatered green that half of the 'celebrities' they have playing.

Not my cup of tea.

The best part is how most of the celebs brag about being low handicappers yet can not do crapola when the lights are on. Just shows the rest of the world how truely hard the game is to the mortals of the world like them and us.

I absolutely cannot stand celeb. golf, but just switch off the TV or change channels. I hate it THAT much.

Playing on TV is hard. A few years ago. The small local TV station that is an affiliate of KET. Kentucky Educational TV. Came to our club and had one camera on the 18th hole. The leader of the club championship tournament by 4 or 5 shots didn't know until he had hit his shot to the green. He missed the green, found out it would be on local TV. And proceeded to hit it back and forth across the green. He took a 9 and lost the tournament. I agree with the fact that Bill Murray and others are boring. But charity is what counts.

Add me to the list of people finding these pro-celeb events absolutely enfuriating.

For example how many ways can you try to make Kenny F***ing G interesting? He has a low handicap you know and had a number 4 hit with "Songbird" in 1987.

Additionally was it only me who enjoyed that t** from Everybody Loves Raymond getting washed into the ocean one year at the AT&T.

How many more Tin Cup references can we stand as Kevin Costner is shown modelling another ill-fitting tank top?

Give me good old Peter Alliss and some of the true titans of the entertainment industry strolling round Gleneagles or Turnberry in the mist. I'm talking about Wogan, Brucie and Tarby of course.

You know the form. One of them happens to connect with a drive that goes more than 200 yards. Cue Tarby giving it, "You don't go that far on your holidays!! Ho ho boom boom"

Ah golden years...

i guess it's still better than watching pop idol
celebrity golf might be infuriating but at least its golf

But 1 in 100 on that show have a modicum of talent....

If I had a game like George Lopez, I would NOT turn up with a big, name-emblazoned Cameron staff bag and a shiny set of 735CMs and chop it round on national TV whilst dropping the inevitable wisecracks.. Even if he is a 'Friend of the Studio' and on Scotty's speed-dial.

Then again, from what I've seen of his show he's a better golfer than he is an 'entertainer...'

Clint Eastwood? Good actor in your day son, and a pretty decent director too. Not the best golfer though. You're not making my day when you shoot 95...

Huey Lewis? I can't vouch for The Power Of Love Huey, but it's certainly seems to have more power behind it than one of your 3 irons...

Bill Murray. Hmm. You were funny in Caddyshack. Borderline amusing in Groundhog Day. But you're plain annoying on the back nine at Poppy Hills. Even when you hold a conversation with that animal headcover it's not enough to salvage things.

Kevin Costner? I don't understand it. When they were filming Tin Cup, all you read was how easy it was to make him look like a pro since 'he has a very good swing...'

Someone needs to contact the Santa Monica Police and file a Crime report because somewhere along the line it's been stolen and replaced with a crap one.

Kenny G actually does look to be a decent player... But he's got plenty of time to practice since his last big hit was when I was in high school. As someone mentioned above, it was called Songbird I think. I struggle to remember since they only mention it 14 times a round... Same deal with Alice Cooper. Except he's not as good.

Thank God there's more than one channel to watch and I have a social life when the AT&T is on.

I hate it. With a passion.

Strangely, the old Gleneagles/Turnberry stuff was quite entertaining. Peter Alliss strolling the fairways in an XXL waterproof jacket and a cravat making idle coversation, a bit like the Queen does at award ceremonies and suchlike. The Brucie and Tarbie show. Tom O'Connor and his hilarious anecdotes. Wogan, visibly blanching when the wind got a bit gusty and craftily grabbing some extra-strength wig tape from his bag.

The pros were great too. Woosnam and Lyle shooting in the low 30s for nine holes every time. Trevino telling us about his latest divorce. Jacklin desperately trying to butter up his Scunthorpe accent. Roger Davis' socks and plus fours.

Marvelous. Bring it back I say. I bet Sandy and Woosie would be up for it.

You have no idea how television works. You see, if nobody watches, they can't sell ad time & they make no money. People are MUCH MUCH more likely to watch Bill Murray, Ray Romano, Kevin James, Alice Cooper, Catherine Zeta (yes!), Eastwood, Costner, and other Hollywood dopes tee it up and goof off and shoot 87, rather than watch a bunch of no name amatuers or aspiring low level tour players shoot par. I am bored just hearing that idea. If I want to watch boring golf with players I've never heard of I'll watch the Euro's on Golf Channel. That announcer with the South African accent is like a sleeping pill. Vote with your remote, turn the channel.

In fact, I work in television production....

Just kidding. I don't. But I understand that people want to watch such drivel and it makes money. Why? That I don't understand.

I do vote with my feet and simply don't watch it.

In Europe, we also have the opportunity to watch golf from the Nationwide Tour. I've heard of some of the players though, since I take an interest and don't consider that the earth is flat and you drop off the end of it a few miles from the coast of Cornwall.

I would write more, but I have to go and get my passport renewed as all the pages are full of Visa stamps.

Matt,

Struggle no more to recall Kenny G's biggest pop moment.

Consulting wikipedia I notice that his sax masterpiece "Songbird" crashed into the US Adult Contemporary Chart at number 3 and went as high as number 23 in the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

Indeed Songbird remains his highest chart entrant until his sax-fuelled rendition of Auld Lang Syne tore up the charts to number 3 in the US Hot 100 in 1999. Poptastic mate.

Seriously though can anyone remember Wogan's giant putt going in at Gleneagles in the Pro Celeb and Gary Player stromping it round in 27 for 9 well-chosen holes on the Ailsa.

Can anyone tell me why Tony Jacklin's accent turns from Scunthorpe to a mock-Irish brogue when he starts recalling past Ryder Cup's?

YIKES Ray Romano that's his name. I pray he tries to play one from the beach next year!

The DunHill Links is at least "watchable" as compared to the Pebble Beach pro-am. The problem is, they think they have to be funny for the camera (which, I suppose is true in a sense, being they are such poor golfers.)
But the things that happen in golf that are "funny" usually aren't suitable for broadcast TV (usually punctuated by four letter expletives.)

It's all you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours corporate elbow rubbing. I guess these are the folks that benefit from knowing people or being someone that sponsors events. We do at least owe them thanks for sponsoring events, but its still hard to watch them chop it around the course.

At least Sky don't show too many 'celebs' and won't do half-hour features on why he's famous. The ams they do show are usually either winning the pro-am comp or else making a complete hash of it

I remember Terry Wig-On's putt like it was yesterday jebb - probably owing to it being shown religiously anytime the dubiously-haired one and Peter Alliss come into proximity.

The Gary Player 9 holes was 'the best golf probably ever played on this course.' At least that's what the Man In Black (surprisingly dressed in black as I recall) said. Okay, so it was a par 33 set up. And the par 5 17th was down-gale, but who can argue with Gary? I wouldn't dare. He'd just challege me to a sit-up contest and I'd be made to look very silly.

Good old Tony.

Whenever I hear that curious accent I have to look to decide if it's actually North Lincolnshire's favorite son or a re-run of an old James Cagney film. Even when he's doing his full-time job of selling F.A.S.T irons with King Kenny on The Golf Channel he still retains that curious mid-atlantic drawl. God-knows where it comes from. My mate's from Cleethorpes and he doesn't talk like that. Yet Tony still does when he's flogging clubs and trolleys on TV for 'Zhay Zhay Beee...'

I still remember fondly Woosie duffing that chip into a pot bunker on the 5th at Turnberry.. Losing to a yellow Slazenger-sweatered (sunglasses-wearing) Mike Reid in the process...

Great viewing.

At last a real golfer
Here here my friend
There is far too much fawning over these people as it is.
Lets watch some real golfers PLEASE!
As for the Charity angle, why don't these people "do a JOHN LENNON" and be descreet about their giving as opposed to making everything a broadcast.
Driver on the fairway...mid Iron to the green ....one put...
Thanks for your reply..
63brummie.

The TV celeb golf shows don't bother me once or twice a year (the spring tournaments wet the juices for those of us in the north who can't play golf in January and February), however, the Golf Digest "100 best stockbroker golfers" type lists are getting really old.

I don't mind a 'best of the stars' list every few years in GD, but who really cares if Joe Schmo from Merrill Lynch's branch in Kansas is a scratch golfer. I mean, great, the stockbroker gets his name in lights in front of his friends and I am sure he is a great golfer, but his name means nothing to me or 99.9% of the rest of America. At least it is interesting to see that a well known household name of a singer or actor who can also play golf...but why every year or two a new list...do these guys get that much better every year?

Great quote at the end...
Really made me laugh and think too.
63brummie

Whilst I am aware of the commercial angle (we hear little else these days)...
Despite what you might think commercialism is not the exclusive preserve of North America.
Can 't we try something different?

No love for Charles Barkley in this thread?

Why would anyone want to watch someone other than a PGA pro play golf on TV?

It has no redeeming value and doesn't contribute to the the GNP. Reminds me of a lawyer.

I don't watch it.

OK, time to stop picking on Clint Eastwood. He recognized awhile ago he must not be that fun to watch hack around and he does not do the pro-am at Pebble....so back off, punks! (Eastwood reference).

As for the rest of the celebs. I don't care if they are at a couple of tournaments a year, I don't watch them. End of story.

As I recuperate from a knee operation I was stuck with the Dunhill Links on Sky.

Couldn't believe my eyes when the lovely Di Stewart had a feature going through the bags of Samuel L Jackson and Kyle McLachlan, honestly, does anyone care? I am interested in what the Pros carry, not a pair of celebrity choppers.

Having said that Bill Murray holed a putt on the Road Hole and dropped his putter and threw his jumper on the other amateur's line, I thought he was going to get a punching, but unluckily no.