Behind The Scenes At The Golf Channel
And More New Stuff From The PGA Merchandise Show
Most of us have watched The Golf Channel on our cable network. Personally, I enjoy a little European Golf with my weekend morning coffee. What I enjoy most however, is The Golf Channel's award-winning Golf Central show. I watch it nearly every night to keep up with the latest in golf.
A couple of weeks ago, while in Orlando to cover the PGA Merchandise Show, I was relaxing in the whirlpool at my resort when the phone rang. The caller wanted to invite my colleague and me to The Golf Channel for a personal tour and a chance to sit in the audience for live broadcast of my favorite show. Here was my chance to get up-close-and-personal with the channel that occupies a prime spot on my TV remote. It was hard to break away from my relaxation, but duty called.
The Golf Channel, which celebrated its sixth birthday in January, has its facility located in southwest Orlando, just off Interstate 4. The recently renovated 50,000 square-foot building is home to the channel's corporate headquarters and studios and nearly 250 employees.
The highlight of the facility is a 6,000 square-foot state-of-the-art television studio that includes four broadcast sets, an area for golf instruction and a Wall of Fame. Three robotic cameras create a unique 360-degree set for daily broadcasts.
Believed to boast the first fully digital broadcast facility in the country, The Golf Channel has seven operational satellite dishes on-site. Talk about a couch potato's dream.
The Golf Channel was conceived by president and CEO Joseph E. Gibbs, who partnered with chairman Arnold Palmer to build the 24-hour-a-day network dedicated to golf. One of the factors for success, established from the beginning, was to bring viewers the highest quality of golf programming. Incorporating the latest in digital and fiber optic technologies, The Golf Channel is state-of-the-art in all respects, from production and control through distribution and transmission. By the end of 1997 the channel was being beamed into 14 million households nationwide, with another eight million coming into the fold in 1998. Now in the 21st millennium, it's hard to find a cable company in the country that doesn't carry The Golf Channel.
In addition, The Golf Channel is broadcast around the world to Japan, the Philippines, Canada, Australia, and soon to Taiwan and China.
The programming schedule includes more live coverage than all of the other networks combined. It brings an extensive blend of PGA Tour, Senior PGA Tour, LPGA, buy.com Tour, USGA, PGA of America, European Tour and PGA Tour Australasia competition; instruction with world renowned teaching professionals; Golf Central, a nightly golf news show; Golf Talk Live, a live call-in talk show with award winning host Peter Kessler; Viewer's Forum, a live call-in show featuring viewers' feedback on golf happenings, celebrity interviews; and video tours of the world's great courses and specials.
Our tour started at the front desk as we waited for our escort, Joy Henneberger. Joy has been with The Golf Channel for several years now and wears more than one hat. Her favorite job is traveling to tournament sites in search of that special story. Many of the tidbits and interesting facts that you hear about during a tournament telecast or on Golf Central come from her in-depth coverage of the event.
Our first stop was the huge library. The Golf Channel houses thousands of tapes and other media from golf events around the world both present and historic. Just before playing in his first Ryder Cup in 1997, Tiger Woods stopped in to view coverage of any tournament held at Valderamma, the Cup's host site that year in Spain. Woods was hoping to find out as much as he could about a course that he had never seen before, searching for any advantage.
The computer room is quite a sight. Being entirely digital, the computers are small and extremely fast, assisting in making production smooth and reliable. We saw where the staff sets up each show, cutting to commercials and other breaks. There is even a jukebox sort of computer that switches commercial tapes into place automatically, allowing the staff to concentrate on other necessary items.
Because The Golf Channel transmits to a large audience in Japan, a translation room is set up for live broadcasts. On one side of the room is a pair of English-speaking broadcasters. On the other side, separated by a large glass wall, is the pair of Japanese interpreters. The Japanese broadcasters listen to their English cohorts, translate and then run their own dialog for their viewing audience. Its all very hectic, with no time delay in the broadcast to allow the broadcasters time to decide exactly what they want to say.
In one room the producers and staff set up shows and review highlight tapes from that day's events. The room also has several televisions tuned to different networks, CNN, ESPN and the like, in order to keep track of breaking news stories. One TV was tuned to the Three Stooges. I haven't quite figured out what breaking news Larry, Moe and Curly were relaying.
We were even treated to quick trip to the "Break Room," home to the frozen candy bar machine. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to stop for a bite.
Our next-to-last stop was the "Dressing Room," where the anchors of Golf Central had just finished preparing for that night's show. The room was staffed with hair stylists, make-up specialists, engineers putting mikes on the hosts, and the like. The show's hosts finished reading their scripts for the upcoming show, made a quick hair and equipment check and headed out to the set.
From there it was onto the set for us. We were given the two-minute tour before Golf Central, the channel's Cable ACE award winner for best "Sports News Series," went live into homes across the planet.
Anchors Brian Hammons and Jennifer Mills were rehearsing their reports and making changes to their script. Producer Jeff Hymes was in another room with his production staff readying for that night's show.
We were shown to our seats, which were up on the set of Golf Academy Live, and asked to please be quiet during the show. No shouting, "You Da Man" would be tolerated here.
It was quite interesting watching how the on-set director worked to conduct the anchors, the taped highlights, and the robotic cameras into a smooth running symphony for the next 30 minutes.
During commercial breaks, the crew would touch up the anchors' makeup, move the cameras around, and make subtle changes to sharpen the show's final product.
When the show was all over we were introduced to the anchors and crew. From there we headed for the front door and the end of our tour. We said our good-byes and thanked Joy for our great tour. As we stepped out the door, we were handed a goodie bag full of great Golf Channel stuff. Not bad for a golf reporter working the night shift.
More New StuffIn the coming weeks, I'm going to fill you in on more new products from the PGA Merchandise Show. With 12 miles of aisles and 1500 companies, there was far too much stuff to cover it all. But in the weeks to come, you'll be given a pretty good idea of what is new in golf.
Most, if not all, of us have dreamed of designing our own golf hole. We've drawn it up, or shaped it in our minds. Some of us have a favorite hole that we have played and would love to tee off on every day. Thanks to Links Design-A-Hole, you can create a 3D model of that hole for the entire world to see.
Considered the world's first-ever golf hole model kit, the Links Design-A-Hole allows you to shape and create a model of any hole, real or imaginary. The kit comes with everything needed to complete your project. You get a modeling board, carving tool, paint brushes and paints, landscape materials, glue, sandpaper and carbon paper for tracing.
You draw out your design, then transfer it to the modeling board with the carbon paper. Then using the carving tool, you scrape out the terrain on the hard foam-core board. Then paint and landscape to finish your design. Believe me when I tell you it's easier than you think and a ton of fun.
Tour Edge Golf has introduced nearly an entirely new line of clubs. Known for its barely-legal Bazooka 320J driver, which has tested longer than the illegal ones, the company is enjoying a lot of success.
The company has replaced its highly successful Comp 950 Lift-Off line of irons with the totally redesigned Comp LX. Developed for the mid-to-high handicap golfer, these irons feature a sleek, rounded look with a thinner top line. The undercut cavity allows weight to be added to the sole, creating higher, yet longer shots.
Low handicap golfers love forged irons. Tour Edge combines the feel of forged irons with a double muscle back design in its new V-Blade irons. The club positions the center of gravity on each iron for optimal performance.
The company's Wood Iron gives those with less long-iron confidence a weapon to work with. The club isn't a long iron or a wood. It's a combination that produces great shots while increasing a player's confidence in shot-making.
The HipTi Driver from Orlimar is so new that the company worked into the night in the days preceding the Show to get enough made for us to demo. They did a great job.
HipTi stands for Hot Isostatic Processed Titanium. It's a process that strengthens the titanium, eliminating internal voids and porosity. The result is a stronger, thinner clubface that creates maximum distance, all without the "trampoline effect."
Orlimar president and CEO Jesse Ortiz isn't a fan of the trampoline effect. "What happens when you jump on a trampoline?" he asked me. "You're fine as long as you stay in the center. When you land or jump on the sides, you don't fly as high and you tend to bounce sideways. If you don't consistently hit the dead center of your clubface, you've got a problem. The HipTi solves that problem."
After testing the club, I'd say the problem is solved with fabulous results.
If you're planning a vacation and want to take your sticks, Club Glove has the travel bag and accessories for you. Chosen by the United States Ryder Cup team to protect for its gear, this stuff is built to guard your precious tools from the gorillas at the airlines.
Some airlines are making passengers with golf clubs sign waivers if they plan to carry their clubs in anything other than a hard case. Club Glove doesn't have a hard case in its line, but have no fear.
"Anyone who has a problem with an airline, or experiences damage while carrying his clubs in one of our bags, can call me and I'll personally take care of everything," says company president and CEO Jeffrey Herold.
The company's Last Bag has a lifetime warranty, and comes in two sizes to fit those huge steamer trunks that the pros use every week. The new Garment Bag and Piggy Back Bag attach easily to the Last Bag, making rolling your entire luggage line through the airport quick and tireless.
If you're looking for a place to put your pants, shirts and other travel items, the Rolling Duffle is huge and perfectly designed. And as with all Club Glove bags, the duffel comes with in-line skate wheels, locking pockets, and integrated handles.
Stammer's Golf Archive
Editor's note: James Stammer is a freelance writer living in Florida. He has played golf for better than a quarter-century. To reach James, e-mail him at jstammer@yahoo.com.
